Devastation

This was the view from my house shortly after I spotted the smoke column. The winds were gusting from 15-25 mph and the fire started growing at an alarming rate. We were still reeling from a fire the previous week. There were no lives lost and no injuries, thank God, but beloved pets were lost and probably livestock because the fire was burning so fast that people could not reach their homes to get them out. 106 homes were lost and 45 outbuildings so the physical loss is great, but the emotional toll is greater. Some of those had been home to generations of family. There is no replacing all the memories and keepsakes that were lost forever. My heart goes out to all of you. Stay safe my friends.

Sweet peas

It’s difficult to believe that just a few short weeks ago there were still areas of the county that were green and blooming with wildflowers. It doesn’t take long for the heat to destroy that. These wild sweet peas pop up in different areas of Mariposa and Madera(Oakhurst) counties and although not native to the area, they add beautiful color and are one of my favorites flowers in the last part of spring. Enjoy and stay healthy.

Young Fox

We live next to a piece of property where there are some old uninhabited buildings. This makes a perfect place for some of our local critters to get shelter and raise families. Because we keep water out for our animals, we often have thirsty guests. And some of them get curious and you will see one sitting on a rock or behind a bush watching what we are doing. My son will talk to it and it will cock it’s head and appear to be listening. We don’t mind having them around because they don’t bother domestic animals and are great rodent hunters going after mice, gophers, rats and ground squirrels of which we have plenty. Have a great day and stay healthy!

A Common Sight

I believe this is called a Common Media. It shows up towards the end of the Lupine bloom and makes for a beautiful sight when you see a field of them blooming together. But you have to catch them early because the grasses quickly start to turn brown and the Lupine and other blooming flowers all start to die as spring leaves us and summer takes over. Have a wonderful weekend and stay healthy.

Happy Earth Day

This beautiful orb that we live on never ceases to amaze me. No matter how hard we try to destroy it, it tries to resist any way it can. The above picture was taken about 2 years after after a major wildfire devastated everything in this particular area. The picture shows just one of the ways the earth continues to fight by regenerating itself. I love this world we live in that provides us with the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink and the beauty we see. I would like to think that it will be able to continue to provide these necessities for life for the generations following us. And if we can get all the countries in the world to participate in protecting the environment, maybe it can. I pray that we are not too late. Enjoy your weekend and stay healthy and Happy Earth Day!