Monday, June 25, 2012

We're Burning Up Here, Folks

Both figuratively and literally, we are burning up here.  I never would have guessed that the Colorado summer could be so brutal. 

The thermometer above shows the temperature in the blazing sun on our terrace - yes, you read it right: 129.9° at 6:18 p.m.  But even in the shade, it was a balmy 105°, the highest official temperature ever recorded in Denver and the fourth straight day of 100+ temps with no end in sight.

Wait - that last reading wasn't really so bad.  Just 27 minutes later, you can see 133.5°as the outside temperature.

But anyone who is not in danger of being actually incinerated by flames cannot complain.  Much of the state is burning down.  There are at least 12 wildfires throughout the state, burning countless acres.  Colorado's governor said today that about half of the nation's firefighting personnel are in Colorado right now.

So let's just continue to pretend that global warming doesn't exist as we simulate hell on earth.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Chalk Art 2012

I've been negligent in my blog postings of late but there is not that much of interest in my life right now.  That's not a bad thing - I've been enjoying the quiet time and the beautiful spring weather.

Last year, I wrote about the annual Chalk Art Festival here.  Since it's close to where I live, I went on Saturday and Sunday this past weekend.  Sadly, rains came Saturday afternoon and washed away that day's work.  So the photos you see below were taken late Sunday morning, as the artists tried to recreate what they'd already done.  I'm still amazed by what these folks do with chalk.  By the time I'm writing this on Monday morning, all of what you see below has been hosed down and washed away.  Enjoy.

One artist's tools