The Things We Take For Granted...

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by Margie Senechal
 
Fresh air...reasonable weather...
beloved landmarks...common sense...rain...

All things in short supply around here lately as fire scorches our beloved Columbia Gorge.

While it's not unusual to have a late summer wildfire in the Pacific NW--last year it was in the Wenatchee Valley--this is the first time it's hit so close to home. 

Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River
I have friends who live in some of the places on evacuation notices. I helped set up Walgreens in some of the communities fighting for their survival. I know a couple of firefighters fighting the fires. 

Smoke hangs like a shroud over the Willamette Valley, trapping the warm, still air beneath it. Ash falls like a light snowfall and the scent of a decaying bonfire fills the air. This is our temporary normal.

Common sense flew out the window with the firecracker that started this all. A 15-year-old boy from Vancouver (my home) apparently started the fire. 

While it was stupid and reckless, the calls for his death are just as stupid and reckless. But, that passion, albeit misplaced in this particular instance, is indicative of how people of our area feel about the Columbia Gorge. And the places this fire put into danger. 

This last picture is of Multomah Falls and the firefighters--I know the one in the back row, third from the right--who fought to save this iconic area. 

We in the Pacific NW take pride in our nature...we know that the abundance of rain we receive is what makes all of this possible. 

And what we wouldn't do for a spot of rain about now...

Comments

  1. Liz FlahertySeptember 7, 2017 at 1:32 PM

    Wow, Margie. Our hearts and prayers are with you all.

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    Replies
    1. MargieSeptember 7, 2017 at 9:21 PM

      Thanks, Liz. There's a slight chance of rain tonight. Fingers crossed.

      Delete
  2. Jana RichardsSeptember 7, 2017 at 2:25 PM

    It's horrific. I know British Columbia has also had one of the worst fire seasons in its history. I'm praying for rain.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MargieSeptember 7, 2017 at 9:24 PM

      Thanks! Throughout the PNW--and that includes BC--it was a long, hot, dry summer just waiting for a spark.

      Delete
  3. Kristina KnightSeptember 7, 2017 at 3:27 PM

    Mother Nature is crazy this year - fires, hurricanes...it's just awful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MargieSeptember 7, 2017 at 9:31 PM

      There's a meme that says: Doesn't it feel like Donald Trump denied climate change and then, the climate was like, hold my beer.


      Or it could be that Houston elected a lesbian mayor. You just never know. Lol

      Delete
  4. LilySeptember 7, 2017 at 7:16 PM

    We've had a little bit of rain in the last 24 hours, but we've also had a little bit of lightening with it. I'll still take every drop of rain. It is helping to clear the air a little.

    ReplyDelete
  5. MargieSeptember 7, 2017 at 9:33 PM

    Maybe that's the one headed our way. Hope so minus lightening :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Helen DePrimaSeptember 7, 2017 at 10:29 PM

    One of my high school classmates is watching this from her home on the river, car packed and ready to flee.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MargieSeptember 7, 2017 at 11:04 PM

      So scary. I've always thought of this area as kind of blessed as far as extreme weather goes--and that's after going through the tornado in 72 and Mt St. Helens in 80.

      Delete

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