That was new

[danalwyn]

I got to do something new this week, or at least something that I haven't really done before, which is drive through a forest fire.

Or the remains of a forest fire. There wasn't much fire left, but they've been doing controlled burns in the region, and the prairie goes right through the forests, so they have to do controlled burns in the forest. By the time they let you drive through the leaves and much of the grass is just sort of smoldering ash, but the trees remain. Most of the trees are unharmed, even if they have shed their leaves, but there are a few that appear to have suffered damage in the past few years, and they bear huge wreaths of tree sap that are still burning, like someone had managed to hang Christmas lights in strings around the trunks. Since a lot of the rest of the forest is still intact, the effect is that every few seconds you pass another tree strung in fire, like you're driving through some odd display of art. It was all very pretty.

Anyway, that's the most interesting thing that happened this week, if you're not me. Obviously, my life is not very interesting. Maybe if I had driven through it while it was still burning I would have better stories to tell.

Comments

[silverjackal]

Having done my time on a wildland fire fighting crew I agree: the post burn is beautiful and eerie. It's always remarkable, too, how the land comes back after a fire (provided it's not too hot, too destructive). It's incredible seeing the diversity after the fact. Fire itself is a very odd thing, too -- almost and entity unto itself (the different ways it moves and sounds in different conditions).

I'm glad you enjoyed the experience! :)