Greetings,
I have been in lurk mode for a while. The 67.5 roadster is still (a
work of art in progress, very slow progress). My hope is to kick it
into gear and have the body dipped and start reconstruction in the next
month or so.
Personally, life has been interesting. Some may remember my post last
year (in mid June) when I wrote about the monster fire that we had in
northern Arizona (about 1/2 million acres of old growth, ponderosa pine
forest and 300 homes turn to ash). This year the 4 year drought
continues and is now a 5 year drought. Even the hardiest species of
vegetation and critters are suffering from the lack of moisture.
Countless acres of pines, weakened from the lack of moisture, are being
raveged by bark beetles. In southern Arizona (Tucson) there was a large
mountain covered with forest and some small resort communites. The
mountain is still there, but, a fire was started by humans, raged out of
control, and at one point wiped out about 300 homes and the community of
Summerhaven in about 1.5 hours. Last Sunday lightning started a fire
near a north east Arizona town called Whiteriver. In one week the
Kanisba Fire burned out over 20,000 acres. Once again, my family,
located to the north of Whiteriver, had to be ready to evacuate our home
with a 4 to 6 hour notice. Last year, with the monster Rodeo Chedisky
Fire, we had to evacute the area for about 10 days. This year we were
spared the actual evacuation. The 5,000 residents of Whiteriver were
not so fortunate. Their town did not burn, just everything surrounding
it. I guess, it is really bad news when your house burns down. Think
how it would be if not only your house burned down but also the entire
city of Los Angeles, or Seattle was reduced to ash. That is what is
happening to these areas. Not just the homes but the entire area is
wasted. Then again, nature will recover. In 200 years or so.
The officials, the politicians dither and splutter. The special interest
groups pontificate and get court orders. Nothing is happening except
some really nice places to live, visit, camp and play,are going up in
smoke. How are things in your neighbor hood? Oh, In the Phoenix,
Tempe area it is regularly hitting the 115 to 116 degree mark.. The
other day it was 96 degrees at 8:00am. Toasty. But not as hot as up in
northern Arizona where it is normally cool. Oh, they did have the first
substancial "monsoon" rain yesterday. A blessing. As one verteran fire
fighter said..."all fire fighters are good firefighters....when it rains."
Guy
Tempe, AZ
67.5 stroker
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