Fire in the Mountains

Our cabin sits in the middle of the Santa Fe National Forest. We have about 100 ponderosa pines on our 1.3 acres, as well as other trees - white oak, fur, etc. All of these trees drop either leaves or needles, and it has been so dry this year, that these dropped leaves and needles crackle underfoot. Humidity has hovered around 5%, and when the wind blows, it blows tremendously, reaching speeds of 50 mph. All of this makes this area vulnerable to forest fires.

And we have one. It's called the Pacheco Canyon Fire. It's burning about 19 miles away, over the Gascon Ridge. When the wind is right (or wrong) we get a lot of smoke. We drove down to Gascon and I took pictures of the fire. I sent one of the pictures to an Albuquerque television network and they published it on their website.

It scary to see a big plume of smoke on your immediate horizon. Even though all our neighbors have tried to abate my fears, they say we shouldn't worry until the fire crests the mountain ridge, it's still unsettling to look outside at an orange-yellow sky and to see flakes of ash sifting down onto the deck.

On another note: today my cat is officially 14 years old. He has rallied in recent days and seems happy here in the mountains. He drinks more water these days than I have ever known him to drink, and particularly likes to drink it outside. I'm just happy he's still with me, and have decided to enjoy the days I have him.

We went out with new friends last night, after drinks in their living room. They have a beautiful home, and I'm trying with all my might not to be envious. Ours is truly a simple cabin, was never meant to be anything but a cabin. That's the only drawback to having a place in a resort-ish community like this one. Our place was one of the first built here, back when there was no homeowners association, golf course, etc. Since the mid-80s the homes have gotten progressively more elaborate, until now, up on top of the mountain, there are million-dollar mansions with views to die for. Still, I admit it is fun to get gussied up and get to know new people. We were greeted by several people at the restaurant, mainly because of our friends, but it does make you feel like you belong. That's a feeling I truly do not mind.

Onward ....