On the full moon last night and the fire this morning (DIAL-UP WARN)

[DemoTex]

We had a beautiful full moon last night. I went to bed with bright moonlight streaming into the lookout. It was so bright I had to dig out my blinders and wear them all night.

When I got up at 06:30, I immediately spotted a smoke eight miles to the northeast. To make a long story short, the crew that responded reported that the fire was part of a "rave-type party" in the National Forest (the commander's words) that had between 200 and 300 people in attendance. He said that the party site was a wreck and the bonfire had been huge. The group had partied all night, disturbing campers at some nearby camp grounds (who reported drug and alcohol use at the party - DOH!).

I wonder if the wild party was influenced by the full moon. Here are some moon shots and a shot of the smoke early this morning.


The Canon 5D Mk-II was ready for the moonrise last night


I was awestruck by the colors as the moon came up


I'm wondering if ash from the Iceland volcano might have made it here


No wonder that party in the forest got crazy


Rise and shine


The smoke 8 miles away at 0630

[blogslut]

1. Shame about the fire and the mess

Great moon pics though.

Wasn't there a partial lunar eclipse last night as well?

[DemoTex]

2. Some one mentioned that today.

I did not shoot any more after the moon got above the mountains.

[blogslut]

3. I missed it too

Your photos are gorgeous. How's your puppy?

[DemoTex]

24. Nick is doing great.

We are in town tonight. I brought him back some salmon from Greg's Grill.

[madmax]

4. Blood on the moon

Beautiful pix.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. My dear DemoTex!

WOW!

Those moon pics are the best I've ever seen, bar none!

Thank you so much!

You are doing amazing stuff, and we are so lucky to be here seeing you do it.

Keep 'em coming...

Recommended!

:hug:

[DemoTex]

13. I promised you a photo of the big photo rig

I took that one with my little point-and-shoot Canon PowerShot SD 990 IS. I have a waterproof housing for it, so it will go with me on fishing and kayaking trips. It is not a bad little camera. Nay, it is a damn good little camera!

:hi:

[JBoy]

6. Great pics! I remember getting freaked out by a harvest moon as a little kid

I must have been about 3 or 4, it's one of my earliest memories. We were driving home after dinner from Grandma & Grandpa's place, about an hour away. My mother says "Oh look, a harvest moon. And you can see a face in it!" I look over and immediately have some kind of caveman response of "OMFG, the world must be about to end! There really is a freaking face in the moon!! And the moon is like three times normal size!!! I think I bawled the whole way home. Was probably just too much pumpkin pie at Grandma's.

Anyhow, I'm over it now, but every time I see a yellow-ish/orange-ish moon I have a little flashback to that panic attack in backseat of the '65 Ford Country Squire.

[doc03]

7. Awesome pictures. Something I noticed when in Colorado

a few years ago, you can see all the craters on the moon and like 100 times more stars at night then here in Ohio.

[virginia mountainman]

8. Thanks for posting this..

I really enjoy your posts!

Let me ask you, as a firewatchman... How often are you supposed to "scan the horizon"?

Do you have a beeper set for every half hour or something??

[DemoTex]

15. It depends on the fire danger level and other conditions.

I have a simple kitchen timer. I set 10-15 minutes during low/moderate fire danger or during fog or other obscuration to visibility. During high or extreme danger levels, or during and after lightning, I maintain a constant scan. When fires are being spotted my me and the other lookouts, I am sometimes on my feet scanning from dawn to last light.

A solid fog, with the temperature sitting on the dew-point all day, is a welcomed event in a lookout in the middle of fire season!

[xchrom]

9. What an amazing thing to see in person. Nt

[spanone]

10. what a magical place....thanks for watching over it...

:-)

[SheilaT]

11. The lunar eclipse didn't happen

on this part of the planet. It was seen in the Eastern Hemisphere and was over by moonrise EDT.

Hey Mac! I live in Santa Fe now, and New Mexico absolutely has a fire season. We seem to typically have two or three forest fires happening at any one time during the summer. I've gotten used to seeing smoke somewhere much of the time.

[DemoTex]

12. Well Day-um! I tried to drive through Santa Fe on my way out here!

There was a "HUGH!" bicycle race/event that Sunday (May 16, I think). I had to by-pass Santa Fe and run up to Pagosa Springs, Co., for the night.

:hi:

[SheilaT]

14. I was in Kansas that weekend.

My older son graduated college!

Completing college has been a challenge for him, and he finally completed junior college with a CAD (Computer Aided Design) degree. Next time you're headed this way PM me.

[DemoTex]

16. Indeed!

[DemoTex]

17. Couple of things ..

1. This and almost all my lookout posts from 2010 and 2009 can be found at DemoTex's Journal:
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/DemoTex

2. Several people have PM'd me asking how to get a fire lookout job. Since most fire lookout jobs are federal agency positions (USFS and BLM), vacancy announcements are required to be posted publicly. I found my job (and was offered 9 other lookouts in 2009) through vacancies I saw posted on the Forest Fire Lookout Association's "Jobs" page ( http://www.firelookout.org/lookoutJobs.htm ). Pickin's were slim for the 2010 fire season.

For a federal job you will have to jump through the federal hoops. The applications are all on-line, but rather detailed. You will be expected to be drug-free, have no felony convictions, and hold a US passport.

Some states run a few fire lookouts. The Oregon Dept. of Forestry does, IIRC.

Some lookouts are contract. Unless you have experience and know how to bid, avoid these.

A few lookouts are staffed by volunteers. Not my cuppa.

If you live in an area with USFS (for example) lookouts, get to know the AFMOs at the ranger station. Let them know that you are interested. If they like you - and/or NEED you - they might help you with the application process.

Great! Now that this is in my journal, I can go there to cut and paste answers for PMs!

mac

[bobbolink]

20. Very good information. The only thing about the volunteer is that it can lead to a paid

position.

At least, it works that way with the National Park Service.

[DemoTex]

23. That is true.

Any experience as a lookout helps immensely when applying for the GS positions. But unless you are totally financially independent (read: RICH), don't do a volunteer gig on the west coast if you live on the east coast. I live in the lookout, except on my off days, and the expense of those off days eats up much of my paycheck.

[bobbolink]

25. I have very ambivalent feelings about the whole volunteer thing,

I think it is great to get people involved in public service in this way, and I have very much enjoyed the volunteer work I have done for state and federal parks.

BUT..... the parks need to be so valued that they can hire all the well-qualified people they need.

As I said.... ambivalent.

I just know that with NPS, volunteers can often get a real live job.

Sigh.... it is all so backwards!

Thanks for what you do! :yourock:

[myrna minx]

18. These are stunning photos.

Thank you so much for posting. K&R

[pleah]

19. Beautiful!

Thank you for sharing. :)

[Hekate]

21. Wow. Wonderful. Wonderment.

Thank you so much.

Hekate

[david13]

22. Nice photos. You mean you actually get paid for that work? Oh,

well, I guess that's ok.
I did think it was volunteer work tho'.
dc

[OxQQme]

26. BEAUTIFUL PICS

I'm on the other side of the Cascades, in Portland.
Saved 'Rise and Shine' as my new desktop pic.
thnx

[arcadian]

27. Great job. Thanks for spotting that fire.

:thumbsup: