Hail stones are bad. Tornadoes are worse. My brother phoned this morning to let me know a tornado missed his house by a block. Thank heavens no one in his area was harmed.
But the phenomenon residents of rural areas fear most is FIRE. We have no fire hydrants. Most wells in our area are low volume and would soon pump dry. We depend solely on pumping fire trucks and volunteer firemen.
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| West Texas Wildfire |
High winds make fire's threat much more serious. This past week we had hurricane force winds up to 60 miles per hour. Dry winds that in some areas downed electric lines. Fire has destroyed thousands of acres of Texas the past few days. Brave firemen--many of them volunteers--fought around the clock against unbearable heat and unrelenting winds. One fireman lost his life when he was overcome by smoke. Even miles from the fire, we've been tasting dust and ash for days. My eyes feel as if they've been sandpapered. I can't imagine what conditions are like for the firemen.
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| What's left of a home |
My heart ached for the families who had to evacuate suddenly. More so for those who lost everything. Their homes may have represented the work of a lifetime. What could they salvage?
Disasters force us to prioritize. Long ago Hero and I decided what we’d hurriedly load in the car should we have to abandon our home. What would we take? Pets, of course, but what else? For us, it’s the family photos and other family memorabilia. Tax information and other records. A few clothes. A painting or two. Our PC’s.
We’d have to leave behind those posessions we all have in our homes. The “things” we once thought valuable. Books, furniture, knick knacks, extra clothes, bedding, tools, our hobby collections, and on and on. Losing everything else would slice open our hearts, but we’d survive. It might not feel like it for a while, but we would.
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| Tomorrow's promise |
And we're comforted by the knowledge that, no matter how tough things are today, tomorrow promises new experiences and opportunities.
Thanks for stopping by.
