colorado wildfire

[perth]

dont know that this image is really a 'quality' image, but here goes.



the link to the story is here.

this wildfire is burning nearly 100000 acres west of denver, supposedly caused by an illegal campfire. i live about 65 miles from denver, and closer to 80 miles from the fire. when i woke up this morning there was a fine layer of ash on my car.

colorado has always been real touristy, and i commend the powers that be for being able to handle so many people gracefully. and while i cannot say with authority that the fire was caused by a tourist, its hard to like the fact that so many people come here and fail to respect what they came to see. when i go hiking i take a trash bag with me, and never fail to fill it with stuff people tossed to the side of the trail. when i drive in the mountains, i am constantly swerving to avoid people who suddenly stop in the middle of the road to photograph deer. as if this is the only place in the world you can see deer. i understand people may come from areas where they may not be accustomed to mountain driving. but stopping at the end of a curve where a great whopping mountain prevents those going into the curve from seeing the end is not good application of common sense. just as lighting an uncontained campfire in the middle of an old-growth forest which hasnt seen rain is two weeks is not good application of common sense. reminds me of those cartoons where yosemite sam lights a match in a room filled with gunpowder.

sorry about the rant. i want people to be able to see the beauty nature has provided here in colorado, but i dont want to clean up after them, rear end them or watch them set fire to our national parks.

feh, as a sidenote, my house is starting construction this week. i cant tell you how exciting that is.

~james