FIRE!

We received news late today that a fire broke out very near our Arizona property. Luckily, our own property was unharmed and not in danger. However, the fire was very close. We often speculated that such a fire would occur in the location that this fire ignited today. Local young boys started it. It really wasn't a matter of "if," simply a matter of "when." The nice thing that happened is that the mesquite trees survived intact and healthy. You can see that from the photos. If anything, the fire invigorated them. An atom bomb "might" destroy mesquites. Then again, it "might" not.

Dear Friend, LBR and Neighbor Gary W. sent the photos in the slideshow. He also included some to show the current Weed Status of our house. It could be better but it's not too bad, actually. The dominant species is a nightshade locally known as a "tomato plant." They aren't as flammable as most weeds and, once dried, they are a piece of cake to knock down with a weed whacker. They don't leave as much residue as other weeds either. One of these years, we will find the correct chemical deal with them.

Thanks, Gary, for keeping us in the loop with this neighborhood fire. Your diligence is SO very much appreciated!

The boys who started this fire have been heretofore locally known as "good kids." We know who they are. Heck, we even paid one of them to do yard work for us! Chances are this incident is going to arouse some Major Parenting Retribution. We think it would be highly unlikely any of these kids will get in trouble for the foreseeable future. Just because they stated the fire doesn't automatically make them "bad kids." Nope, they are predominantly "good kids." Time will tell and we shall see!

Cheers, jp

PS-For those of you who don't have Adobe Flash and can't get the above slide show to load, click here for to see the photos in another format.