The week that was was a seesaw filled with smoke, not smoke, emergencies, dread, a bogus evac order, a day spent packing up and the actual evacuation of Libre’s most vulnerable elders –
Betsey to La Veta, Sibylla to daughter Andrea’s in Castle Rock and Dean to his old buddy
Brendt‘s across the valley. Meanwhile we documented the house in case we never saw it again
and said goodbye to Luz and Izel who left the following day with Christine and Chicha for BC.
Smoke, seldom as serious as the previous week, alternated with clear skies, the mysterious evac
order was downgraded to pre-vac after but not before we’d made ourselves partially ready
and wholly exhausted so never left… not to say that removing some of those elders wasn’t a
good idea all along. We unloaded what had been loaded, put away much of what had been
taken out and tentatively returned to our lives, eying the mapping uneasily since the fire crews
working the “chicken foot” were concentrating to the north and south* whereas if the western edge crosses the crest it would create huge problems in the rugged wilderness on this side…
Saturday evening on our way to a most pleasant and enlightening dinner at Mountain Water the smoke drifting around down in the valley was ominously beautiful, and there was a goodly
amount overhead the next night as well…nothing like the horrors we hear of back east**
though time will tell. Yes indeedy.
Screenshot
*Doing their utmost to protect the communities of San Isabel and Rye.