Too good not to share: from my 2014 fire lookout gig (cross-post from GD)

[DemoTex]

Tonight is my first night sleeping in the lookout. What an incredible view!

I've been staffing the lookout during the day and sleeping at the ranger station. Now, I will spend most nights here, except for off-days. But the apartment at the ranger station is mine all summer.

We have a couple of fires going: one down near the Mexico border (Nogales) and the other, the "Brown Fire" (ALL fires are named here, and I get to name the fires I spot) is in Gardner Canyon. I have to stick pretty much to naming fires for geographical or topographical features.



Here is an incredible photo (IMO) from yesterday evening of the nesting hummingbird at the ranger station.



Lagniappe: photo from my lookout of today's aerial demonstration by the USAF Thunderbirds over Davis-Monthan AFB, Tucson, AZ. Hey Trof, you and I can do this with our eyes closed!

[Solly Mack]

1. Wonderful photos!

Love both the lookout photo and the hummingbird photo!

[elleng]

2. Fabulous, DemoTex,

fabulous situation you're in, and fabulous pics as usual!

[NYC_SKP]

3. Recommended. (nt)

[alfredo]

4. Nice!!

[intheflow]

5. Wow!

Three great shots! It's going to be a feast for our eyes for you this summer, and through you, us here on DU. Thank you for sharing! Really looking forward to the shots to come!

[ManiacJoe]

6. Great night shot.

How dark does it get there? Seems like you might get some good astrophotography shots.

[mnhtnbb]

7. Wow Wow and Wow!

Great shots!

How close were you to the nesting hummingbird? That is a terrific shot!

[Johnny Noshoes]

8. Love the hummingbird.

nt.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

9. Dude! Even in Tucson where real estate is dirt cheap

a home with a view like that would be worth seveeral million $$$$. I also continue to pimp the idea that you should host a DU meetup/potluck, preferably in August when the heat in the lowlands is just oppressive and it's much cooler where you are. if we get lucky, there will be monsoon thunderstorms and watching them from there would be better than 4 July fireworks!

[Yavapai]

10. Careful, monsoon lightning can be a hair raising time.

Hope that there are measures taken to mitigate lightning strikes. We have a wooden table with wooden chairs to sit in when lightning starts getting close. Even put glass insulators on the legs of the chairs and table. Try to avoid any wire, electrical cable, metal railings, etc. it is a wonderful view, but lightning, specially when on top of a mountain, can be a real terror. Be safe!

Edit to ask, are you up on Mount Lemmon?

[toby jo]

11. Thanks, Demo.

What cool perspectives, from the minute to the wide open.

[CrispyQ]

12. These are all fab!

Can you post again, the link to the thread where you show your new lookout? I've searched & can't find it.