{"id":4736,"date":"2022-06-18T08:45:02","date_gmt":"2022-06-18T15:45:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/janetalcorn.com\/staging\/1364\/?p=4736"},"modified":"2022-06-18T19:47:08","modified_gmt":"2022-06-19T02:47:08","slug":"fire-near-my-old-neighborhood-books-and-more-memes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/janetalcorn.com\/staging\/1364\/2022\/06\/18\/fire-near-my-old-neighborhood-books-and-more-memes\/","title":{"rendered":"Fire near my old neighborhood, books, and more memes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As some of you know, I used to live in the country outside Flagstaff, Arizona. We lived on 2.5 acres a half mile or so from the Coconino National Forest, with a view of the San Francisco Peaks from our driveway. It was the most beautiful place I’ve ever lived. This week my former neighborhood was evacuated because that beautiful place is on fire. This fire, the Pipeline Fire<\/a>, is the second major fire in the area. The Tunnel Fire blazed through in April. According to the current map, this fire burned to within about a half mile of our former home. So far the neighborhood has been spared, but friends of ours were evacuated, and while the evacuation order has now been lifted, the danger hasn’t fully passed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Back in 2019, a fire started in the mountains above us, and we spent over 2 weeks in “SET” status, i.e., a pre-evacuation order. That means you have your bags packed and need to be ready to leave immediately. It also means you spend every day and night in a state of high anxiety, refreshing Inciweb (official emergency management site) and news sites to see the direction the fire is moving. You look out your windows and watch the smoke, maybe even see flames on the ridgeline. You make arrangements for your animals, because they aren’t allowed in the people shelters. You decide where you’ll go if you’re evacuated, picking at least 2 routes in case the highway is closed in one direction. You decide what to take and agonize at all you’ll leave behind. And all the while, you have to go to work and live your life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s horrible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today my heart breaks for my former neighbors and friends who are living with this fear and for all the destruction caused by this fire and its predecessor. If you live where wildfires happen, please follow all fire restrictions and be as careful as you can. This fire was started by a homeless man who lit his toilet paper on fire. That’s all it took to burn thousands of acres of wildland and send hundreds of people to shelters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

All right, enough gloom and doom. I know most of my readers don’t come here for that, so I appreciate you indulging me for a few paragraphs. In this week’s post, I’m going to share some pictures of my old neighborhood (don’t worry–I won’t get all maudlin) and I’m going to pray it’s still standing when the fire is contained. I’m also going to talk books–what I’m reading, what I’ve recently read–and share the usual hot, fresh batch of memes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But before we get to that: This post is part of the Weekend Coffee Share<\/a> hosted by Natalie the Explorer<\/a> and the What’s on Your Bookshelf Challenge<\/a>, hosted by Debbie<\/a>, Sue<\/a>, Donna<\/a>, and Jo<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My Flagstaff Neighborhood<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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View from our former front yard, November 2019<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Almost the same view but in July 2019<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Our former home, December 2019<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The Cinder Hills (cinder cones–we lived in a literal volcano field) across Highway 89 from our neighborhood, January 2015<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Coconino National Forest adjacent to our former neighborhood. Pretty sure this area is burned now.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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View of our front pasture from our front yard, June 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Fall garden, October 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We’re city and desert dwellers now, and while I miss our little slice of paradise in Flagstaff, I’m glad we aren’t dealing with the fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A couple of older posts on this blog feature pictures of the forest near our former home in Flagstaff<\/a> and our Flagstaff garden<\/a>, so check them out if you want to see more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Book Nook <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As noted above, this post is part of the monthly What’s on Your Bookshelf Challenge<\/a>. What with work and writing, I’m not reading as much as I used to, but some book are better than no books. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Books I finished in the last month<\/h3>\n\n\n\n