FIRE At The Mill!

Posted on May 23, 2013 by foresterartist

We weren’t expecting to have a fire threaten the mill. The photos below tell the story.

Firefighters in pencil.

I added this sketch of the firefighters after “Z” at Zeebra Designs called for folks to draw in her post Time Out For Art – YOU CAN DO THIS. Here you go Z!

The rain has been replaced by wind and dry conditions once again. Fire returned, only this time instead of in the woods, it was at the mill. With winds blowing 25 to 30 mph a fire broke out at the mill next door and was being blown right at our site.

fire, mill, photography, wildfire, firefighters

The fire started next door.

It was all hands on deck. The crew poured in from all over the plant site to fight the fire.

Everybody pitch in.

Hoses were laid and water was flowing onto the fire. Soon, the regular fire crews arrived on scene.

This firefighter is patrolling for spot fires.

We were afraid the fire would spread into the pole stacks, or God forbid, the chip pile.

fire, mill, photography, wildfire, firefighters, fireline

Clearing fireline.

Our dozer was building a fireline in case the fire tried to jump the canal.

fire, mill, photography, wildfire, firefighters, logging truck

The logging trucks had to stop while the fire was being fought.

The air tanker arrived ready to drop fire retardant.

Air tanker

The effort continued on the ground and we held the fire at the edge of our mill site.

Eating smoke.

Then the Helicopter arrived with the Bambi Bucket.

Air support.

The helicopter was scooping water from the Sacramento River to dump onto the fire.

fire, mill, photography, wildfire, firefighters, logging truck, helipoter

Making the drop.

With the spread of the fire was stopped, mop up operations began.

Mop up operations.

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Mopping up is putting out all the smoldering embers.

Our crew moved fast to get water on the fire and the fire department responded quickly. Together we were able to stop the fire before it could get into our yard. As a result of everyone’s quick action this wasn’t a big problem for us. I’m not certain how the neighbors fared, but I think they did okay also.

The crew at the other mill were busy battling the fire in their chip pile.

This is just another reminder that we are in for a long fire season this year.

Osprey Practice?

Posted on April 15, 2013 by foresterartist

I saw an osprey do the strangest thing the other day. I was driving from the log yard to the pole yard and I saw one of the osprey go into an aggressive dive. Located between the two yards is a canal. I naturally assumed that the osprey was going after a fish in the canal. I drove closer and pulled over to get some shots of the action.

Osprey wheeling around

It was an excellent chance to shoot the osprey. Lately they have been sitting on the eggs and hanging out at the tower. Not a lot of opportunity to get any interesting pictures.

The osprey on approach.

As I started taking pictures, the osprey wheeled around to come in for another swoop. With his sights set on target he banked for the dive.

Gettin’ his dive on!

Then, the osprey did something unexpected! Instead of diving into the canal the osprey dove into an open area. It was fast and low, beautiful to watch. Osprey are fish eaters and to my knowledge they don’t catch rodents. So what was he doing?

Coming in low and fast, but for what!

Up close and personal!

Then, he did the osprey snatch. The osprey grabbed a stringy piece of cedar bark. Bark, why bark? He flew about ten feet and dropped the bark. It all seemed quite purposeful.

The snatch and fly! The osprey with the bark in his talons.

Then the osprey circle back around and headed out.

Coming around again.

He did manage to give me a dirty look as he did his fly by.

Gettin’ the stink eye. I suppose that’s better than the other end.

I’m left with the question, what was the osprey doing? Was he looking for material for the nest? I don’t think so, because they haven’t worked on the nest for weeks and the eggs have been laid. Did he think the bark was an animal? I doubt it and I think they only eat fish. Was he practicing or playing? Maybe, why wouldn’t a well fed osprey engage in a little fun.

Do any of you good folks have any ideas as to what the osprey was doing? I would love to hear your theory.

Trashy Osprey Neighbors

Posted on March 29, 2013 by foresterartist

The neighbors down the road don’t live in the classy part of town next to the river. The nest they live in is a bit unkempt. Okay, let’s be honest, this place is a trash bin, a pig sty, a garbage dump. I’ve never seen an osprey nest that looks a bad as this one.

osprey, trashy, nest, photography, nature, wildlife

The osprey neighbors down the road

What a mess! I’m thinking hoarders.

Home sweet utility pole in the middle of a vacant lot.

I showed the above pictures to “our” resident osprey in the high-rise tower with the river view. I was curious to get their reaction to the neighbors abode.

The shock of it!

The inter-species humiliation was just too much for him to take, and then……..

Oh my!

……his head EXPLODED!

No osprey were injured in the making of this post.

Back To The Coast

Posted on March 28, 2013 by foresterartist

Back to the coast today for inventory. This is the mill I went to. We are all done and headed home.

It’s a long drive and the girls are exhausted.

Run Of The Mill View

Posted on March 13, 2013 by foresterartist

Climbing down the ladder to the chip hopper. Hey, what is that black thing?

I’m working on a presentation that I’m giving at the Redwood Region Logging Conference on Friday. I wanted to put some new photos into my Power Point presentation. My favorite view of the mill site is from the top of the chip hopper at the Pole Plant. It gives a great overview of the entire complex, so I took my shots and climbed down. I normally post lots of pictures of wildlife around the mill site, but I haven’t shown much of the complex. By just looking at the wildlife pictures from my category called “Wildlife At The Mill“, one would think this place was a wildlife refuge. In a way it is. The wildlife here is accustomed to living next to and amongst the mill site. No one bothers them and they have adapted to their environment. It is truly amazing how adaptable nature is.

Mt Shasta, Shasta, log deck, pole yard, mill site, sawmill, photography

Mt Shasta rises in the background of the pole yard and the log decks. Mt Shasta is the second largest mountain in the Cascades at 14,179 feet.

pole yard, sawmill, otter, photography, osprey, nest

The Otter Pond is surrounded by the sawmill, co-generation plant and pole yard. The otters don’t seem to mind. You can see the otter post Otter, Up Periscope. The tower with the osprey nest is just visible in the upper right corner. The osprey posts are, Osprey Remodel, Osprey Love, and Here Come The Osprey.

pole plant, poles, industrial, photography

The Pole Plant.

Looking down the chip conveyor.

Here Come The Osprey!

Posted on February 25, 2013 by foresterartist

The almond orchards are blooming in the valley and the buttercups started blooming yesterday in our yard. Today, the long anticipated harbinger of Spring arrived when the first osprey was in the nest at the electrical tower by the mill. We are still watching for its mate to show. Spring is unofficially here!

osprey, nest, nature, wildlife, photography

The first osprey has returned to the nest.

This one looks a little cranky.

I wasn’t planning another post today, but I’ve been waiting for the ospreys. https://theforesterartist.com/2013/02/15/the-birds-of-spring/ Welcome back!

Otter At The Mill

Posted on January 22, 2013 by foresterartist

Otter, photography, wildlife, sawmill, swimming

This handsome otter was swimming around our log pond at the mill in search of an afternoon snack.

This otter and the rest of his clan are regulars around the mill site. The pond where I took these pictures is smack in the middle of the entire complex. They visit the log ponds, canals, and the river depending on what is on the menu. We have a floating platform that suspends a water intake into the pond, but the otters seem to think it was put there for their personal sun basking pleasures. One of my crew members insists that it is their private restroom, while he complains about all the “otter poop!” Those are my words, not his.