Bear Lake Eborns: Sun, Smoke, and Spirit

For the past three nights I have anticipated a beautiful sunset here in Cache Valley. I checked the time for the sunset and each evening went out in great anticipation of catching a special "just right" sort of picture. There has been a hazy smoke in the air for the last several days as a result of the several wildfires that have been burning in surrounding areas. Smoky skies make for beautiful sunsets, at least some times. On Sunday evening I was disappointed because there were light clouds on the western horizon. Monday evening found my out again, camera in hand, only to be similarly disappointed by a thin layer of clouds just above the mountains in the western sky. Tonight I was a little more certain of a good picture. About an hour and half before sunset the sun turned to a brilliant red and it didn't appear that clouds would be a problem this time around, so I took my camera and went to my designated spot, hoping for a perfect picture. This time it wasn't the clouds that caused me a problem but the smoke was almost as thick as the clouds had been on the previous nights, especially just above the horizon. but not quite. Hope springs eternal and so I continued to hope for the best. It didn't turn out just like I wanted it to, but I did get a few interesting, though not spectacular pictures. Sun, Smoke, and Spirit. I am not done with this little project, but thought some of these photos had a little merit. Below are a couple of examples.