fire update, clean up time..

The fire has increased to 1,200 acres, and two structures have been lost. 200 firefighters have been on the job, and the Red Cross has set up a couple evacuation locations in the area. A close friend and her husband were stuck in town one night this week, after they closed the road going out near the fire. Their 35 sled dogs were home alone overnight. Thankfully, the authorities allowed them into their road the next morning. She reported that the dogs were patiently waiting for them. They have cut and baled their hay fields, so are feeling pretty good about their home's safety. The entire community is gripped with this ongoing situation.


Meanwhile, life goes on, and late spring is a busy time with many things on our "to do" list. Our previous home, needed some outdoor chores done, so we donned our masks and battled the ash laden ground last evening.
Every raking stroke produced a cloud of ash, dusting clothes and the lawn mower.
Hosing off the deck proved to be a better idea than sweeping.
Each leaf was a perfectly shaped vessel, holding it's own content of volcanic ash.
Heading home, we spotted a porcupine running along the sidewalk, near our turn off up the hill. He was his own comedy show, swaggering off into the brush, slowed down by his bulky, quilled coat.