What builds, what informs our sense of a place? Fresh from yesterday’s late-season rain, South Fork in the Chiricahua Mountains is entering autumn. Today I hike up the road, now inhabited by winter birds: the chittering small flocks of Chipping Sparrows, kinglets and titmice. The … Continue readingAutumn Comes
A quick flash to Portal, Arizona, before we continue with Spain: This morning’s walk up the South Fork road with long-time friends, Chet and Irma, affirmed that new life is thriving there. Just below the South Fork bridge, a Wild Plum is fruiting. (Some people call … Continue readingNew Life
Today the annual census of Elegant Trogons in Cave Creek Canyon was allowed to happen, under an exemption to the Forest closure issued by District Ranger Bill Edwards. (Thank you, Bill!) Rick Taylor will be releasing the final tally when he has pored over the … Continue readingSouth Fork, with Trogons
Now at over 70,000 acres, the Horseshoe Two Fire burning in the Chiricahua Mountains has become the 6th largest fire in Arizona history, and is expected to grow to about 90,000 acres before it is contained. Low-intensity burn in South Fork (All photos by Rose … Continue readingFire News: Photos of South Fork
Reed Peters called today with encouraging news about the Horseshoe 2 Fire burning in the Chiricahuas. Dugger Hughes and members of his Type One team feel that they have turned the corner, and are able now to actively manage the fire, instead of just reacting … Continue readingTake Heart!
It has been unsettling trying to keep abreast of the fire news from several states away! As we drove east, smoke followed us deep into New Mexico, until night covered all. Peg Abbott, Carol Simon and Richard Webster have all published various reports on last … Continue readingFrom Afar
Yesterday smoke choked Portal and the north end of the Chiricahuas. Peg and Reed both attended this morning’s briefing, and passed on the information to me. I hope to add to this post a fire map and more detail, but for now will write the … Continue readingHope and Ashes
At this morning’s briefing, the fire crews were told that the burn-out operation in the South Fork of Cave Creek Canyon is proceeding so far at a low intensity. That is very good news. After the briefing, with smoke from Horseshoe Two Fire (Photos by … Continue readingThe Burn-out in Cave Creek Canyon
At tonight’s public meeting, those gathered received a realistic appraisal of the current state of the Horseshoe Two fire, with an emphasis on how it can work if everything goes right. As I said in an earlier post, the term “burn-out” is scary. And a … Continue readingThe Better Scenario
O’Leary, remember when the drought a few years back was especially intense, and you organized a rain dance among the ladies of Portal and Rodeo… and it rained? We really, really need another rain dance. My dear friends, my community, as you will hear at … Continue readingSobering Times