Is the ongoing experience of living and working along-side-of and within the High Park fire area (Colorado 6/2012) offering us yet one-more-chance to look at, and evaluate seriously, how we operate day-to-day; how we choose to live; and how we grasp what is facing us as well as telling us - straight out - "You've got to 'get it' this time."

Today I "had to" (really?)  drive down to the Denver area. I did so under blue skies and high temperatures. I ventured out wondering, "  I think the High Park fire is under control? My thoughts were dashed when I departed hasitily from north Denver area and headed back up to Fort Collins.  I saw the long plumb of smoke extending from the foot hills to far east. I became worried about air quality. Melody was outside. Would she know enough to go under the shade of the apricot tree? Did she observe my placing cool, clean water out on "her eating mat" at noon? I felt paniced, needing to return home.

In what seemed as a shroud of smoke, with the sun looking pumpkin orange, I arrived back to Fort Collins.  Melody and I went right inside. Mercifully, I had closed windows before I left.

The High Park fire has consumed 55, 000 acres of nothern Colorado in 1 week; many homes, barns, and additional edifacies of rural living are gone; animals have hopefully been relocated; decision-makers are being tested, wildland firefighters seem like genuine heros, and land owners are loosing patience and we are not finished.

So I again ask: "What is it that we are 'to get' from this experience?" Have we gone too far? Have our lifestyle choices, as well as our governmtnet decisions turned on us?  The learning curve seems steep.

And now...the High Park fire

Almost a year to the day, since my last blog "What's Next for Wildlife Living with the Dendroctonus ponderosae", I have been evacuated from my job site, Lory State Park, due to the ongoing High Park fire that began Saturday June 9 early in the morning. Lightening struck dry, dry fuel riddled with the efforts of the mountain pine beetles.

 We are in the 7th day and over 52,000 acres have been burned. Hundreds of residents from the Poudre Canyon area, Bellvue, Glacier View and more are staying/living elsewhere. Many know that their homes have been destroyed, others are waiting to learn. Pets are being cared for by well-meaning Fort Collins people and agencies; larger mammals are at the Event Center (between Loveland and Fort Collins) and quite honestly, from what I saw 2 days ago, looking pretty daggone good - lots of attention from a lot of volunteers. I wanted to stay.

 The High Park fire is only 15% contained. The landscape along the foothills of the Front Range of northern Colorado has changed. I still wonder:  where have the black bear gone, the Abert's squirrils, the Mountain lions, the butterflys, the Mule deer, and so much more?

It is a difficult time.