Summer storm clouds

A thunderstorm was brewing in the distance just before sunset on July 11th.  Smoke in the air from wildfires gave a red-orange glow to the sky and lots of layers and colors were visible in the clouds.

Hummingbirds

We love to watch the birds that visit Smith Lake.  From the majestic stillness of a Great Blue Heron fishing along the shoreline to the quickly darting little Hummingbird, they are amazing and delightful to see.  This summer a hummingbird family has built a nest in a maple tree near our deck.  Mother bird was caught at home one July afternoon and Jim snapped this photo.

Hazy Days

Smoke from wildfires burning in Canada and Alaska filled the air around Smith Lake in early July.  We could even smell the smoke in the air!  The sun became a huge red ball in the early evenings, and sunset came at least a half hour earlier than usual as the sun suddenly disappeared behind the smoke that cloaked the horizon.

Not a cloud in the sky... smoke from wildfires at sunset.

Here is a map that shows how smoke from the fires traveled around the globe in early July.  The article notes how Minnesota was "hit particularly hard."