A So-So Sunset That Should Have Been Stunning

I went chasing the sunset yesterday evening thinking it was going to be spectacular. With all the smoke in the air, and all the interesting cloud formations I thought we'd get terrific colors. Sickly yellow was the predominant one. Maybe tonight?

The Strangest Sky Ever In Las Vegas

The minute I walked outside to go meet Susan, I started sneezing and my eyes started watering. From our kitchen window, we have a great view of downtown, and the Sheep Mountains to the north. Usually we can judge the air quality with just a glance. I knew I couldn't see the mountains at all, and the skyscrapers were kind of blurry, but I didn't think it would affect me so heavily.

As to Susan's hunt for the perfect townhouse, we've narrowed it to the first choice in each of 4 communities. Each is special in it's own way. The minute her house sells in Spokane, Steve will fly in to Las Vegas just to see the 4 choices (presuming one or more don't sell by then).

Susan's bathroom is complete, finally, and her agent in Spokane has a buyer who's very interested but hasn't made an offer yet. And, I'm happy to report that after a month of living in Las Vegas, and teaching special ed 8th Grade, she's even happier in Las Vegas than she thought she'd be! I never doubted she would.


These pictures were about 6pm looking west from Pecos and Desert Inn.

Click the pictures to see them full screen.

12 hours later, the crane is back

This is what I normally see from my kitchen window. Since we're at the end of the Cul-de-sac and the wind was blowing right at us, I got to spend and hour picking up palm fronds, soda bottles and assorted litter from the front yard, and the street and the several of the neighbors yards also.

If you're street is littered and wind blown, go pick up the trash from you're neighbors. I'll bet we can get it all cleaned up today.


But the Crane returned and they're back to work at Streamline.

Last nights Dust storm and Thunderstorm that wasn't

About 7:30 pm, the wind picked up and kept on building. Within a minute, first from the front window and then from the front yard.....DOWNTOWN DISAPPEARS! Normally I can see the Federal Courthouse, SoHo and Newport Lofts and the skeleton of Streamline tower from my kitchen window, and those plus Fitgeralds, and the El Cortez depending on where you stand in the front yard.





But tonight for about 1/2 an hour right before dusk there was NADA.

When it cleared enough for me to see Streamline tower I noticed that the crane I normally see towering above the building was gone from the top. I jumped in the car, thinking I'd see some major wind damage, and except for the torn plastic sheathing, there was nothing to see. They must have folded the crane just as the winds were coming up.





I checked the local and weather channels right before I drove to go Streamline. They said Thunderstorm warning, and not a drop or a flash or a boom anywhere I looked. I Guess Downtown dodged a good one.




I did a post a few months ago called "view from my window" and never got any response from the readers to send me "view from THEIR window". So.. I'll put it out there again. jack@unclejack.com (please put "view from my window" in the subject line.) In that post you can see the buildings on a clear May Morning.