This weekend saw the outbreak of the Davis Fire, located about 12 miles southwest of LaPine. Not close enough to us to pose any threat, but today the winds shifted (a “wind inversion” over Bend, the news reported) and smoke from the fire blanketed the area, making everything hazy. So much so, in fact, that the light was tinted red-orange, and the sun was so obscured as to appear as a red disk. Eerie.

And around noon, we noticed that ash was falling, like light snow.

And the fire season opens with a bang.