Mason County has vanished

Aug. 21, 2018

Looking north down 5th Street from Oak. The forest fire smoke is so bad that the hills of Mason County are no longer visible on the horizon. When sunlight does filter through it has a red tint solar eclipse sort of light.

View of Hospital Hill

Dec. 8, 2010. From Cedar St. on Rabbit Hill. At the time this photo was taken Mark Reed Hospital, the building at the highest elevation, was still operating. The hills in the background are in Mason County.

Forest fire smoke over Hospital Hill

Oct. 4, 2012. Taken from Cedar St. on Rabbit Hill. The fire was in Mason County and the smoke headed southwest.

The view from Rabbit Hill

At least that is what I call the area of Cedar Street and Evergreen Place due to the fact rabbits outnumber people up there 500 to one. This is a view of McCleary looking northwest, where the Olympic Mountains taper off into hills. Mason County is in the distance. June 25, 2016

7:27 in the AM looking north from Hospital Hill

Those distant hills are in Mason County. Apr. 19, 2012

Main Street

Looking north. Those hills belong to Mason County, the southernmost lower vestiges of the Olympic Peninsula. McCleary sits near where three counties meet, Grays Harbor, Mason, and Thurston. When you call 911 you never know which county is going to answer. I like to think McCleary sits in the twilight zone where the Aberdeen and Olympia spheres of influence don't quite touch. Mar. 10, 2013.