Aftermath

The days following the fire were chaotic for everyone.  Pictures sent by our neighbors could not have prepared us for the smell of smoke and the haze that lay over a charred landscape.  

What follows are images of the epicenter of the Twisp river fire and how we found what remained of our property and the cabin.  Ground burnt to ash.  Blackened bits and pieces, remnants of what was, now gone.  Fire hoses detached and left at the last minute and hand dug fire lines testified to the efforts of ground crews who defended our property.  We are indebted to those who fought the fire in trying to save our cabin.  

We were shocked.  At first it was simply too much, too overwhelming.  Finding direction and a focus was difficult.  Leave or stay?    Clarity came one evening at a neighborhood potluck where all of our neighbors were able to share.  We heard gratefulness for help given and help offered.  We heard a determination to move forward from loss to a new beginning.  Choosing to stay had less to do with our own resilience and everything to do with being inspired by a community that above all else, values each other.