Too close http://abc7.com/brush-fire-burns-near-mount-wilson-observatory/2542698/
About 2 miles to my house

One of the few places I have a certain memory of, from my family visit to CA in 1956/57 (age 4½). Apart from a tour inside the observatory itself - my father was on sabbatical at CalTech, so we may have had special access - I remember being taken to visit a fire-watcher's tower in the hills. Something I'd never seen, or had need of, before: our British hills tend to attract enough rain not to require constant watching.

Interesting red sun in the UK yesterday

We had that one today. Apparently there wasn't a cloud in the sky, but it felt overcast all day long. A combination of Sahara sand and ash from Portugal's forest fires. Very apocalyptic.

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Too close http://abc7.com/brush-fire-burns-near-mount-wilson-observatory/2542698/
About 2 miles to my house

One of the few places I have a certain memory of, from my family visit to CA in 1956/57 (age 4½). Apart from a tour inside the observatory itself - my father was on sabbatical at CalTech, so we may have had special access - I remember being taken to visit a fire-watcher's tower in the hills. Something I'd never seen, or had need of, before: our British hills tend to attract enough rain not to require constant watching.

Likely Vetter Mountain Lookout, but sorry to report the Station Fire got it in 2009.

Likely Vetter Mountain Lookout, but sorry to report the Station Fire got it in 2009.

Yes, you were right. Found the box of 60 y.o. slides...

It amazes me how quickly people find things. I used to.

Sorry to hear it's no more, but they're great pictures! :)

Pictures (in the early days of Kodachrome) were rarer and more precious. We came back from that American trip with what turned into a single box of 65 slides, which we transferred to high-quality glass mounts - I can also remember 'helping' my mother do that on the dining room table.... Salvaging that box was a high priority when I had to break up my mother's house for sale, after she died two years ago. It wasn't far from the surface of the archaeology :-)

And now in that fire ...
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2017/10/19/burned-body-found-mt-wilson-fire/

A body has been found near the Mt. Wilson Observatory, where firefighters continue to battle a 50-acre brush fire.

Deputies say the remains were found in the same area of the fire, which started Tuesday morning. The fire has since burned 50 acres close to an array of communication towers and the historic observatory and is 35 percent contained.

The coroner says the body was burned beyond recognition.

It’s not clear yet if the discovery of the body was linked to reports of an 18-year-old man reported missing on Monday. His family has been looking for him in that area, based on the last location of his cell phone.

It's down.

My it is awful quiet in here... you could hear an extraterrestrial screaming from 100+ million light years away!

The reason it is quiet is probably that most are celebrating the outrage.

There is much to be said for quiet. ;-)

My it is awful quiet in here... you could hear an extraterrestrial screaming from 100+ million light years away!

Gravitational waves are silent.

I know it's early but Seti is back up.

Yep, I just reported 50 tasks

Not bad. 9.5min shy of 10 hours.

UK clocks go back an hour tonight.

Down

...as usual, while I'm having lunch

Which was Chicken Kiev. A bit light on garlic, which is probably just as well as I have client coming shortly

Halloween has arrived, the witches have struck, we are down.

Maybe I should have had more garlic, just in case I encounter any vampires on the way home....