The Fires,They Rage

The wind shifted to the north and with it came the smoke and ash from forest fires.

If the fires are not threatening anything the fire fighters let them burn themselves out. I suppose this saves time and money. People with breathing issues need to be careful, however. The recent deluge yesterday has squelched much of the fires for now. I must say that the storms here are much more violent than I had predicted.

In Texas, most of the thunderstorms that pop up in the summer are brief downpours and last no more than fifteen minutes. Not so in Alaska. It poured and poured for over an hour with occasional lightning and thunder. It all sounded wonderful in my cabin since my roof is metal. At first I was concerned with having my windows open, but then I noticed that all of the windows were protected by the overhanging roof.

I drove up to Fox last night to fill up my water jugs with the spring water up there. Everyone that I have talked to has said that it is worth the drive. Also, the water is free. This is usually a great selling point, but the Water Wagon water is 1 3/4 cent per gallon so its not that big of a bargain. Nevertheless, I wanted to try it for myself.

I had to wait a bit because a man in an old Nissan truck was filling up his jugs. In the meantime I wandered around the brush near the stream. I found some tasty raspberries, and popped a few in my mouth. Berry season is well underway in Alaska by now. A yell from the pump station told me that it was my turn to fill up.

It was a three-walled shelter that covered two cold pipes that were gushing water. The two silver buttons were propped in the on position with a coke tab and a penny. This was easier than holding them down and showed some true Alaskan ingenuity. All in all, I collected twenty four gallons of Fox spring water. On the way home, I watched the clouds crawl over the forested mountains in the golden evening sunlight. It reminded me of my time in the Catskill mountains of upstate New York a little.

When I got home, I immediately poured a draught of the icy spring water from my jug. I drank it slowly on the balcony while watching the steam from the forest fires pass by. It was worth the drive!