Last week I  was able to make another excursion to eastern Washington after avoiding going over during the long, extremely hot summer.  I was able visit with old friends and rephotograph many areas.  I also wanted to try to look at the landscape with new eyes, and start exploration of some areas new to me.  Film development  is in progress and I will show you some results in the next few weeks.  After a visit to my old Washtucna haunt, Sonny’s, for a burger and chat I took off to find nearby Hooper.  On that drive I encountered this conflagration.  I don’t know how it started but I watched in the moments before the fire trucks and police got there as the fork lift (on the right) attempted to remove the flaming hay to keep the flames from spreading to the truck.  As the scene got more congested with response vehicles I was forced to leave.  I hope that they were successful in saving the truck and keeping the fire from the countryside.

I followed the only road in a big loop, saw no side roads, and nothing I would call a town.  Where the hell is Hooper?