Small world

With all the tragedies and disasters in the news, one can sometimes get numb.  Unless you are directly affected or have some ties to it through family or friends, you may gloss over it as another news story.    

In the last two months, we have seen a plant explosion in West, Texas, Boston Marathon bombing, several devastating tornadoes in Texas and Oklahoma, flooding in the Midwest  storms in the east, devastating fires in New Mexico and Colorado.

It is the latter that has been on my mind of late.  I've been deeply worried about Abby and her family/home up in Colorado Springs.  After going through the same drill last year, she seems to be fairly calm and well prepared.  I am not sure I would be as calm given the circumstances.   

Life is funny how things are related.  I watched the news thinking that the wildfires in Colorado would not have any impact upon us this far south.  I did not realize until yesterday how close we are sometimes tied together.  A friend alerted us as to the status of our scout troop.  Our troop has been in existence for over 25 years and very active in camping and other outdoors activities.  They typically do camp outs every weekend and two long term camps in the winter and summer.  During my stint with the troop, we were always looking at new camps for the summer.  One of our criteria was simple:  some place cool.  That pretty much crossed out most of Texas and Louisiana.  Many summer camps for the troop were out of state:  New Mexico, Arkansas, Tennessee, Oklahoma.  Ever since my son left for college years ago, we haven't been keeping up with the troop activities.  It turns out that 1852 was spending this summer at Camp Chris Dobbins east of Colorado Springs (east of Black Forest).  They just hit camp last weekend and were to be there for a full week.  On Wednesday morning, the Elbert County officials pulled the plug and evacuated the camp.  Most of the local troops went home while several out of state troops were housed in the fair grounds.  Our troop was one of those.  Camped out at the fair grounds until it was either safe to go back to camp or they would head home.  Last word I had was that they were headed back here.  This was the first long term summer camp my son and I attended in scouts.  I led the trek there and it was a great camp for scouts and adults.  It had never occurred to me until recently that I was in Abby's neck of the woods (13 years ago).   

So many homes lost, so many people affected.  I'll keep praying for everyone in Colorado.  Hoping for some rain or a late snow storm.  Or at least the wind to die down.