Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
September 7, 2017
By Pat Edwards
I hope that by the time you read this, you can see the hills off in the distance and smell the scent of roses in the air instead of squinting into the smoke-filled air and breathing in unhealthy particulates from the dozens of forest fires burning throughout the West.
Today on Facebook, someone posted a collage of photographs. The first showed a brilliant red picture of a wildfire out of control with the inscription, “Pray for Washington.” Three more pictures in the collage had a similar theme of forests burning – “Pray for Oregon… Montana… California…” A fourth picture showed a city under water with the caption, “Pray for Texas,” and the sixth one depicted a weather map showing a massive storm system bearing down on Florida… and yes, the caption read, “Pray for Florida.” It seems that we all are at the mercy of Mother Nature right now.
Today brought a little relief to the air quality, at least. A few raindrops descended and freshened the air a bit, but what we really need now is a hard rain that will dampen the forests enough to slow down the fires.
It has been heartwarming to hear of strangers across the county offering to take in evacuated livestock and pets from the McKenzie River area so their owners, who have had to move from their homes, can concentrate on the safety and well-being of their families until they can return. The thoughts on everyone’s minds during this time is, “It could be us.”
Labor Day 2017 is in the books; school has started; gardens are being harvested; and football and volleyball seasons have begun. That means that fall is on it’s way. Let’s all send those prayers as a plea for a very early and wet autumn so people can return to their homes and gather their families and pets around them once again in safety. It could be us!
All Things Lorane 