Fire, fire everywhere...

...on 4/30/02, a fire started in the Mescalero Apache terrirtory; it was 100% contained that same day, but again, arson is the suspected cause...4/30/02: the Cloudcroft fire burnt 600 acres; the Boundary, near Socorro, 3 acres; the fire in the East MTNs near ABQ, consumed 3 acres near Enchantment & Frost Rds., and was started by kids; the Brune fire near La Plata, CO, and the NM-CO border, burnt 100-200 acres; by 4/30/02 the blaze was 70% contained at that time...by early May, it was under complete control...

...and neither a drip nor a drop of water!

...spring, 2002 has not been kind & gentle to New Mexico...during the last days of April and the early days of May, numerous fires started...5/1/02: the Bosque fire in the city of ABQ itself...150 acres burned near Coors & Paseo del Norte, NW...arson is suspected as the cause...

...5/5/02: the Toadlena Fire is located 3 miles west of Toadlena in the Navajo Nation...the cause is still unknown, but is has charred 400 acres...the fire burnt mostly ponderosa pine and became a threat to a nearby fish hatchery...constant high winds made it nearly impossible to gain control of the blaze...5/12/02: fire is 100% contained...total loss, 740 acres and 2 structures...

...and then there is the Penasco fire...started on 4/30/02, by a man who has since killed himself, it has consumed 20 structures...it has also caused the evacuations of Mayhill, Hope, James Canyon & Curtis Canyon...no one has been injured...firemen from Alamogordo are helping fight this blaze in Otero County...the amount consumed by fire inceased from 800 to 1500 to 9500 acres by 5/2/02...there is a State of Emergency for all of New Mexico...it has been moving very fast...the Apache suspected arson due to the letters receiving regarding one of their leaders, and have offered a $50000 reward...but justice was not fair as the arsonist committed suicide...the tires of the KOAT-TV camera truck melted, forcing to continue the journey away from the fire on its rims...the humidity was only 9% at 5:30 AM on 5/2/02...there is a high wind advisory affecting the entire state into the first full week of May...the fire has jumped highways 82 & 130...the National Guard has been called to help...this state is using the most government FEMA resources than any state in the area...by late 5/2/02, it was heading towards Mayhill...Highway 82 is blocked between Mayhill & Cloudcroft...it has been 25 days since ABQ had any rain, and the deficit is 1.25 inches...that number has increased to 33 days and needing 1.5 inches of rain; but in El Paso, TX, it has exceeded 100 days without rain...

...by 5/3/02, the Penasco fire was 5% containined, and scorched 9500 acres...a Wells Canyon resident blamed himself for the blaze and killed himself...a suicide note was found in his home...by 5/4/02, the Penasco fire in the Sacramento MTNs. was 60% contained, but had spread to destroy 15500 acres & 21 structures...there was another fire in ABQ...a barn burned at Sterling & Barcelone, but was quickly extinguished...5/5/02: there is little change, but the Penasco fire is expected to be fully contained by midweek...the weather remains the same, with a High Winds Warning and a Fire Weather Watch...Highway 82 has been reopened, and people are returning to their homes...but there is $3.2 million timber loss...5/6/02: 65% contained, 13 homes, 27 structures and 5 vehicles...5/9/02: almost 100% contained...

...5/6/02: new blaze!...Dalton, spreading fast, burnt 600-700 acres by the end of the first day...it is located near the Pecos & Dalton Canyons, east of Santa Fe (in the Santa Fe National Forest), south of Las Vegas, the winds are reaching 25 mph, and the humidity is 11%...5/7/02: 500 people were evacuated, almost 700 acres have burned & NM State Route 63 has been closed through that area...the humidity remains at 10%, and the chance of gusts increasing to 35 mph or more by week's end...flames swirl in circles, as fires create their own weather, suckng up the air in its path...it was 2 years ago that the Los Alamos fires started...3700 acres burned, 400 homes destroyed...so far, no homes have been lost in this fire...5/8/02: there is a Red Flag Fire Warning, and the Santa Fe Natl. Forest has been closed to the public...more wooded areas may be closed prior to the summer tourist season...people were allowed to return home..no buildings were burned, and Santa Fe's watershed area was kept safe...the fire is only 70% contained, but Route 63 has reopened...the Cibola Natl. Forest may be the next to prohibit visitors...5/10/02: 800 acres destroyed, 80% contained...5/12/02: 100% contained, no injuries, no structures destroyed...

...5/8/02: firefighters put out a fire that burnt 6.5 acres along the Bosque near Sunnyslope & 2nd street...the blaze just south of Rio Bravo jumped the river at one point, making its way to nearby homes...it was stopped before any damage could be done...NM law prevents the ban of fireworks events on a statewide basis...

Gust & dust!

...Santa Fe may initiate level 4 water restrictions soon; no outside watering would be permitted...there is only a 30-day water supply available for the city, and the monsoon season does not begin until July...

...5/13/02: seeing Canadian geese fly above at 6 AM on Central AVE; there were more geese than cars...there are also more cars on Central on Sat. nights at 9:30...

...5/11/02: the Sandia, Mt. Taylor & Magdalena forests will be closed to the public by mid-May...the cutting of trees for firewood is prohibited statewide...5/12/02: the Roseway Inn in Gallup was destroyed by fire...the roof collapsed and the heat melted cars parked nearby...5/14/02: the wooded area in the Bosque is closed until July...5/15/02: another fire north of Mt. Taylor, this one caused by lightning...

...the wonderful smell of bread toasting...

...a slight chance for rain on 5/14/02....02" inches fell during a brief storm...

...5/11/02: a fast-moving blaze erupted Saturday morning and spread to both sides of Bouquet Canyon, feeding on dry brush in the hilly terrain north of Santa Clarita, about 20 miles north of Los Angeles, and 10 miles NE of Six Flags Amusement Park...at one point, 3200 acres had burnt, and about 150 people were evacuated from 110 vacation cabins that dot the area...5/14/02: fire contained, 5000 acres burnt, but no loss of life or property...5/14/02: another CA fire burned 11000 acres in Orange County...I feel the earth, move, under my feet...during that same day, a 5.2 quake shook the San Fran area, with its epicenter at Gilroy...only minor damage reported...a local DJ played the tune Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On!...

...5/16/02: delayed (not late) to work due to a train stopping traffic at Lomas...train crashes into platform in London...5/17/02: Rosanne let us leave at 3, since the only only remaining work was dictation that had not been entered on the system...Rosanne asked if this was just an excuse to leave early...my reply was Do you think I would lie during my probationary period?...Good point!, was her response...

...then there is the family of birds that have a nest above the light in front of the door which opens into our apartment...there are 3 crying, hungry babies, their mouths constantly open, waiting to be fed...

...can you imagine if a Spanish girl could not grow her hair down to her waist?...

...another AMTRAK train crash, this time in SC...no one died, but the double tiered cars seem to be the ones that fell off the track...

...we step back in time to remember Buzz, Planet, Quicksilver, No Fear & Fear This...

...Mike has made friends with a boy whose hair on the top of his head is light green...6/26/02: his hair was completely black again...

...in NM, 12 traffic violations in 1 year means 1 year without a driver's license...

...5/21/02: Ann turns 24!...she enjoys a piece of Brad's homemade pie...during that evening, she tripped and fell, injuring her ankle...it was swollen & red, so Mike did the Rounds...waiting for the bus at 5th & Copper, Mike thinks the group of men resembles a Council of Elders, or an ancient Meat Rack...

...5/24/02: Ann was out due to a leg injury, Mike did the Rounds, and a trainee was arriving at 9 AM...Geri did not want to train since she had not been informed ahead of time...a phone call to Rosanne regarding another problem, and Geri arrived to instruct John...

...wedding held in K-Mart for two employees...there are now fire restrictions at 43 million acres of non-municipal, non-federal land...in OK, bus hits overturned 18-wheeler, driver blames wind & rain...near Flagstaff, AZ, a semi strikes an overturned semi, 3 people die...Mt. Hood, OR, a helicopter hits the mountain, killing at least 3...

...young or old, rich or poor, the citizens of America (and probably the world) have a cell phone in one hand and a pager in the other...this includes street people!...air fares are up for the third time since April...the exception is Southwest Airlines...by early June, the $20 surcharge was removed from the cost...

...during the third weekend in May there were 13 fires, 6 in the Gila Natl. Forest... each was less than 2 acres in size...by Sunday evening all blazes were under control ...the East Coast chilled with temps 15-20 degrees below normal...by the end of May, summer conditions return to most of the country...

...lots of rain falls in TX, MO, IL, IA & IN...tornados also reported in IL & MO...the MS river is at flood level in various states...similar conditions occur in WV, MD & VA...tomuch water in too short a time span...NM, CO & WY have the highest chance of hail storms in the world...6/4/02: sound familiar? bad weather threatens the launch of the Endevour...by 6/9/02, it was orbiting the Earth...and; again, weather problems postponed its landing...6/19/02: after 2 failed attempts to land in FL, the shuttle arrives in CA...it costs about $1 million to transport it back east...

...more phrases to forget...It's the last day(s) of our sale! Prices won't be this low ever again!...In harm's way...pump up the volume!...I don't think so!...talk to me!...someone dropped the ball!...you're too sensative!...breaking solar winds!...well, you know what I mean! (if I did, why would I be asking you any questions?)...clean one's clock...punch one's ticket...