HIGH PRAIRIE COMMUNITY COUNCIL
POEM: PRAIRIE SUMMER
DOUG TAYLOR STORIES PUBLISHED
RECIPE: WATERMELON STRAWBERRY CAPRESE SALAD
STAYING HYDRATED
BEARS IN HIGH PRAIRIE?
SAYING GOODBYE TO MYRIN BENTZ
FIRELINES: WILDFIRE SEASON IN FULL SWING
FIREWISE: WILDFIRE SEASON: FIREWISE AND READY, SET, GO!
ART: CAMASSIA
FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT LABOR DAY
LEAVES
AURORA FIREBALL
Download the PDF of this edition
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Sharon Aleckson and Barb Parrish
The HPCC Board continues to meet on the 3rd Monday of each month from 6-8 pm at the community center. They are public meetings. An agenda for each meeting is published and sent through e-mail to the community 5 days prior to each meeting. Meeting minutes record what action was taken on agenda items discussed by the board and are also sent via email to the community.
Over the past several months, the board has reviewed documents that guide board business. Revisions were made and approved by the entities involved. Those documents were the HPCC Bylaws, High Prairie Community Center Rental Agreement, and the Joint Operating Agreement between HPCC and HPFD#14 . The updating of these documents took longer than expected, but it has been completed.
The members of the Grant Committee are in the process finalizing issues relating to our grant. Seems as if the paperwork required in applying for the grant was much easier to complete compared to paperwork required after the grant has been approved. More information forthcoming…
HPCC has sponsored several events this year:
DUMPSTER DAYS- June 20 – 22 This successful event was Phase Two of our community clean-up plan. Republic Services donated and delivered three drop boxes. Dumping was free to the community, though donations were appreciated. The event was in conjunction with opening the Old Red Firehall on Centerville Highway to receive donations, organize them and get ready for the Firehouse Sale in July. Many thanks to
Republic Services for donating the dumpsters
Ben Parrish, who spent all day on Wednesday, June 19th, waiting for the three dumpsters to be delivered and placed correctly
High Prairie Fire District and Eric Shrum for mowing and weed-eating prior to the event
Volunteers who came to help Ben Parrish on the 20th through 22nd to make sure that items being dumped were according to Republic’s requirements and to help unload vehicles
Sandy Christopher, Klickitat County, who brought several helpers who were doing community service – what a great group of helpers!
FIREHOUSE SALE- The Firehouse Sale on July 26 and 27 was a very successful event. Together, Dumpster Days and the Firehouse Sale brought in $1,130.00 to HPCC. A big thank-you goes to:
Volunteers who helped Barb Parrish on the 25th to clean, sort and organize donations
All who donated items for the sale, especially to Jared Langford, whose “guy stuff” brought in many dollars.
Our next Firehouse Sale will be held on September 20 and 21, from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. September 19 will be donations intake day, and volunteers will be sorting and organizing the donations. If you can help during this time, please email Barb Parrish at highprairiebarb@gmail.com
All HPCC fundraisers support our Community Center building and fund requests from HPFD. Since the year 2000, HPCC has supported HPFD with $79,000.00. Thank you, High Prairie, for helping to support our wonderful fire department!
FARMERS MARKET- 1st and 3rd Saturdays, June through September. In addition to produce, vendors offer a variety of items for purchase, and Erin’s Community Cafe offers a great menu should shoppers want something to eat or drink. The next market dates are September 7 and September 21. These will be the last market dates for the year. Enjoy this opportunity to shop locally.
BINGO- The 2nd Thursday of the month, April through November, is Bingo Night at the High Prairie Community Center. It’s a great opportunity for community to come together for a fun activity, fellowship, and great food. Doors open at 6 pm and Bingo begins at 6:30. Meals include an entree, dessert, and beverage. Adult meals are $12… Kids meals $6. Children can play Bingo if accompanied by an adult. Come join us.
UPCOMING:
Annual Meeting- October 21- Election of Officers and Directors
Sabrina L’Heureux
Contributed by Peg Caliendo
Photo: Gwen Berrry
I kneel in grass gone crisp with July,
part stalks of raspberry bushes
finger-tips blooming red, knees smudged
and dimpled by the small hardness of pebbles.
Overhead, a Whiskey Jack attempts to thieve
a few spilled berries, while I pretend
not to notice.
From my rooftop, I’m sure I could see fields
gold with canola, their brightness shocking
in early dusk.
I dig fingers into the earth, searching
for moisture, my garden spade
ready to carve out a spot for a few Asters,
bring some patience to my garden.
Here beyond the mountains, I’m learning
a different kind of summer, one dry
and windy and ever rolling
with a green sometimes overwhelming.
Cindy Henchell and Bonnie Long
If you’ve been a resident of High Prairie for more than a minute you’ve undoubtedly heard the name Doug Taylor; sometimes in conjunction with words like mayor, pioneer, preacher. None of those titles are exactly accurate. True, Doug is a lifelong resident of High Prairie but he is not a pioneer, or the mayor, and despite the former church at the foot of his driveway, he is not a preacher. But he is a friend to many and never a stranger.
As an early adopter of Facebook, Doug has been entertaining friends and neighbors with stories from his childhood on the Prairie; his philosophy; animals, domestic and wild; and his observation of the goings on around him. Many people have asked him to publish his stories in a book.
Finally, in his 10th decade he is a published book author. Bonnie Long offered to collect stories and photos from him and compile them together but she had no publishing experience, so she contacted me and, as one of the many who have told Doug that he needs to put his stories in book form, I was on-board in an instant.
We pulled his Facebook memoirs and stories and pored over early issues of the High Prairian for his articles and came up with enough content for this book. And there’s still more! We had to be a little conservative to keep the cost of the eventual book reasonable. But we had to overlook some good ones and, not only that—Doug keeps writing! There could be a Volume 2 someday.
Reading this book you will find out that besides a published book author, Doug is a historian, farmer, cook, and weatherman, among other things. You can read a sample online by visiting https://www.highprairie.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/DougT-concept.pdf.
So, how does one get a full, printed copy of the book?
The first step is to let us know that you are interested in purchasing one or more books. We’ve set up an advanced order page from which we will determine how many copies to have printed. The closer we come to a final number when we place the print order, the lower the cost. As a very rough estimate, the price of the book will likely be between $12 and $15 + WA tax and shipping (USPS “Book” rate). If you submit an advanced order by September 15 you will get 10% off the final price and free shipping. To sign up for the advanced sale, please complete the form at https://www.highprairie.us/my-high-prairie-book-order before September 15.
https://www.layersofhappiness.com/watermelon-strawberry-caprese-salad/
Tastes like summer in a bowl… it’s a caprese salad with watermelon & strawberries!
Total time: 15 minutes Servings: 4
Ingredients:
2 cups watermelon, cut into small cubes
2 cups strawberries, quartered
1 cup yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
4 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons olive oil
For topping:
8 oz fresh mozzarella ball, torn small pieces
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
Instructions:
In a medium bowl, combine the watermelon, strawberries, tomatoes, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and honey. Toss gently to evenly coat.
Top with mozzarella and fresh basil. Serve immediately!
From 7/9/24 blog at AICR.org
Water intake is crucial to prevent dehydration, especially in hot weather. Water makes up more than 60 percent of your body’s weight, and it’s vital to replenish fluids and stay hydrated every day. The body loses water through urine and sweat. Drinking beverages and eating foods with high water content can help prevent dehydration, a condition where you lose more fluids than you take in.
What does fluid do in the body?
Transports nutrients and waste
Controls blood pressure
Maintains body temperature
Lubricates joints
How Much Water Should I Drink?
There is no singular amount of fluid that everyone requires. Your exact fluid needs depend on your age, gender, medical conditions, diet, exercise and even the weather. And it’s important to note that beside water, many other foods and drinks provide hydration too.
US Guidelines say that an adequate daily fluid intake is 15.5 cups for men and 11.5 cups for women from a combination of all food and drinks (so, not just from water). Typically, about 20 percent of your fluid intake comes from food you eat. The rest comes from beverages, which include water, coffee, tea, soda, juice and anything else.
How to Stay Hydrated
Remember to drink: Carry a reusable water bottle and sip all day. Download a hydration app on your phone or set reminders on your phone’s alarm clock to schedule reminders to drink.
Make it tasty: If plain water is bland, try infusing it with cucumber, citrus, berries or herbs, such as basil, rosemary or mint. Or freeze fruit pieces and herbs in ice trays for a more subtle infusion.
Keep track of caffeine: Coffee is 99 percent water and offers hydration but keep the amount to no more than four cups per day. It can be dehydrating above this cutoff level. Tea has one-third to half the caffeine in regular coffee.
Eat foods with high water content: Fluid comes from beverages AND foods. For example, fruits and vegetables are filled with fluid. Or choose fluid-rich low-sodium soups, yogurt, smoothies and applesauce. Try these fun fluid-filled ideas:
• Freeze grapes as a snack.
• Make gazpacho or vegetable juice.
• Try chia seed pudding.
• Use popsicle molds to freeze fruit puree into frozen treats.
Foods Help You Stay Hydrated
Many foods contain over 85 percent fluid and help you stay hydrated. Fruits and vegetables are filled with water. Here are some hydrating choices:
Food % fluid in food
Cucumber 96%
Iceberg lettuce 96%
Celery 95%
Tomatoes 95%
Watermelon 91%
Strawberries 91%
Cantaloupe 90%
Yogurt 85%
Applesauce 85%
Debbie McDonald
Photo: BearWise
Yes, there are a few bears that wander through High Prairie. A neighbor stops by now and then to tell us of their bear sightings, and years ago at night a bear was on our hillside close to the house (my brave old dog kept between me and the bear, barking an alert). One year a bear crossed the highway mid-morning in front of my car, and bear tracks in the snow were common another year. This year on April 29th our wildlife camera caught a bear meandering down the driveway in the middle of the night.
Every bear sighting is exciting, but it helps to know what to anticipate throughout the year and how to react to the situation. Bearwise.org has a website developed by state agency bear biologists, and BearWise® is a national education and outreach program of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies. You can subscribe to their monthly email with a ton of information.
Earlier this summer the email summarized what bears, as well as their cubs, are doing in the month of May, with links to expanded information. For example, we are reminded that bears have great food memories and, if they found food or your garbage cans accessible last year, they’ll return to check it out this year. (I’ve read that bears can smell their favorite food up to 7 miles away!) Cubs are learning basic skills and mother bears will leave cubs unattended (but NOT abandoned, don’t touch) to travel up to two miles foraging for food.
Here’s a link to the newsletter – https://bearwise.org/what-bears-do-in-may/?mc_cid=b5453b5e72&mc_eid=483bf30b2b. Fun information and a good reminder to put away any bear snacks before they come back and raid your property.
Gwen Berry
Myrin Bentz, a long-time member of the High Prairie community, died on June 29, 2024, at the age of 88. Although Myrin and his wife, Audrey, moved from High Prairie five years ago, they hold an outsize place in the memories of people who knew them here. They are an integral part of the last three decades of High Prairie history.
Everything Myrin and Audrey did was imbued with a solid faith, high energy, compassion, and social involvement. They were universally welcoming and friendly. Many a newcomer had Myrin and Audrey to thank for a smooth entrée into the High Prairie community.
The accompanying article (below) by Doug Taylor, published in an early issue of the High Prairian, gets to the heart of what Myrin and Audrey meant to High Prairie. Fortunately, our community was blessed with their presence and enthusiasm for many years after Doug’s article was written.
Myrin was a pastor, a husband and father, a fisherman, a storyteller, a sausage maker, a gardener, a host, a friend, a community figure – all of those and much more. Everyone who knew him has unique stories and memories of what made Myrin special.
Myrin’s obituary can be read at https://www.highprairie.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/e-Myrin- Bentz-obituary.pdf. A private burial was held at White Eagle Preserve in the hills outside of Goldendale, with a memorial service on August 17 at St. Luke Lutheran Church in Portland.
A video of the service is available at https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=g6vZs2LzAlM or search YouTube for Pastor Myrin Bentz Memorial Service.”
Sarah Hancock, Fire Chief, Fire District #14
Thank you for your unwavering support in helping protect High Prairie during this challenging wildfire season. Your vigilance and cooperation have been instrumental in keeping our community safe.
Unfortunately, this wildfire season is far from over. Between now and October, the fires we face are likely to become more severe due to the hot weather, strong winds, and our extremely dry vegetation. It is important to remain vigilant until the burn ban has been rescinded. The end of the burn ban relies solely on the weather and has not been set yet.
As your Fire Chief, I want to assure you that I am dedicated to proactive planning and mitigation efforts to ensure we have the necessary resources available at all times, should the unfortunate need arise. Emergencies can strike without warning, and it is our duty to be ready to respond when called upon.
Wildfires can sometimes grow too quickly for a single local fire district to manage alone. This is why High Prairie has ongoing crucial mutual aid agreements with fire districts across Klickitat County, as well as with districts in Skamania, Hood River, Wasco, and Sherman Counties. These agreements ensure that when the need arises, we can pool our resources and expertise to combat most wildfires within our communities.
The majority of firefighters in Klickitat County are volunteers, with the exception of the Fire Chiefs for Fire Districts #3 and #7. While this volunteer-based model allows us to serve our communities with passion and dedication, it also presents some unique challenges.
Due to the nature of volunteer work, our firefighters may at times be unavailable due to their primary careers, personal illness, or family commitments. This can mean that we do not always have enough crew members available within our fire districts to spare resources to neighboring districts in need. There are also occasions when we have enough capacity within our districts that we can provide assistance to our neighbors. So far this year, High Prairie firefighters have been able to respond to fires in Dallesport, Bickleton, Appleton, Lyle, Centerville, The Dalles, and Dayton. The fires in Bickleton (Big Horn Fire) and Dallesport (Tidyman Road Fire) were classified as State Mobilizations.
A State Mobilization occurs when a fire district within Washington requests the state to provide additional resources and funding to aid in an incident, whether it’s a fire, hazmat situation, or natural disaster. High Prairie, like many other Klickitat County Fire Districts, has a contract with the state and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) allowing our department to provide resources to State Mobilizations, when our volunteers are available to do so, and receive compensation.
These State Mobilization opportunities are an important source of revenue for our fire department, helping to offset the costs of equipment, training, and other essential operational expenses not covered by property taxes. The funds we receive allow us to better serve our local community and ensure our firefighters have the resources they need to perform their duties safely and effectively.
Just as importantly, these mobilizations provide our firefighters with unparalleled opportunities for professional development and hands-on experience. By assisting other jurisdictions during emergencies, our firefighters gain exposure to new techniques, challenges, and environments that strengthen their skills and knowledge. This, in turn, enhances our department’s overall capabilities and preparedness.
SCBA Grant Awarded to High Prairie and Lyle Fire Departments
This past winter, High Prairie and Lyle Fire Departments came together to jointly apply for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant through FEMA, with the goal of securing funding for much-needed new self-contained breathing apparatuses (SCBAs).
As many of you may know, our current SCBAs are over 25 years old and have reached the end of their service life. These vital pieces of equipment, which cost about $17,000 per firefighter, are essential for protecting our firefighters while they are engaged in fighting structure fires. Without the support of this grant, the price tag for replacing our aging SCBAs would make them unattainable.
By working together with our neighboring fire department, we were able to maximize our chances of securing this critical grant. On July 19, 2024, we were notified that the High Prairie and Lyle Fire Departments were awarded a total of $302,512 through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant! As part of this award, both our department and Lyle’s department are required to pay 5% of the total cost of the SCBAs. This means we need to contribute a portion of the funds to make this project a success. Knowing this grant was a possibility for us, we started preparing for this cost in advance. By being proactive and setting aside the necessary resources, we are in a position to fulfill our financial obligation and ensure that our firefighters have access to the critical equipment they need to protect our community.
We are committed to providing the highest level of service and protection to our community. This grant award is a testament to our dedication and the importance of investing in the safety and well-being of our volunteer firefighters.
Captain Dave Thom leads the High Prairie Fire crew in a structure fire training using SCBAs (self-contained breathing apparatus). Seen here on the hose, firefighters Ken Hill & Rick Wilson are in full turnout gear while receiving oxygen as they practice working together moving through a house fire.
Tom McMackin
Firewise Program on High Prairie
Thank you for checking in with Firewise on High Prairie! Wildfire is a force of Nature. It is our homegrown version of the hurricane/ flood/tornado disaster lottery for the western states, with an extra ‘value added’ kicker of the wind for us here in the Columbia Gorge. I am pretty sure that you are well versed in the principles of Firewise by now, but if you have questions there are links and contact information at the end of this article.
Things you can do right now:
• Focus on anything that may need to be done to protect your home and valuable property from falling airborne embers and create defensible space out to 30’ all around them to keep fire on the ground from making contact with them and a real chance of surviving a wildfire.
• Reminders: Use string trimmers (no metal blades) and be careful with hot engines in grasses / Have a charged hose and nozzle near the area you’re working / No parking in tall grasses
• Start creating a Fall/Winter checklist of tasks to get ready for the 2025 season.
Staying Alive
On August 4, 2023 the Hawaiian island of Maui was devastated by a horrific fire disaster. The devastation and tragic loss of life shocked us all. This event, like many others in the news, was a Fire/ Storm in overgrown fuels driven by 80 mph winds. There is very little anyone can do in the face of an event of this magnitude… Except get out of its way! But how? Notification, Preparation/Action, and Execution are the foundations for an effective response plan for any disaster event, particularly when a threat to our lives is the first order of concern.
1. Notification: Critical! You have to know it’s happening.
For current information, check the Klickitat County Department of Emergency Management: https://www.klickitatcounty.org/249/ Emergency-Managementwebsite
Use this direct link for registration in the current Smart 911 program so you’ll receive timely notification of emergency situations and the level of concern that might affect you:
https://www.smart911.com/smart911/ref/login.action?pa=klickitatco
2. Preparation & Action:
The Ready, Set, Go! program gives you information, planning pointers and some direction in creating customized action checklists for your preparation efforts and exit strategies for when wildfire comes to High Prairie.
https://www.iafc.org/docs/default-source/pdf/rsg-eag.pdf
Do what you can now… ahead of time… and understand the evacuation levels: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprd3852749.pdf
Level 1/ Ready – Be Aware & Prepare
Level 2/ Set – Packed & Ready to Roll
Level 3/ No Delays – GO!
3. Decision, Commitment & Execution:
Act based on conditions and your preparation level. If fire is suddenly approaching your driveway – prep or no prep – grab your keys and a good luck charm, saddle up your people, and leave the homestead. Level 3 evacuation order – no prep or minimal preparation – load up what you’ve gathered up to the time of the order and Go! If you’ve prepared, and loaded up with your evacuation checklist in hand, activate your ‘GO!’ plan early. Consider sending some of your folks off well in advance of the Level 3 notice, according to your preplanning at Level 1. If you think there’s a chance a Level 3 order will be forthcoming because of conditions and fire activity, Go!
You can expect challenging conditions at any time, especially if you leave at the last minute. Chaos in permutations of human emotions/frantic traffic arriving and leaving the area/flame fronts/ blinding, choking smoke/etc. can become overwhelming. If you can, leave before the official Level 3 notice – before you are in the possible path of an active, dynamic wildfire!
Resources
Contact me, Tom McMackin, if you’d like more information on the ‘Firewise’ and ‘Ready, Set, Go!’ programs; if you have comments or suggestions; or if you would like to be more involved with the High Prairie Firewise effort. I can answer questions and get you connected with the resources we have available as a recognized Firewise Community. Contact me by email at Firewise.onhighprairie@gmail.com or by phone message by calling 509-365-2786. Please call me if you don’t receive a timely response to your email!
Online resources:
Firewise – https://www.nfpa.org/en/Education-and-Research/ Wildfire/Preparing-homes-for-wildfire or https://www.nfpa.org/education-and-research/wildfire
Ready, Set, Go! –
https://www.iafc.org/docs/default-source/pdf/rsg-eag.pdf
Additional fire prep info –
https://www.nevadacountyca.gov/DocumentCenter/ View/15855/Nevada-Couny-Evacuation-Guide—2015-PDF
“Camassia” 9×12” Pastel on paper by High Prairie resident, Lita Colligan. Lita’s paintings of Gorge land and skyscapes will be for sale at the High Prairie Xmas Fair this winter.
Based on https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/10-fascinating-facts-about-the-labor-day-holiday
The Labor Day holiday is celebrated nationally on the first Monday in September. It grew out of the late 19th century organized labor movement, and it quickly became a national holiday as the labor movement assumed a prominent role in American society. Here’s how it all started, with the facts, as we know them, supplied by the Labor Department, the Library Of Congress, and other sources.
1. The idea first became public in 1882. In September 1882, the unions of New York City held a parade to celebrate their members being in unions, and to show support for all unions. More than 10,000 people were there, and the workers had to give up a day’s pay to attend. There was also a lot of beer involved in the event.
2. The New York parade inspired other unions. Other regions started having parades, and by 1887, Oregon, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and Colorado had made Labor Day a state holiday. (Oregon was the first.)
3. Two people with similar names are credited with that first New York City event. Matthew Maguire, a machinist, and Peter McGuire, a carpenter, have been linked to the 1882 parade. The men were from rival unions. Historians aren’t sure which man should be credited – partially because they’ve been confused over the years due to similar-sounding names.
4. How did the Haymarket Affair influence Labor Day? On May 4, 1886, a bomb exploded at a union rally in Chicago’s Haymarket Square, which led to violence that killed seven police officers and four others. (see https://www.history.com/news/remembering-the-haymarket-riot) The incident led to May 1 being celebrated in most nations as Workers’ Day. The U.S. government chose Labor Day in September instead, to avoid radical socialist associations with May 1.
5. Grover Cleveland helped make Labor Day a national holiday. Amid violence related to the Pullman railroad strike (https://www.history.com/news/labor-day-pullman-railway-strike-origins), President Cleveland and lawmakers in Washington created a federal holiday to celebrate labor. Cleveland signed the act on June 29, 1894. Most states had already passed laws establishing a Labor Day holiday by that point.
6. The holiday has evolved over the years. In the late 19th century, celebrations focused on parades in urban areas. Now the holiday is a celebration that honors organized labor with fewer parades, and more activities. It also marks the perceived end of the summer season.
7. Labor Day is the unofficial end of Hot Dog season. The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council says that between Memorial Day and Labor Day, Americans will eat 7 billion hot dogs.
8. How many people are union members today? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 17.7 million union members in the workforce in 1983, and 14.8 million in 2017. Numbers are growing again, partly due to the Covid pandemic.
9. What is the biggest union today? The National Education Association has about 3 million members, including inactive and lifetime members.
10. Why was the early labor movement so chaotic? Read this short summary of conditions in the late 19th century: https://www.investopedia.com/gilded-age-7692919
WPA Mural Depicting the UAW
Sabrina L’Heureux
Contributed by Peg Caliendo
I
In this forest, the deserted path
waits for snow. For now,
it is littered with leaves like gold
coins marking the way home. More
permanent than breadcrumbs, if only
you would follow.
II
I find them fluttering
like love-notes on the front seat,
beneath the steering wheel,
in the cracks of the glove compartment.
Hours earlier, the open sunroof
on a prairie sky day,
blue and yellow horizons,
seemed a good idea.
III
You toss them in the air,
smile as I take your picture,
and you are a goddess
in this Northern forest, a bright treasure
in the soon barren landscape.
And when I can’t snap the shutter
in time, I want to grasp your shoulders,
your waist, your hair, and say
there, stay
so I can memorize your hands
unfurling golden fall, hips turned
toward me like a kiss
and the leaves landing,
like clumsy hands,
in your hair,
at your feet.
IV
Remember the year
autumn never came at all.
The aspen leaves trembling
green then gone,
brushed under a skirt of snow.
No time for fall,
when winter sweeps in so fast,
settles down knee deep,
heels dug in to stubborn ground.
I remember how we tried
to make warmth that year,
the aspen chopped to kindle a fire—
and you, knitting our hope-
chest full. Even now,
I recognize the signs.
Rodney Moorehead
On the night of Sunday 8/11/24, we were witness to another great showing of the Aurora Borealis here in Lyle, Wa. Almost as vivid as the display back in May, this particular event had an added bonus, it coincided with the Perseids Meteor Shower. This image was captured while recording a sequence for a timelapse video, but with the perfect timing, it caught the largest fireball meteor of the night just as the aurora was hitting the peak of intensity. I loved the way this photo had the meteor, aurora, and stars popping out through the clouds. I hope you all are enjoying these images as much as I am, and if this trend of increased solar activity is going to continue through next year’s expected peak, and possibly even still have some opportunities for a little ways into the declining phase, we should be in for some amazing images to come. Keep an eye on my photography page for more photos and timelapse reels as I continue to work on my backlog of images!
