As I was listening to the evening rumble of thunder echo through the drainage last evening, the most beautiful rainbow appeared! It was perfectly juxtaposed against a late sunset and light rain backdrop. Perspective! It's all in the way you look at things! I decided that it was time to re-evaluate the way I sense, categorize, measure or codify the experience we had last year with the Boundary Fire. To sum it up, change my perspective!
We flew in the morning of May 6, 2022. I was so saddened by the view! It used to be so captivating from the air...all I saw was pure destruction and lots of standing water. My perspective was locked up in last year's view. I wasn't ready to look through a different lens and see something completely different from what I remembered. We flew out last November and left all of this behind us.
For the past 10 days, I have been selectively hiking every day. Which way is the wind blowing, did it rain again last night, is that dead tree or that dead tree going to fall, am I going to fall again on the newly burnt hillside trying to get around the all the green trees on the ground...do I have to hike in Muck Boots again???
The only constant, I was taking pictures.
My son said that he wished the camera could see what his eyes see...interesting to reflect on that comment because I thought it always meant that what you see is more amazing than what is captured in the picture. However, that's not always the case. The pictures I was taking kept revealing the beauty of this place while I was trying to capture the ugliness. Trying hard to keep my old perspective.
My attempt at showing the dead forest burnt on the southwest end of the runway. It didn't look bad enough, so I took another shot so I could really show the death of the forest...seen below.
Then I realized how pretty it was today and took pictures showing what is still here at Sulphur Creek Ranch and not robbed by a stinking forest fire!
There is a protective green rim around the ranch that was well fought for last Fall. The southern ridge above the barn was spared so it has lots of old and new growth timber which register it like a tapestry with differing shades of green.
The fire courtesy of the stack of "72- year- old box springs" that were replaced by my son, Dalton, who had the tenacity and wherewithal to build 28 platform beds out of the sawmill.
Perhaps the lesson learned is to re-evaluate your present perspective on whatever it is in your life that doesn't bring joy?
One more video of our flight into the ranch early May for the pilots and patrons of Sulphur Creek Ranch. I know you are out there rooting for us and it it so appreciated! Thank you!