Black-Cloud Break

Yesterday was one of those chameleon days.  Rain clouds normally socking in the mountains would disappear, the sun might even shine but ever so briefly.

That break in the weather would draw out the humans, eager to spend time outside during another October day.  After all, traditionally most of October in these parts is noted for some of the most pleasant and beautiful days of the year. 

Let's just say this particular October is starting to remind me a little too much of good ol' North Idaho ugly, which usually drives a lot of folks away to drier places during the winter and early spring months.

Well, in yesterday's case, I would fall for the bait, get a project started outside and suddenly clouds would increase and raindrops would start falling on my head incessantly. 

We did have one window of opportunity to behold the beautiful during the morning hours. I loaded up the dogs and my camera and took advantage of it with a particular goal in mind.  If the sun is shining on that large and solid clump of bushy deciduous trees west of Larry Eby's ranch up in Moravia, they should be spectacular.

So, we turned off the main highway and took old HWY 95/2 through Naples and along Deep Creek. At any time of the year, it's a gorgeous stretch of road.

I stopped numerous times, thinking each particular scene couldn't get any prettier and often waving cars past me as I pulled to the edge of the road to snap some shots.

All the way, the extreme contrast in light provided spectacular photo ops. The sky to the west was filled with billowy black, ominous clouds, but that sun rising through the eastern sky was holding in gaps between the clouds, casting some of the most brilliant scenes one could ever imagine.

All the while, not a peep out of the dogs.  They were thoroughly enjoying the brief road trip, as I wasted no time moving on to the next spot.  

Time is of the essence with such lighting conditions. 

The second I reached the road pointing west toward that phenomenal grove of trees at the base of the mountains, some damn black cloud covered up the sun, and that was that. 

As you can see, though, the trip was hardly in vain.

As I drove back toward HWY 95 near the golf course, I saw a message from a friend who had been waiting over several days for a dry time to pick apples from our loaded tree.  

She also saw an opportunity with the stretch of dry weather, and she wanted to seize on it. 

Come ahead, I texted. 

By the time I arrived back at our place, she was picking, and the rain was returning. Thankfully, she had come dressed for downpours, and she picked all the apples she needed.

Yes, this October is giving us fits, but when it comes to our show of fall colors, if we can catch those breaks when Mother Nature is not dumping on us, the beauty of the countryside is supreme. 

We're back at the rain again this morning.  In fact, it has lasted so long that the barnyard outside the horse stall doors is soup.  Do you think I could get a horse to step outside to go to pasture in this morning's darkness?

Not a chance.  They're still in the barn eating hay.  Seems the humans are the only ones who do know enough to come inside out of the rain but have no choices when it comes to doing chores for all those pets who like their comfort zones on rainy days.

As I type, my daughter Annie is in the sky on her way back from St. Louis where the weather has been favorable for her geocaching and touristy activities this past weekend.

She'll be landing in Seattle at 9 a.m. and I'm sure the Emerald City, which also touts the "bluest skies," has saved some of its weekend wetness for her return. 

Happy Monday.  Stay dry.  Hope you enjoy the photos as much as I did taking them. 

This beautiful spot north of Naples kept hundreds of media folks busy for some time during the Randy Weaver stand-off at Ruby Ridge back in the early 1990s.