I was up at dawn this morning. The heat ratcheted up again this week, making it difficult to work outside except early in the morning and very late in the afternoon. So I got up early to get a head start on the day and was able to capture sunrise over the Los Angeles Harbor.
The temperature was already 76F (24C) at 6:15am.
Homer wrote of the "rosy fingers of dawn." No rosy fingers here! As the sun rose over Long Beach in the distance, dawn more closely resembled the eruption of a volcano.
Sunrise officially occurred at 6:50am.
Temperatures are expected to peak today, although it's 92F (33C) now and it was 99F (37C) at this time yesterday so maybe the forecasters overestimated today's heat. I hope so. Wherever you are, I hope you're enjoying the beauty of the day.
All material © 2012-2014 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
Wow, absolutely stunning pictures Kris.
ReplyDelete(grey and raining at 6.50 in the west of England..)
I'd trade the gorgeous sunrise for a little of that rain, Jessica!
DeleteOh, Kris, these are absolutely gorgeous; worth getting up early for. We so rarely get to see Saddleback because of the haze. Saddleback is the landmark formed by the two highest peaks in the Santa Ana Mountains and the ridge between them. This formation can be seen from the Greater Los Angeles Area only the clearest days. Santiago Peak is the highest peak at 5,689 feet (1,734 m). Modjeska Peak is the second highest at 5,496 feet (1,675 m).
ReplyDeleteI know that frustration, Jane. I can rarely see Long Beach clearly because of the dull gray-brown haze. Today, in addition to the haze, we have a weird blanket of fog hanging over the harbor, although it's bright and sunny (and hot) in the backyard here at 700+ feet above sea level.
DeleteStunning photos Kris, and hope you're having a fab weekend so far :)
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, it's a mostly stay indoors and out of the hot sun weekend but at least the house got cleaned!
DeleteAMAZING!!! I miss seeing such beautiful sky!
ReplyDeleteIt was incredible, Aga. I was lucky - I don't usually get up and outside quite that early.
DeleteIt's supposed to be 38 tonight. Total insanity! I haven't forgotten about your bulbs. I'm in a race to get all my transplanting/redesigning done asap so the plants can settle in before true cold hits. Once I'm done, I'll dig them and send them on their way. :o) Love the sunrise pics. :o) Beautiful!
ReplyDelete38! During these heatwaves, even our nighttime temperatures don't fall much below the mid-70s. It's supposed to get cooler over the next couple of days and be near normal (i.e. mid-80s) by Tuesday/Wednesday. Please don't worry about the bulbs - I know you have a lot on your plate.
DeleteBeautiful! I woke up in a sunny Portland this morning and went to sleep in an equally sunny (but now dark) Seattle. In between there were clouds and raindrops but it was warm from beginning to end. A very good day.
ReplyDeleteI very good day indeed, especially as I suspect you've been out and about enjoying nurseries and/or botanic gardens there in Seattle!
DeleteWow, a volcano eruption is right! You captured it perfectly in your photos, they are stunning.
ReplyDeleteIsn't there a saying "red sky in the morning, sailor take warning"? But no storms have come ashore here; however, there is a really strange blanket of fog over half the harbor - it crept in during the morning and is just sitting there, making even the harbor entrance invisible.
DeleteBeautiful yet ominous. Kind of a perfect image for the CA drought trouble.
ReplyDeleteYes, the drought that Californians have paid little attention to for the past 3 years makes itself known in clearer terms each day. Not a day passes without another LA Times article (or 2 or 3) about the drought and its ramifications. Today's featured a mass die-off of western pond turtles at Emerald Lake, which has dramatically receded and become more saline due to a combination of drought and use of the lake's water in fire-fighting.
DeleteWhat a spectacular sunrise!
ReplyDeleteIt was! I guess I should get up at dawn more often.
DeleteI'll gladly let you keep the heat -- but I do envy the spectacular sunrise! -Jean
ReplyDeleteAnd I'd gladly exchange the sunrise for gray skies and a little rain, Jean.
DeleteOh my, these images gave me the shivers. Sorry about the heat, but wowza--what a stunner of a sunset!
ReplyDeleteIt was exceptional, Beth - at least I think it was. If I got up that early with regularity, perhaps I'd have a basis for comparison.
DeleteAhhh, what a beautiful sunrise – and what a beautiful temperature you have :-) Over here we have hit autumn with a bump, after an amazing spring and summer ending with the driest September on record. This week it will rain every day at some point and Monday we are expecting top temp of 14 degrees C, that’s 10 degrees less than a week ago! Yep, autumn is here whether we like it or not.
ReplyDeleteI have no doubt that the conditions that created that spectacular sunrise was heat related but, frankly, I'd love a nice chilly fall, preferably with rain. It's not likely that we'll get much rain until December and, even then, the amount is in question. We're 4 years into a serious drought and, unfortunately, its consequences extend well beyond my garden.
DeleteStunning photos. "Volcanic eruption" is the perfect description. Hopefully your temps will be trending downward. I think we have seen the last of our 90+ temps until next summer, but we are predicted to get back into the mid to upper 80s later this week.
ReplyDeleteToday was still uncomfortable but it did get about 2 hours of work done in the garden in the late afternoon. The temp is supposed to decline to "normal" (mid-80) levels by Tuesday but another upswing is expected next weekend.
DeleteStunning photos Kris! What a sight. Those temps are just around the corner for me, nooooooo!
ReplyDeleteI hope your summer is milder than last year's, Amy! As I recall, Australia had some horrible fires.
DeleteWorth getting up early for! Wonderful. You have a view to die for Kris.
ReplyDeleteI clearly should get up early more often, Christina!
DeleteWhat amazing photographs. I don' t think I' ve ever seen such a spectacular sunrise.
ReplyDeleteSerendipity, perhaps. While I may be awake before dawn more often than I'd like, I don't usually go stumbling into the backyard that early to look out at the horizon. Who knows what I may have been missing?
DeleteJust gorgeous...I love flying out over the harbor from LAX...but ugh the heat is too much already for you...some nice rain and cooler temps would be a welcome relief for all of CA.
ReplyDeleteThat would be wonderful, Donna - unfortunately, it's not in the forecast.
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