Fire surrounds us.

It's funny that I'm writing this post a little over a year after my own devastating fire. However, this fire is different. This fire is destroying hundreds upon hundreds of acres, leaving many animals homeless or dead, and threatening to devastate countless families in Southern Georgia and Northern Florida.

The wildfires of 2007 burn fiercely as I type. I'm sure most of you have heard about the fires raging in Southern Georgia by now. It's made national headlines. What you may not have heard about are the fires, fires that are burning about an hour or so north of here as well. Wildfires are the worst, as I've come to realize. Their rage is wild and unpredicted, leaving everything in their paths vulnerable.

These same wildfires also cause immense pollution. The smog can be seen for hundreds of miles. Here I sit, 200+ miles away from the fires, yet the smoke is so strong here, you can smell it indoors, and outdoors it looks like we should be under a strong fog advisory. My boys' are sneezing, and I'm worried about Bumpo's breathing problems as this fire plays havoc with their allergies. Which, I know, is so minor compared to what other people in this area are going through.

The pictures shown here, show how strong the smoke is. The first picture is of Duval county, a county away from where the fires are taking place. The second photo is of the fort in the historic town of Saint Augustine, not far from the place I call home. That fort is on the water front of the inlet, on a normal day, you can see across the inlet to the houses and hotels on the other side. Not to mention all of the boats that litter the waterway as well. The first photo was taken by a photographer for a local newspaper here, the second one is mine (which you can click on to
enlarge).