Fire, Fire!

 Sorry everyone, last week I was tied up with work and did not have the opportunity to post on Thursday and Friday.  This past weekend I went and visited family in the Texas Hill country.  We celebrated my grandmothers 95th birthday.  On the way from Bastrop to Smithville we drove through one of this summers Texas wildfires remains..

 These pictures start about a half mile from town and end about six miles down the road.  This scene was amazing how much earth was burned.  All the leaves you see are not fall foliage.  This is Loblolly pine country and it is all pine trees that are green all year long.  Everything that is brown should be green.  The stories from my uncle and cousins were amazing how this fire just exploded across the countryside.

 What devastation to one economy.  All of my life I used to love the drive from Bastrop to Smithville and now what will become of this area.  Now I know the pine tree is almost considered a weed in the tree world for how fast they grow but for at least ten years this area will have to contend with erosion control and loss of economies.  People live in these towns as sleeper comunities and drive to Austin for work.  They have two state parks that were nestled back in these woods. 

In the end we have to just be thankfull for the time we had and do our part to help the citizens whose lives were changed with this great fire.  We can all help by volunteering, donating money, educating, and preparing ourselves for emergencies.