Wonderful, Katie. Love the way you wove the sign into the piece. We seem to be a mostly hopeful people. But the kind of destruction we are seeing today on so many fronts, is especially challenging. So glad to read about your dad. Glad he is visiting again. Excellent writing. Thanks for sharing.
A horrifying and powerful account of an awful year. As a resident of the West, the Great Basin specifically, wildfires and the smoke have become a normal summer thing. Normal! It rankles to write it, but it's true. Climate change is a culprit along with mismanagement from Forestry officials, ridiculously zealous and misguided arsonitss, anti-grazing laws in fire-prone areas, and an array of stupidity of people who have no idea how fire works. Fireworks at gender-reveal parties? Really?
A friend of mine who used to be a fire-spotter in Plumas County, CA told me he saw the initial plume of smoke of the Camp Fire and spent over an hour trying to convince Forestry Dept. people that it was growing fast and headed for Paradise. They said, "We'll take it under advisement. His knowledge of this incompetence cost him his job. A second fire unreported by the dufus who took his place in the tower has added another dozen ghosts to the 89 lost in Paradise that haunt him.
Thank you for your story. I'm glad your brother and his wife got out in time. And I'm glad you mentioned the salmon still swimming upstream to mate. Life prevails no matter what happens.
Wonderful, Katie. Love the way you wove the sign into the piece. We seem to be a mostly hopeful people. But the kind of destruction we are seeing today on so many fronts, is especially challenging. So glad to read about your dad. Glad he is visiting again. Excellent writing. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much Ann. This was written a year ago, in 2023. But it looks like he may pay us another visit soon!
A horrifying and powerful account of an awful year. As a resident of the West, the Great Basin specifically, wildfires and the smoke have become a normal summer thing. Normal! It rankles to write it, but it's true. Climate change is a culprit along with mismanagement from Forestry officials, ridiculously zealous and misguided arsonitss, anti-grazing laws in fire-prone areas, and an array of stupidity of people who have no idea how fire works. Fireworks at gender-reveal parties? Really?
A friend of mine who used to be a fire-spotter in Plumas County, CA told me he saw the initial plume of smoke of the Camp Fire and spent over an hour trying to convince Forestry Dept. people that it was growing fast and headed for Paradise. They said, "We'll take it under advisement. His knowledge of this incompetence cost him his job. A second fire unreported by the dufus who took his place in the tower has added another dozen ghosts to the 89 lost in Paradise that haunt him.
Thank you for your story. I'm glad your brother and his wife got out in time. And I'm glad you mentioned the salmon still swimming upstream to mate. Life prevails no matter what happens.