The fires and death toll keep growing. Northern California has been transformed by walls of blazing terror or charred empty places where nothing lives or grows. The list of our wildlife friends in harms way is too long to mention. This horror will be devastating for years to come.
I heard this morning from Cheryl that they had the birds at IBR standing by ready to evacuate. And heard from Tom and Darren of Sonoma Birding that they are on vacation and living in terror with the worry that their home had been destroyed or that their bulldog daisy wasn’t safe in the kennel where they left her. I hard from Pam Campbell the director of ISI our fiscal sponsor that 5 staff members’ homes were threatened or destroyed, there was no power and spotty cell service and internet. And there is still no word from Rusty. UPDATE: Rusty is on vacation and his home is safe for now.
There are literally piles of beaver stories I should be telling you, cluttering my inbox but I just can’t bring myself to share them and look away from the smoldering fires that are 1% contained or not all. I can’t imagine what California will look like when this is over, if it’s ever over. I can’t imagine how the wine country recovers or who goes to the fancy spas and restaurants in a region that’s covered in ash. I know the Oakland Hills were rebuilt and lives continued but I just can’t imagine this many communities starting over.
I keep trying to think of a phoenix rising but right now all I can see is flames.
There was one moment yesterday that made me feel hopeful and resilient. It was when we looked over the bridge at Susana Street and saw the water backed up again. The crazy beavers, whose dams were destroyed, whose safety was threatened, whose family home was ruined, against all odds are starting over again.
There was fresh mud all over the little dam.
