No Quote this time, and a late blog.
Mt Diablo is on Fire. Mt Diablo is not a huge mountain, but it rises up in the middle of Contra Costa County, and is everyone's reference point for where you are. So for it to be on fire is like watching a friend suffer. I lived in Contra Costa County from the time I was a baby until 2000. Every day of my life that I was home I saw the mountain. The sun rising in the east defines the outline, the sun passing over head defines it contours, the sun setting in the west slowly lighting the side until the top is the the only rosy thing left.
It is the place you take out of state visitors. Not only is it beautiful, it has an amazing view of the county. There is an observation area at the top, and a light house. When the air quality was better you could see to Mt Rainer, and Mt. Shasta. The pay-as-you-go binoculars let you zero in on all sorts of things. There are picnic areas, special rock outcrops, meadows, and oak forests. For most of us who have grown up in the area it is a friend. So to watch your friend burn, and in pain, is very hard.
It is also home to an abundance of wildlife, all of which are threatened in some way by the fire. Evacuating horses is not easy, but it is doable. The wild life that will flee this fire will be refugees running into areas that are not safe for them, across roads with cars that don't care about them. How far and fast can a little tree frog jump? The quail and other little birds will be going into territories that are not theirs, either looking for shelter and food. Will they know to return when the fire is over? I don't know. Their food will be gone, for some their homes will be gone.
This happened in 1977. It was bad then and from what I am reading, bad this time as well. It is burning on the east side which is very rugged. It is now 45% contained, which is a relief. Speedy recovery old friend, rest well.
Mt Diablo is on Fire. Mt Diablo is not a huge mountain, but it rises up in the middle of Contra Costa County, and is everyone's reference point for where you are. So for it to be on fire is like watching a friend suffer. I lived in Contra Costa County from the time I was a baby until 2000. Every day of my life that I was home I saw the mountain. The sun rising in the east defines the outline, the sun passing over head defines it contours, the sun setting in the west slowly lighting the side until the top is the the only rosy thing left.
It is the place you take out of state visitors. Not only is it beautiful, it has an amazing view of the county. There is an observation area at the top, and a light house. When the air quality was better you could see to Mt Rainer, and Mt. Shasta. The pay-as-you-go binoculars let you zero in on all sorts of things. There are picnic areas, special rock outcrops, meadows, and oak forests. For most of us who have grown up in the area it is a friend. So to watch your friend burn, and in pain, is very hard.
It is also home to an abundance of wildlife, all of which are threatened in some way by the fire. Evacuating horses is not easy, but it is doable. The wild life that will flee this fire will be refugees running into areas that are not safe for them, across roads with cars that don't care about them. How far and fast can a little tree frog jump? The quail and other little birds will be going into territories that are not theirs, either looking for shelter and food. Will they know to return when the fire is over? I don't know. Their food will be gone, for some their homes will be gone.
This happened in 1977. It was bad then and from what I am reading, bad this time as well. It is burning on the east side which is very rugged. It is now 45% contained, which is a relief. Speedy recovery old friend, rest well.
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