aftermath

We escaped the hot Texas Panhandle for a mountain vacation over the holiday. Going to the mountains is a beloved summer tradition in our family. Here's our THRILLING BEAR STORY from last m-day.

On Saturday evening, we received a call there was a wildfire in our neighborhood. Some family members tried to make it to our house to maybe turn on some sprinklers, but they were turned back by law enforcement and heavy smoke. The area was closed. What could we do?......nada. We had (very slow) internet access at the cabin and we watched the local news reports. The news was grim......103 temperature and winds in excess of 40 mph.

In short, our house blessedly escaped the fire scare. The main damage was just down the road.

At least their outbuilding survived!

Upon arriving home, we surveyed the damage. It left me speechless.

This was just one of a row of 5 or 6 homes that were completely gone.

This was one of my favorite houses to drive by on my way home. It was a gorgeous Tudor-style house with impeccable landscaping.

The gardens and the seasonal displays were always outstanding. I marveled at the lushness of these grounds in the arid Texas panhandle. Someone put in lots of loving care to make this house an oasis of beauty.

Imagine driving through your front gate and seeing this destruction

This was the home of a popular local veterinarian. He and his wife lived here for 30 years. There was a gorgeous 3-story prairie-style home nearby. It was one of my favorites as well, with it's big wrap around porch and gorgeous windows. I could hardly find any remains of that house. The destruction was total.

I did what anyone would do:  burst into uncontrollable tears for these losses. The years of memories, the family photos, the mother's day cards from the kids, the wedding photos, the favorite easy chair.....all ashes.
Made me think of this post about how much I love my home.

While much of the country is flooding, or being hit by killer tornadoes-the Texas Panhandle has received just 1/2 inch of moisture since January. The grasslands are barren and the cattle have nothing to eat. The wheatfields are generally total losses. The wind has been unending and it has been unusually hot. The day of the fires, the humidity was 7%.

Our gorgeous Palo Duro Canyon has not escaped the fire's grip. Remember the gorgeous photos  of the canyon? Thousands of acres have burned around the canyon.

The hardy folk of the Panhandle are uniting to pray for rain. I've not seen conditions as dire in all my 34 years living here. I'm joining in the prayers.

Enjoy your home. Rising Phoenix love to all.