Wildfires in Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, & Colorado

Since the beginning of March, it seems as if there has been a "Huge Sale" on wildfires.  There's a relatively small wildfire that began on 4 March in Mississippi; named the Missala, it's 90% contained and has burned 500 acres.  Florida has four wildfires burning: the Badcock Grub Road fire is 75% contained and has burned 400 acres; the Hickory Tree fire is also 75% contained, but has burned only 110 acres. The Trail fire, southwest of Miami-Dade, has burned 1,065 acres and is 75 % contained.  The big fire in Florida is the Lee Williams Road fire that has burned 6,500 acres and is only 15% contained.
  Our two major wildfires in Colorado have almost burned out, and are 100% contained.  The Wellington fire in Larimer County burned 2,000 acres.  The Logan and Phillips County fire burned homes, more than 200 cattle, and burned 32,550 acres.
   The other fires in three other states are all still total wildfires - except one small fire near Amarillo, Texas that is 100% contained.  The total amounts of areas burned in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas are staggering: more than 861 square miles have burned in Kansas; more than 700 square miles have burned in Texas: and in Oklahoma, more than 1,406 square miles are charcoal.   Livestock and wildlife have lost their lives, but, most importantly, seven people have died from smoke inhalation and/or burns.  I mourn all of them.
    Since 4 March, twenty-three counties in Kansas have had wildfires, and more than 1,000 square miles have burned.  In Reno County, more than 6,000 acres have burned, and that fire is 70% contained.  In Comanche County, more than 236 square miles are charcoal, and the fire is approaching the Kiowa County line to the north.  West of Comanche County is Clark County, and 85% of the county, or 625 square miles, has burned.  That fire is out of control.
    In the state of Texas, the small fire near Amarillo is contained, as stated previously, but there are two other large fires burning in the panhandle. The first, near the Oklahoma state line, has burned 492 square miles, and killed 3 people.  The second fire, a few miles south of the larger one, has burned 210 square miles.
     Oklahoma has suffered the largest area burned, with over 1,406 square miles. they have three separate wildfires alight.  The Starbuck fire began in Beaver County, Oklahoma and has crossed over into Kansas.  The 283 fire is burning in Harper County; and the Selman fire is burning in both Woodward and Harper Counties.All three of these wildfires are only 10% contained.
    Wow.  I just totaled the amounts of land burned so far in Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas and found that 3,021 square miles are scorched earth.....  We need rain and/or snow!
    Most of these fires have destroyed, or will continue to destroy, agricultural land.  These areas are farming country - livestock, mostly cattle; and grain and vegetable farms.  The food meant for our tables is being burned before it was able to produce a harvest.  Look for the cost of eating staples to rise.....
 

Back in Boulder

If it hadn't been for my cats, I could have stayed in Oklahoma forever.  I met two kinds of people there - people who dearly love the state and their heritage, and those who just want to move out.  I can't really understand those who want to leave...  Oklahoma City has multiple areas, or distinct districts; they have a great road system; they have a large number of museums, with all kinds of information available; the bus system seems adequate (but I've been spoiled by Boulder's RTD system); they offer a wide variety of sports, and the University of Oklahoma is near-by, with their tertiary care hospital in downtown OKC; and they have a wide variety of plays, musicals, and entertainment venues scattered throughout the city; the downtown public library is fantastic; there are lakes, a river, a canal, and multiple beautiful parks.  I just missed an international horse show (rats!), but got to meet some of the folks involved with it.  I thoroughly enjoyed my entire stay and all of the places I was able to visit.
  My kits were very excited to see me, and Lovey wouldn't get off my chest for an hour after I entered the door.  Nedi, on the other hand, ran outside for the first 20 minutes I was home, and then wanted to be loved.  Lovey slept with her head on my shoulder all night long, while Nedi curled up next to my ribs for the whole night.  I couldn't, though, figure out why it was so dark when my alarm went off this morning... Then I realized that I hadn't set it to local Mountain time, as I had my watch.  Once I was up and stirring, I just stayed up.  I have the Sooners versus the Longhorns on TV at the moment, and this installment of the Red River Rivalry is being played in Norman.
  I have some more cleaning up to do in the apartment, but I'll do it tomorrow - since I'm counting today as my sixth vacation day.  I returned to find multiple requests for pet- and house-sitting, and was happy to find that I could accept all the jobs that I was requested for.  After having temperatures in the low 80s this past week in Oklahoma, it was a small shock to wake up and find it was 40 degrees outside this morning.  At the moment I have my window and patio door slightly open, but I think I'm going to get Nedi back inside and close the door.  (My toes are getting chilly.)
  Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Devastation in Oklahoma

Having grown up during the Viet Nam War, I got used to seeing napalm bombs and explosions and the aftermath on TV while I was eating supper.  I also lived and worked on a farm, served on a Grand Jury for 6 months, and worked in a teaching hospital for more than eight years, seeing duty in the Emergency Room, the Operating Room, Labor and Delivery, and several Intensive Care Units.  I have seen births and deaths - beautiful, joyous, ugly and heart-rending.  I grew up, essentially, on the East Coast of the United States, in Florida and Virginia; Mom was a Virginian, but my Dad was born in Oklahoma and raised in Kansas, near the Missouri River.  I grew up knowing about hurricanes, while Dad told tales of "twisters."  Mom told us about hurricanes and flooding on the island she grew up on.  Dad countered with the Dust Bowl and tornadoes.  Dad's family thought we were crazy for staying on the East Coast with all the hurricanes; Mom's family thought Dad's family was crazy for living near Tornado Alley.
  Mom and Dad always tantalized me with old family tales of being related to famous families in Europe, and I became a history buff.  I have poured over photos from many wars, trying to understand the minds that could plot and plan such horrific battles.  Looking at photos of the aftermaths of battles and bombings, I have always felt grief - for those lost, for their families, for history lost, and for all the multiple possibilities lost because of the deaths of young men and women.  I realize that is the shape of our world today, but I deplore it.
  Yesterday afternoon, a huge tornado touched down in Moore, Oklahoma, a suburb of Oklahoma City.  The "tip" of the funnel touching the ground is estimated at being one mile wide - and it traveled through Moore on a path more than 40 miles long.  Currently, the winds are estimated at having been about 200 miles per hour.  The devastation is complete and horrific.  It looks as if the town had been bombed off the map - and the tornado swept through two elementary schools, causing multiple deaths.  Seven school children drowned in a shallow pool of water at one school.  Many other students have been rescued from the wreckage overnight.  The search and rescue efforts continue today.  When I arose this morning, the national news was saying that at least 91 people were dead, including 20 children.  That number has now been revised to a somewhat lower number...  But many are still missing.  One young man was working at a horse farm on the outskirts of Moore; he had 80 horses in his care.  When he heard the tornado warning, he turned all the horses loose; he was trapped in a stall.  The barn collapsed around him. The young man survived, as did one of the eighty horses...
  I wrote about studying the photos of battlefields and bombing sites from different wars.  The photos of the results of the tornado yesterday are comparable to the bombings of Berlin, the bombings of London, and the bombs at Nagasaki and Hiroshima.  The devastation is so overwhelming that words cannot really describe what is left.  If you can afford to, please donate to the American Red Cross to aid those in need in Oklahoma.  Thank you.

Snow; Horse Slaughterhouse in Oklahoma

It started to snow about 4:15 yesterday afternoon - we got about 3 1/2 inches during the evening, and then it started snowing again around daybreak. The kits ran out into the snow this morning, then came right back inside. I left the door open long enough to put nuts and cookies out for the squirrels and birds, and then I firmly closed and locked it again. The wind is blowing from the south-south-east, and, as my patio faces east, almost half of the area is snow-covered. Nedi did a drop and roll in the snow when he first ran out, but then shook most of the snow off. I've taken my meds and had a banana and half of an orange for breakfast - I decided not to walk over to the store and bakery this morning (for once).
   Personally, I don't even like to think about eating horse meat. I suppose, that in extremity, I might survive by doing so, but only if I didn't have to kill the horse myself. I just love horses too much - as living, breathing, thinking companions. I know that I grow extremely attached to any animal in my care - which is why I never raised a critter for 4-H.In any event, I've been watching the news from Europe regarding the discovery of horse meat in burgers and other items that were supposed to be beef. I was surprised to see, a few days ago, that Nestle was recalling a pasta and meat dinner (lasagna?) from several European countries, as it was discovered they contained horse meat. I know that the French, Japanese and several other countries, or cultures, believe horse meat to be a better meat than beef. Me, I simply can't swallow that idea. I am wandering. My apologies. The following is from today's electronic version of The BloodHorse magazine: "Oklahoma could soon allow the slaughter of horses for human consumption, ending a ban that has been in place in the state for close to 50 years, under a pair of bills easily approved Feb. 20 in the state legislature. Both the House and Senate passed separate bills that would end the ban and allow a horse slaughtering plant to open in the state. Both measures still would ban the sale of horse meat for consumption in Oklahoma, but would allow for the meat to be exported to other countries. Rep. Skye McNiel said passage of the bill could provide a humane option for unwanted, aging horses, many of which are abandoned or eventually shipped to horse slaughtering facilities in Mexico. She said where she lives in rural Oklahoma, older horses often are abandoned on dead end roads or pastures by people who can no longer afford to care for them. "Nobody wants horses to be abused. I don't," said McNiel, R-Bristow, who said during debate on the bill that she grew up riding horses. "They have value as live animals. Why can't they have value after they're done with their usefulness? Why can't they have value as a dead animal?"..." I really don't feel that this is a good idea, folks. I really believe this might lead to the killing of mustangs for profit, once again.