And Now

It's been 6 months, hmmmmmmmmmm, am I really a blogger? Well that is a leading question, I guess the answer is not to be found here. A lot has happened in six months. The world has come to an end for thousands of people. Natural disasters, human disasters and just old age are the cause. No disasters here at least none so great to be reported to the world.

My life is begining to resemble what I envisioned as a young adult, being able to do things because I want to or not doing things because I don't want to.

Finally, it has begun to warm, The lilacs did not get frozen and are in full intoxicatingly fragrant bloom, spring bulbs are up and the deer are hungerly devouring the most succulent of them and teseting the ones they don't really like just to see if the are just as bad this year. Looks like we will have apples both regular and crab, the choke cherries are ready to burst and if our rain continues they will be juicy and sweet (or as sweet as a choke cherry can be).

In my volunteer life, our rural Fire District is trying to evolve and meet the urbanization that is threatning the farming and ranching way of life. Our firefighters are all volunteer and do not get a paycheck their only reward is a thank you for not letting my _?__ burn. Usually the blank is field, hay, hay barn, cash crop and occassionaly house. It is going to be that the blank will be almos exclusivley my house or family and that is going to be all too soon. We have subdivisions being built, approved or planned that will double or triple the population of this sparsly populated county in the next five to ten years. This county has had less than 5,000 people in it since we moved here twelve years ago. Historicly the population has hovered just under 3,000 for 200 years. There is one subdivision that is propsed that is twice the size of the only incorporated city in the county, that will be on the planning board's agenda within the next year.

Our delema is where do we get the volunteers or the money to hire firefighters. We don't even have a paid chief. Our Chief has a day job. The requirements of this urbanization is becoming and will become a full time job for several people. right now our Chief reports that he commits 30 hours a week to his duties. We reimburse him 300.00 a month for his gas, He gives the county taxpayers 127.5 hours a month.

Growing pains! well for another day