Tonight, I am grateful

I'm sitting here, having just turned off the news, listening to both my husband and dog snoring - loudly. It sounds a little bit like a freight train in here. But I don't have the heart to nudge them to stop. Because at least they are sleeping soundly, and peacefully. I wish that was the case for more people in our community tonight. But so many people who live just a few miles to the west and north of our home are probably having a difficult time falling, or staying asleep. So many of them aren't even sleeping on their pillows, or in their own beds tonight. Many of them don't yet know if, or when, they'll even have a home to go back to sleep in.

It's hard not to be consumed in all of the media coverage of the High Park Fire, burning about 15 miles west of town. It's just so sad. Hearing the stories of people who have lost their homes, all of their belongings, their animals - the stories of people who don't know if they'll even have a home to go back to. Hearing that so far one life has been lost, and that many other residents are refusing to leave. It's hard hearing that with such an unpredictable path of destruction, it might take weeks until it's under control. Who knows the damage it will cause by then? It's hard breathing in the fumes, and even worse, seeing our beautiful skies flooded with ash and smoke. It's hard to think that when all of the brave people fighting the fire have put out the flames, when all of the news cameras are gone, what our beautiful landscape is going to look like....
These are places we've all been to - Trails we've hiked - Roads we've traveled while Adeleigh naps in the car - Neighborhoods we've visited and dreamed we would someday live. These are people who we all might know - People who we work with - Professors we've had - People that sit out on our favorite patios at our favorite restaurants in Old Town - People who play at the same Splash Park and get ice cream at Walrus when they're all done. These are our neighbors. And while we might not know each of them by name, this is our community. And it's hard to watch a part of your community go up in flames.

I remember when I was considering getting my undergrad here. I made the solo drive to meet with an advisor and tour the CSU campus. I'll never forget the moment I pulled up to the Administration building. I stepped out of my car and it smelled like flowers! Really really sweet, good-smelling flowers. It was the moment I look back on, when I realized that this was where I belonged. And I can guarantee that it wasn't just because I'd been living in Greeley for the previous year and had grown used to the smells of that city. Even after over nine years of living here, I still think it smells like flowers. I've always said that Fort Collins is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. I love the people, the culture, the sense of community, the small-town feel. When Phaeton and I have talked about other places we'd like to live, our conversations always lead to how we know we'll both grow old here. Then our discussion ends because this wonderful, charming town is our home. And we love it here.
So, while our place here is small, and crowded, and gets messy really easily - and even though there's a giant dead bumblebee right outside our front door that my husband killed but refuses to dispose of - and even though my husband and dog are still snoring in "the other room" which is less than 5 feet away from me -  and even though the smoke from the fire is causing my asthma to flare and our throats to dry and our eyes to water - tonight I am grateful for the roof over our heads. I am grateful for the certainty in knowing that our home, and all of the memories we've shared here, will still stand tomorrow.

~~~~~

Our hearts and prayers go out to all whose homes are threatened, and to those who are courageously fighting to save so many homes and lives.

View of the High Park Fire from the east side of Horsetooth Reservoir 

Monday 6/11/12 

(We had to get out of the house with all of the maintenance going on at our building today, so we took a scenic drive up the Res. The smell of smoke was really bad, so we were only outside for 2 minutes to get a few shots. I felt selfish for being up there at all. Because so many evacuees were there just waiting, watching their homes on the other side of the Res, wondering if the fire would reach their properties. )