Rambler: Beth
Drink at Hand: Yogi Ginger Tea
A little more subdued for this edition of Thirsty Thursday. Our friends in Colorado Springs are heavy on our minds this week. Since either of us left our childhood homes to go the Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs is the place we lived the longest. I don't often get horrified to the point of tears watching the news, but Tuesday night I nearly did.
After we graduated in 2002, we got a little apartment right outside the North Gate, as we were both going to work at the Air Force Academy for the next year. The Hayman Fire happened during the summer of 2002. Before this year's fire season, it was one of the worst fires in Colorado history (made worse by the fact that it was arson). One night the fire was supposed to come over the front slope and head in our direction. Thankfully it did not. This photo was from a hot June night in 2002 from that parking lot of our apartment complex. At that time I couldn't imagine a worse fire scene in Colorado Springs. That opinion changed Tuesday night as I watched photo after photo come across the intrawebs of fires on the front slope...and homes on fire. Horrible. Horrible. Horrible. Terry and I used to go hike at Garden of the Gods. I can't even really call it hiking. It was more like strolling and talking and figuring out who we were. Garden of the Gods always makes me think of "early us". Long, sometimes complicated talks before we were even engaged. I think Garden of the Gods is charred now. Fortunately fire can't do much to rock, so the beauty of that place should still remain. Not so sure about everything around it though. The most horrifying thoughts on Tuesday night (once I figured out that a couple of close friends were safe) were about the Air Force Academy. I expected to wake up Wednesday morning to hear it had burned. That place can't really burn to the ground, per say, as its made of metal and rock, but I guess it was principle. There's something about that place that we just love. Maybe its sentimental because we met there, but the thought of it not being there was crazy. Fortunately, its fine. The fact that I was upset about my silly school burning when people were losing their homes is ridiculous and a little embarrassingly self-centered. So to our friends in Colorado Springs, we're thinking of you. Stay safe.