Seeking Tranquility

Helicopters are still hard at work here, constantly reminding me of the disaster in our area. As K and I went through the forest this morning, a few choppers seemed to almost skim the tops of the pine trees as they raced toward the hardest hit parts of our area. Most of the helicopters that I saw today had Red Cross symbols on them.

Our situation hasn't changed. However, after Shyla found the remains of a deer that had been killed by a mountain lion today, I spent some time researching which emergency vets would be closest given our new geographic situation, with our usual vets not easily accessible.

Actually, I was proud of Shyla when she found the deer body parts because she came to me, despite the most incredible "treasure" she'd found. She even gave me the bloody bone that she was carrying. She's a good dog who has learned her "lessons" well.

But, as I am well aware, we were very lucky that the mountain lion(s) appeared to have finished eating the deer and were not in the area.

After that exciting start to our ride, we headed up high, to a sight that I'll never tire of. Today, a train of helicopters whizzed across the view frequently but it was still gorgeous. I took the photo when the view was free of helicopters.

It's clear now, to me and others, that there's a tradeoff to living in such a wild place. We can be cut off from the rest of the world by wild weather. Or, as we've seen, mountain folks can lose everything due to the ferocity of mountain weather. However, despite knowing that, I wouldn't trade places with anyone. This is the place and life that I love.

It's a place where life moves at a pace that I can notice the new mushrooms popping up all around us. This is our most poisonous one, Amanitas. Usually, they are most abundant in mid-August but there's been a resurgence of these bright red mushrooms since the floods.

Although I still feel very unsettled since the floods and anxious about our lack of access to the resources of civilization (especially medical and veterinary), I am trying very hard to find tranquility. After all, I am "stuck" in a place that I love. It could be far worse.

To make things even better, the Runner went to get food today! I was secretly on a self-imposed diet to avoid running out of supplies. Tonight I can go off the diet - yipee!