I Am A Lineman for the County

This gives new meaning to the lyrics of the old Glen Campbell song "Wichita Lineman".  Along Interstate 94 in West Central Minnesota, new power poles are being installed. This is how they are stringing the wires. How would you like to be the guy sitting on the helicopter skid doing that job? Not me!

They have signs posted as you enter the work zone that helicopters may be active in the area. On this particular day, I happened to have lucked out and saw one in action. I so wanted to pull over and take a picture but you can see the state patrol car in the photo below with his lights flashing to try and keep drivers aware and moving on (at least that is my theory). No rubbernecking allowed!

Cough! Cough!

We are thoroughly ensconsed in fire season here in the Methow Valley. On September 8, a storm rolled through eastern Washington and created over a hundred fires due to lightning strikes. In the Methow, we have 4 fires currently burning just over 5,000 acres (as of yesterday evening) and only 18% containment. The wind direction has a significant impact on the air quality where I live. If the smoke is blowing down valley, my air is good. Up valley, not so good as evidenced in these pictures taken just a few hours apart the other day.

The smoke cloud on the left is the Hunter fire and the one on the right is the Buckhorn fire.

Leecher & Buckhorn Fires

Many areas in eastern Washington are suffering poor air quality because of the on-going fires, not just here in the Methow.

We have had a lot of air support with helicopters dropping buckets of water on the fires and even have a 14 person firefighting crew from Canada assisting in suppression efforts. At the rate things are going, the fires just might burn until snow falls.

Bell UH-1H Helo

Sikorsky S70A Helo

All I can say is thanks to the wildland firefighters who are working hard at extinguishing these blazes!