Fire Update

A neighborhood burns near the foothills of Colorado Springs. (Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post)

This is the horrific images we are seeing from the Waldo Canyon Fire at Colorado Springs. The fire is not affecting us in any detrimental way here in Chalk Creek. No smoke, no ash, just clear blue skies...no rain, of course, either. And rain is what is desperately needed here.

We have been very busy here at the campground. Over 30,000 people have been evacuated from Colorado Springs. Several of them have found their way here, after removing their treasured items from their homes, putting them in their rv's and heading west. We have found space so far for anyone needing it, but I will say it was a wild and wooley day in the office yesterday. I was on all day, and being Wednesday, normally a quiet day, I was alone except for my boss lady, Tamara. We got all the calls answered, everyone checked in, and the folks already here taken care of as well. It was a heart-breaking day, but the attitude of the evacuees was something to be admired. Plenty were very flustered, but realistic about things. In fact, down in the lower campground, folks started finding each other as they were setting up, people who lived in the same neighborhoods and didn't realize they were coming to the same place. They wanted to put up a sign "Woodland Park Evacuation Camp". Very nice folks. One group even had and 80 year old neighbor who had no way to leave, they packed her up in their car and are putting her up in their trailer while the kids sleep in a tent. Just good folks. Just as tragedy brings out the worst in some people, it brings out the best in most. Here is a link to the latest news as of this morning.

So, we're fine, the area is fine, and even if something were to happen, we can be packed and rolling with ALL our stuff in about half an hour. We did discuss the possibility at our staff meeting, and we are as prepared as anyone could be. In the meantime, we pray for rain, no lightning, and for the pyro psychopaths to stay away from our blessed little valley. I will return to our regularly scheduled blog programming as soon as possible!