Rincon Skies -- a recurring series -- #First

Our planet is made of rock, water and air - the basic ingredients for life as we know it. I feel that we all are connected - whether we choose to be an active participant or not - to these three elements. Many of my "Rincon Skies" photos will feature all three: above is the Pacific Ocean at low tide, exposing rocks and in the air are particles from the SoCal fires of late October. The late afternoon sun - still a couple hours before 'sunset' causes the particles to refract the light in exciting ways... an ironic byproduct of the horror known by too many in Southern California. Above, a surfer enjoys the shape of the water, avoids the rocks and hopes the air in his lungs is not too unhealthy.

The photo above was taken a day earlier (21Oct07) from the others in these first five photos (the other four were all taken the same day, 220ct07). Early effects of the soot from the SoCal fires have already reddened our sunsets. Carpinteria is located in the previous link in the eastern edge of the northernmost swirl of smoke. The closest fires to Carpinteria were the ones in Ventura County, and located about 45 miles to the east and a bit to the north.

With the soot and ash and smoke settling in, these photos show true reds of the afternoon of 22Oct07.

After displaying a glowing red sun for several hours, sunset approaches.



This photo was taken earlier in the afternoon about the same time as the very first photo. The sun will still not 'set' for three hours.

Not ALL of the "Rincon Skies" series will be particularly colorful. The darkness in mid-afternoon is also the result of a fire - this summer's huge Zaca Fire. Although the fire was contained by mid-September07 - as I wrote earlier in this blog, it was only declared controlled on 29Oct07. At the time of the photo (12Oct07) it was still burning. However, the black in the photo is a result of 'sundowner' winds similar to santa anas that were strong enough to pick up the burned ash and blow it 25+ miles over Santa Barbara and the Channel Islands. The dots on the horizon are oil rigs, five miles+ offshore.



This photo and the four following are all mostly 'natural' in that there was little extra particulate matter blowing around from the soot of fires months ago, or the smoke of current fires. Just nature: sun, water vapor in clouds and the Pacific to make a picture - oh, and the Mexican Fan Palm, Washingtonia robusta just to add a semi-tropical flavor.



The mouths of local creeks form sloughs where fresh/brackish water stands for long periods - even through our long, long Mediterranean-climate summer. During the wet season (Coming up anytime soooon? As of today, there has been very, very little rain this fall. Less than 1/2 inch.) these creeks run right through the beach sand and empty into the Pacific. During the dry season wave action piles up beach sand and closes the creeks, forming standing water. This is Carpinteria Creek in Carpinteria State Beach, where I have recently seen Eared Grebes, Black-crowned Night Herons, Coots, Mallards, Gulls by the score, Snowy Egrets, White Herons, Great Blue Herons and a Northern Shoveler. The quiet brackish water seems to suit them.

Sunset from the bluffs above Carpinteria State Beach, near the Oil Pier that services the oil rigs.

Setting the tone for "Rincon Skies", I want to be sure that skies other than sunsets are expected as well!