Week 8-25--31-12 - Butte, MT

Week 8-25 thru 8-31-12 - Montana:

 The sun rises through the smoke inversion in Butte

 View from a pass in the Bob Marshall Wilderness - the massive drainage can collectively collect only enough precipitation for a few trees in its base

 Elk cow and calf

 The 19 mile fire starts and grows 3000 acres in the next 24 hours just outside Butte, destroying structures in outlying communities

Thick smoke clouds roll in yet again from the series of large fires (>200,000 acres) in Idaho, the closest of which is 120mi away.

Weeks 8-11--17 thru 8-18--24-12 - Washington Island, WI and Montana

Week 8-11--17-12 - Butte, MT and Washington Island, WI:

 An Ri Ra Irish Music Festival

 The Island

 Washington Island Music Festival Finale

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Week 8-18--24-12: Washington Island, WI and back to Montana:

 Sand Dunes Beach

These photos were taken one hour apart, during which time fire from the Felan Gulch Fire 60mi away came rolling in - the mountains in the back ground are <5mi away

The same dead cow featured a month ago, after having been discovered by a bear