If you’re similar in age to me, first of all, I’m sorry, but in keeping with my thought here, you probably remember a commercial that ended with “It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature.” I don’t remember what the ad was selling but I remember that catch phrase.
Photo courtesy Google Images
Mother Nature is not one to be messed with and you cannot hide from her. She’s everywhere and she has a temper. No matter where you live you are susceptible to some sort of natural disaster or another. There are earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, volcanos, tsunamis, severe heat in the summer in Southern Arizona, extreme cold in the winter in Northern Minnesota, horrendous humidity in the deep south. Come on, you all know what I’m talking about.
Photo courtesy Google Images
Where I live, the worst natural disaster fear is wildfire, the kind that comes from dry lightning strikes in the mountains. Or – the absolute worst kind – the kind experienced from some rat bastard, ass wipe arsonist. That my dear readers is what I came home to from my 12-day absolutely divine Alaskan adventure (more about that later).
Photo courtesy Google Images
The fire started just a few miles from my house. While my property was never truly in jeopardy, but for the grace of God, the winds moved the quickly spreading flames away from the most densely populated areas. Had Mother Nature decided to “blow the other way,” so to speak, I might have come home to cinders. I am ever thankful to Mother Nature in this instance and again this past weekend for sending the generous amounts of rain that helped extinguish this monster of a blaze.
Photo courtesy Google Images
The beauty in all of this is the camaraderie of like-minded, and similar-situated people living in my little hometown. The community pulled together with assistance for displaced humans and animals for the thousands forced to evacuate. And an amazing display of gratitude continues to decorate our overpasses, city streets and even a small portion of the US Highway 50 corridor that runs through the heart of gold country.
Photo courtesy Google Images
These signs were erected on fence posts along the freeway and hung from overpasses for a stretch of several miles. Let me add my sincerest thank you to everyone involved in helping to put this fire out; most especially Mother Nature.
Photo courtesy Google Images
How does Mother Nature find you where you live? How has Mother Nature most surprised you? I’m anxious to know what natural disaster you’re willing to face to live where you live. But more importantly, what sort of punishment do you think the rat bastard, ass wipe arsonist should have to endure?
Word of the Day: Fatuity
Fun fact about me: I have a great deal of respect for Mother Nature.
Original post by Jansen Schmidt September 2014. Photos courtesy Google Images.
jansenschmidt 
Criminals will get what they deserve in the next life – drawing and quartering or perhaps keel-hauling sound good… But. As for what Mother Nature dishes out here: severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, lizards, and extreme cold. But other than that it’s a great place to live. I grew up in South Texas and we had tropical storms and hurricanes I’ll take what I have now!
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You see Clay – everyone has that one “thing” they are prepared to deal with. I have relatives in the midwest who say there’s no way they could live in California because of the earthquakes, but I have no idea how they live with the tornadoes, which occur more often then earthquakes. It’s funny to me what people find tolerable.
And I’m totally on board with the drawing and quartering and/or keel-hauling. At the very least, they should make this guy fight the damn fire he set, not sit in jail and plan his next blaze. Then he should have to pay restitution to those who lost their homes and property and the fire fighters who came from miles around to fight this thing. Oh well. Like you say. He’ll get his “reward.”
Thanks for stopping by and leaving your thoughts.
And what kind of lizards are wreaking havoc in your area? You make them sound Godzilla-like.
Patricia
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It was butter. Or margarine (the “It’s not nice to fool mother nature” quote). I remember after the quake in ’89 in the Bay Area, I was so terrified I actually considered moving back to Chicago. I’d take a tornado any day. At least you have some warning! If you don’t heed the tornado warnings, then you are just fatuous. 🙂
I’m glad your home was spared. And our cabin in Kyburz.
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Hi Suzanne. I am glad that your cabin was also spared in this inferno. Fortunately it burned mostly uninhabited (by humans) areas.
Earthquakes are indeed scary, but I’ve experienced my share of tornadoes too and those are just as frightening. It’s all in what you’re willing to live with.
For my sake, I’m glad you chose the Sacramento area instead of Chicago.
Patricia
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So glad the fires spared your home! Several times over the past summer, I’ve thought about how blessed we are to have great water, and plenty of it, in the Dayton area, and why can’t we send some there. But that great water almost wiped out Dayton 100 years ago in a huge flood. Fortunately, some enterprising individuals did a massive fundraiser and got government money to build a great dam system that has protected us ever since (and wow, the funding would never happen today!). Tornadoes tend to bounce over the valley (and we love our basements), but we have another threat that’s more like the asshat arsonist: just northeast of Dayton is one of the country’s top military research campuses–and a prime target for terrorists. Oh and that guy? Karma!
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Oh my goodness to have an endless supply of water would be totally amazing. Some places have too much, others, not near enough. Why can’t it be equal?
Terrorists? Not good. Arsonists are terrorists too, but nobody calls them that. Evil is evil no matter what form it takes.
Stay safe and enjoy that water and that basement.
Always good to see you here at the Edge of Eternity.
Patricia
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What a relief that your house was spared! And infuriating that the fire was deliberately set. As if there aren’t enough wildfires to begin with. Would love to hear about your Alaska trip, Patricia! And that is not a fatuous request. 😉
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Kathy, the Alaska posts are on there way. There will be many. I hope folks don’t tire of my enthusiasm.
Thanks for stopping by today. We’ll see you the next few weeks for weekly installments of the Alaska cruise. Day one starts Monday with an awesome post about sailing out of San Francisco! Be here or be . . . somewhere else.
Patricia
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We just passed each other in the blog halls! 😉
Fatuity is too nice of a quality to give to the arsonist. Crazy.
I’d say I’d put the person in a small room with my “feral” horse, but alas that horse is plastic, or wood. I didn’t actually touch it. Only took the pic. 🙂 So definitely something worse than that.
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Well, now the truth comes out. I see how you are. You’re a trickster.
Putting an arsonist in a room with a feral horse would be too kind and I would never do that to any horse, feral or not.
Thanks for visiting. If I’d have known you were flying past I’d have waved. Next time.
Patricia
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Ha! I do remember that commercial when I was a kid. Those words are very true. You can’t control nature. We here in NYC learned that with Hurricane Sandy!
Good to hear that your home was not damaged.
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Ah yes – Hurricane Sandy! That Mother Nature – she’s everywhere and she’ll get you. Beware.
I too am glad I had a home to come home to. I feel bad for those families who lost theirs.
Patricia
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