Gary was standing in the yard with the water hose in hand when I arrived home yesterday. Still trying to keep the trees alive. Cooler temperatures mean that less of our water is evaporating, but none has fallen from the sky yet, nor is any forecast soon.
The neighbor’s horses, mules and donkeys wandered down to the pond last night; or I should say what is left of their side of the pond. If you look at the fence across the water, you will see that what remains on their side is merely a big puddle. One of the foals actually got stuck in the mud for a moment and I held my breath as his mom prepared to give him a shove. But he managed on his own and then stood on wobbly legs for a few minutes before following the herd back to the pasture.
As I turned from the fence I noticed a new fire burning north of us. Like many of my friends and neighbors, I have driven highway 48 this week and seen the devastation caused by last weekend’s fire, and marveled at its winding capricious path. It is even more amazing to contemplate the actions of the firefighters when you see how many times the fire leaped across the highway or came dangerously close to an occupied home. And the distance from the starting point to the spot where it was contained at the river is phenomenal. It is not difficult to imagine that it could have burned until it reached Durant!
I say all of this with an old woman’s sense of foreboding. Hunting season is upon us and there will be so many men and boys (and a few women and girls) out in the woods. I hope they are very, very, very cautious with their guns and fires and yes, with their drinking. I know that hunting is not the only activity that takes place out there. A fire during hunting season could mean the loss of lives and no sport is worth that.
So please be mindful of the fact that our drought is far from over. Fall may be on the calendar page this month, but don’t be lulled into thinking that everything is back to normal.
Be safe today!
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