Summer's Final Stand

As if dealing with 80+ days this year with temperatures over 100 degrees along with no significant rainfall this year wasn't enough, Mother Nature has dealt us one final blow--Fire.  Just as the temperatures eased up today  (only 90 degress at 4:30pm as I type this) and slightly yesterday, wildfire has ensured no one can let their guard down.

A few days ago, Olga and I had made plans to do our long runs next weekend in a local state park just east of Austin.  It's the closest we can get to pine forests and needle covered single-track.  But, those plans may never occur--definitely not next weekend and maybe never in our lifetime.  A wildfire, which began yesterday has burned over 25,000 acres of pine forest and it's main track, according to the latest fire map I could find, took it directly through the 6,500 acre park. Very sad, really as it is one of the places we visit when we begin missing the mountains and the forests.  I saw a few water tankers flying low over our place this afternoon headed directly for the enourmous smoke plume that is easily recognizable over 40 miles away in the hazy Texas sky.

The true tragedy, however, is the 487 homes it has destroyed thus far.  There is 0% containment of the fire and 20+ mph winds are expected to continue through tonight before easing up tomorrow.  I know what it's like to lose a house to total devastation in a fire and it's something that one never forgets.  Thankfully, no lives have been lost in this particular fire.  These are the times when I wish I could just call in sick all week from work without risking getting fired and go help in any way possible. We are living in a tinder box right now and the only thing that will fix the predicament is copious amounts of rainfall. But, that is nowhere to be found, especially if the "la Nina", which is what contributes to droughts in this region strengthens, as it is forecast to do within the next 6 months.