image source: Ben Nelms for CBC “Aggressive Wildfire Threatens Major Okanagan Cities”
Untitled
Only the Lucky Ones
Orange, smokey skies
Cloud our thoughts
Confusion and loss
Invade our lives
Burning out of control
Devil’s breath destroys
Leaving our home behind
Only the lucky ones
Get out alive
-LTW
With the wildfires foremost on my mind, the above poem came to me naturally. I can’t think of a title though. Strange as usually titles come to me first.
I’ve been thinking about the evacuees due to wildfires in both the Interior British Columbia and Yellowknife, in the Northwest Territories. In addition, the tragedy of Lahaina in Maui, Hawaii has weighed heavily on my mind as I’m sure it has with you as well.
Normally I would write about ‘summer’ and what I’ve been up to but summer hasn’t been pleasant with wildfires dominating the news. The season’s no longer as charming as its endless blue skies and incredible sunsets. It is disturbing. I do feel that our world is truly on fire.
Just for reference, the city of Yellowknife is the most northern city in Canada. There is no daylight on the winter solstice and no darkness on the summer solstice. I’ve heard from people who have lived there that it is a magical place where the Aurora Borealis dances and the community, although fraught with a colorful history, is tight knit.
If you are curious about this city, I recommend reading Elizabeth Hay’s Late Nights On Air. I’ve read it twice because it’s that good. It is fiction (semi-autobiographical) and takes place in the mid-late 1970’s. She weaves the political issues and the growth of the city of Yellowknife in her story making the city itself a central character. The story takes you through the wilderness as well which is a vicarious way to experience the Great North without leaving your couch (haha).
I pray the city will survive and the evacuees can return to their homes and livelihoods. Ditto for the city of Kelowna which has been hit hard in the suburban areas. I saw on the news that the conditions for fighting the fires have improved but still, no rain in forecast to assist.
To give you a visual, you see on the map below exactly where Yellowknife is located. The Interior cities in British Columbia are southwestern part of the map.
Summer isn’t over yet and nor are the wildfire dangers. Let’s hope for improvement in the next few days. What’s happening in your part of the world? Do you feel overwhelmed by climate change, or the ‘news’ in general? Let’s chat in the comments. Also, if you can suggest a title for my poem please tell me in the comments. 🙂 Thank you, LA CONTESSA who suggested the title for my poem!
We’re already half way through summer. It always goes far too quickly of all the seasons. Winter? Dragging…like an ellipses. Spring? The start of a new thought; like a semicolon. Autumn? Gathering, like a comma ordering things. But summer! The exclamation of the seasons. Bright, long days, swimming, parties and other exclamatory activities! But gone all too soon.
We’re in full swing summer season now. Do you have a summer bucket list? What have you checked off?
I’m not one to make bucket lists. I keep my to do’s in a journal and in my brain. Every summer though, there are certain things I know I want to do. Like, take a dip in the ocean. Full-head-in-kind of dip. It’s colder than heck but it feels amazing. Picking the berries right off the bush, is also a must-do for me.
It’s easy to let summer’s fleeting season pass us by. It comes and goes so quickly but luckily I have a summer fun recipe you’ll love…guaranteed to make your summer joy happen. This post has been updated from the archives.
source; unsplash by allef vinicius
Well, I’m sitting in a smokey haze. It’s not that I’ve taken up smoking but it’s the forest, wild-fire smoke that has blown into town this week. It’s cast a yellow tint to everything including my brain.
Maybe it’s a summer slacker thing, but I’ve been avoiding my blog.
pin up girl Hilda by Duane Bryers
Say what? I know it’s the middle of summer and if you’re like me, you’re still shy about frolicking in your bikini. Last weekend on a hot sunny July afternoon, my Beau and I were sitting at the beach before we went out to dinner. We weren’t dressed to swim or frolic that afternoon but we sure enjoyed watching everyone else do so. I got the most pleasant surprise of the summer right there on the beach. It’s not what you think…
photo by Mary Schonnen
One of my favorite summer posts I’ve updated from the archives. Summer inspiration.
“Summertime, and the livin’ is easy…your daddy’s rich and your mamma’s good lookin’..”
That old Gershwin jazz tune always plays through my mind in June.
Summer is upon us and we’ve waited patiently for it to come! We even travel great distances at great expense during the winter months to get a taste of this season in some other exotic locale. But now we have it, right outside our own
photo by Mary Schonnen
“Summertime, and the livin’ is easy…your daddy’s rich and your mamma’s good lookin’..” That old Gershwin jazz tune always plays through my mind in June. Summer is upon us and we’ve waited patiently for it to come! We even travel great distances at great expense during the winter months to get a taste of this season in some other exotic locale. But now we have it, right outside our own
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