Burning Heart

Tonight as I sit safely in my home, hundreds of people in areas all around my city are losing theirs to horrendous wild fires. North of Austin, South of Austin, to its east- fires are burning out of control, the worst seemingly in Bastrop- a place near and dear to my heart.

Many friends who live in these varying areas have evacuated the homes. Many people (none whom I know that I am aware of) have lost everything- their homes, their pets. Our Austin shelters are trying to take in as many evacuated pets as possible and are on the search for foster homes at this midnight hour. A variety of shelters are being opened up to the residents of these areas to stay the night at very least.

I worry for these folks, my thoughts are with them & yet my sadness is for the land, most especially in Bastrop. Selfishly, I shed a tear thinking that less than a year ago, Grant and I were married in Bastrop, not in the state park as we had originally hoped and scheduled, but in the adjacent park of LCRA Bastrop Lake Park, which was just as beautiful to behold and held such wonderful energy for us on such an auspicious day. Tonight I sit holding my rounded belly, sad that I may not be able to take my daughter to see the space where her father and I got married or to hike the trails we love so much in the Bastrop State Park there. Of the 6,500 acres of Lost Pines there, at this moment it is reported that 3,000 have burned, and the fire still blazes. This one place of pine forest in Texas may by the time the sun rises be gone, and it breaks my heart.

We have a distinct lack of the water element in Texas right now, this drought and the immense heat we have seen this summer (record breaking days over 100+ degrees in Austin) not helping the wildfire situation be easy to control. No rain comes our way as much as we need it. Strong winds blow our way today from a near by tropical storm, Air element spreading the fires that much faster.
All the ash will return to Earth, but the only Water that may be shed will come from fire hoses and tears.

The only fire here is those contained in candles on my altars- they have had much to burn for these past weeks.