Oak Leaf Cluster by Cathy Ulrich
Seed heads on tall grasses
bend in unseen wind.
Shadows grow longer
in golden light.
Chamisa blooms cadmium,
soon to spread its seeds.
Autumn Blaze maple
shows signs of pumpkin.
Last tomatoes and green beans
await picking,
bearing final gifts before
first frost.
Orange orbs lie vibrant
in nearby fields ready
to sacrifice flesh
for pies,
to sacrifice skin
for carving.
Earth prepares to rest,
but how may I?
©CathyUlrich and LargeSelf, 2012
Hi everyone,
For those of you who have been following my posts on the fire in our area, I wanted to send out a quick update today. The fire has moved North, away from our home and away from the home of one of my close friends and clients in a nearby canyon, but it is still blazing and has burned several more homes in the Poudre River Canyon area. The count is now close to 200 structures destroyed.
Firefighters had been able to get a handle on containment last week with cooler weather and less wind – 60%. Then, the winds picked up yesterday afternoon and the fire raged out of control again in an area where there are many homes. Containment has now gone down to 45%. Firefighters had to be pulled out of their positions in protecting structures for their own safety. Many people now have been evacuated, allowed to return home and reevacuated as the fire moves around. Its erratic behavior seems almost human in its determination to destroy structures in its way.
A report on Twitter from the media briefing last night quoted a veteran firefighter who said they hadn’t seen fire behavior like this in many years. Acreage burned is now close to 70,000 the second largest in Colorado history. For many reasons, (obviously) I wish I could report better news, but as I’ve said in earlier posts, we’re dealing with nature here. And also contrast is simply a part of life…Still, the very good news, evacuations have saved lives, and the firefighters have also remained safe.
Love,
Cathy
Sunrise with smoke from the High Park Fire
I just wanted to send a quick update on the fire today and then I invite you to read the previous post reblogged from Freedom to a Full Life. Katrina’s beautiful words reflect how I’m feeling today.
Today, it is very smoky – so much so – that the smoke could be mistaken for a think fog if everything didn’t smell like a campfire. It has been cooler for the past few days and normally we would open up the house to bring in the fresh air, but not today. While the authorities say that the fire is still growing, it did not grow exponentially yesterday. It went from 37,000 to 43,000 acres. Still a lot, but not as much percentage-wise as the previous two days. And the Sheriff tweeted this morning that there is some containment – very good news.
The reports are starting to come in about damaged and destroyed homes, but the evacuees still don’t know which ones or how bad. The initial reports say around one hundred structures in Rist Canyon – but they are expecting to identify more as investigators can get into the burned areas safely. More firefighters and air support are coming in today and the winds are still cooperating.
Smoke from the High Park Fire, June 11
Woke up to an eerie calm this morning. I think I used that word in my last post. It’s not one I employ often, but it seems appropriate again today. No wind and no sound of cars nearby.
While we’re not being evacuated, the main road that we use to get to our home was closed last night around 7 p.m. I hoping to be able to get back in when I come home from work tonight – and I have a full day at the office – seven clients.
We live just on the edge of the foothills overlooking Fort Collins. Not many trees around us and very little to burn on our house, but still. Until five years ago, we had a cedar shake roof – perfect combustible material (we’re not the ones who built this house). So, being concerned about just this kind of situation, we spent the big bucks and had a stone-coated steel roof put on. At this point, I’m so glad we did.
When the road closed last night, Peter and I decided to pack some things in case we got the call to leave. The cat carrier is in the car so as not to freak out the cats. They hate their visits to the vet. We got clothes ready, and put important papers and valuables in the fireproof safe.
I just signed up for Twitter for the first time this week…can’t believe how valuable it has been. Seems like it is the best place for breaking news. The Larimer Sheriff’s department has been phenomenal in Tweeting information @LarimerSheriff. And you can follow the details at #HighParkFire if you’re interested. The news this morning is 37,000 acres burned as of last night and all in areas where people live…I can’t help but feel sad today. Hopefully with the wind down, firefighting efforts can succeed!
Cathy
It had started as a windy weekend here in Northern Colorado. The good news about the wind in this part of the world is that we’re starting to harness it’s power with wind farms – large arrays of beautiful wind mills that capture the wind and turn it into electricity. And, fortunately, it’s not always windy here in Fort Collins. We have many beautiful, calm days.
The bad news is that yesterday, Sunday was one of those relatively calm days for the Fort Collins, “Kites in the Park” festival. Peter and I live a couple of miles from Spring Canyon Park, so we decided to walk over to the festival to enjoy several thousand people, of all ages, flying kites together. Still, everyone was in great spirits. When the wind would come up, so would the kites. When the wind went down, only those kites that had made it high into the sky were still up. But it was sunny and beautiful and no one seemed to mind. It was a chance for celebrating Spring.
While watching the kites (and attempting to photograph them) I was reminded of the power of the wind and how similar it is to energy work. We can’t see it, but we feel it and know that it works. The wind drives those huge three-bladed windmills, turning its power into a different form. Energy work harmonizes oscillating fields within the body, teaching the body how to regulate itself. And many do feel Divine Openings Healing – as heat, pulling, or a sense of movement – like the wind – in their bodies. We’re learning more and more about how to use both for good – and that’s exciting news, indeed!
Enjoy your Monday.
Love,
Cathy
