Cisco Sonar

Smoke

By Bryce Neilson

I seem to becoming more depressed lately.  Sort of like in the winter when the Lake is trying to freeze and the valley fills with clean fog.  What we are experiencing now is different.  It is minute particles of carbon pushed into the atmosphere by fire burning vegetation.  As I traveled across western Oregon last week, wildfires were burning thousands of acres sagebrush and cheat grass.  That is typical of this part of the west but with temperatures of 104F as we passed Pendleton it is worse this year. 

I didn’t think much of it at the time but as we returned to Bear Lake it as there and has been getting thicker over the past few days.  One of the things that keeps my world in balance is getting up in the morning and looking out over Bear Lake.  Its changing colors and moods helps me realize where I am at.  It is something I never get tired of.  As I have travelled over the world and seen many beautiful things, the thing that is most spectacular to me is Bear Lake coming over the summit.

I can’t see it now and that bums me out.  No one to blame, just Mother Earth.  I feel bad for visitors who are coming through that won’t get the opportunity to see Bear Lake.  It reminds me of the Yellowstone fires or the eruption of St. Helens volcano.  The smoke will drift away eventually and the views will return. It is just that now, my soul is obscured.

Note:

Noreen Hansen passed away this week.  She was a unique lady.  Carmen and I worked with Noreen in the Garden City Offices for over twelve years.  She was thrifty, using both sides of adding machine paper, spending hours trying to find a lost penny in the checking account and was well known for not taking any guff from anyone, including the Mayor.  They don’t make people like that anymore.  I will miss her but the memories will always remain.