Yesterday we made the return trip from Bend. There was much more smoke in the air, there were a couple of fires outside of Bend that were contributing to the haze that was already there from the California fires. It wasn't as bad after we crested the Cascades and started down the west side. We made a couple stops at places I had seen on the way over, but on Monday there was too much haze too make for good pictures. It was a beautiful day and the forest was lush, mossy and green. This river is the Santiam. 
Two nights ago there was a lot of lightning here in Oregon...over 3,000 strikes and the fire services are keeping their eyes peeled for smokes...hopefully Oregon is spared what California is experiencing right now.
Now for my editorial. I think the Environmentalists had swung the pendulum too far in their zeal to "save" our forests. I believe that with responsible logging/forestry management so much of this damage could have been avoided. Now the lumber is totally lost to all, even the animals that lived there and if it returns at all with the changes in our weather patterns it will take until my Grandson's children are grown before it looks as it did before the fires. "People" are so concerned with "saving" the Earth, but even if all humanity perished, the Earth would still be here. She has survived the many changes that are part of Its existence...if we are honest it is our own survival that we are most concerned with...change is inevitable and Mother Earth knows how to heal and carry on. We just need to learn to work with those changes...even those created by our own hand because we are part of the whole.
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