Kiss The Fiddler

Ramblings, moments of humor, random thoughts, experiences, insights, simple wisdom, and whatever else I feel like sharing.

Sunday, August 12, 2012

The Smoke is Boiling

My wife says I'm a freak.  We were sitting on the couch tonight watching the closing ceremonies of the olympics when the hair on the back of my neck stood up.  I told her, "We're gonna get a call.  Where's my pager?"  I went to the front door, opened it and stepped out to look at the mountains.  There I saw it, a grey boiling column of smoke rising up from the hillside just south of us.
Ghosts in the night

I turned on my radio to hear the rising voices of my comrades.  I could feel their excitement.  I sauntered into the other room and got my wildland pants on.  Sauntered into the living room and casually pulled on and laced up my boots.  I listened to about 6 engines leave the barn and head up the mountain.  I got my camera and keys and drove slowly and carefully through the chaos to the scene.

Yes, I do know how to fill this truck.
Going to a fire can be a complicated thing.  Tonight, for example, there was a grandpa driving oh, so slowly and carefully up the very middle of the road.  He probably had no idea that there were lights and sirens all around him.
"the guys" digging line at night. 
Then, a little further up the road, off the pavement and into the clouds of dust, there were 3 girls on horses dancing in the middle of the road.  You can't really blow past in a big loud truck when it's gonna cause the horses to buck and hurt their riders.  We tippy-toed around them.
My friend Joe.  Happy with his saw.

Then there's the traffic coming down.  "Hey, do you know there's a fire up there?"  No, I was just heading this way, why?

1020 Pump Panel.  Uh, looks like ya got a limp hose there.  Hmmm. . . 
Anyway, I didn't really go to fight the fire.  I went to play.  I took pictures.  I helped fill coupla trucks with water.  I drained a hose.  I made bad jokes and had a great time.
The guys.  

It was good for me to get out.  It was good for me to play.  It was good for me to feel useful.

When I get home from a fire, the animals are always curious about where I've been.  So many interesting smells!

HBK

photos by Kiss the Fiddler (uh, that's me)


1 comment:

wildwomanjd said...

Wow! You had fun, didn't you? That's really good.