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Their Courage Was Unparalleled

July 1, 2013 - The sad days are here.  Death is very final, and the time when we could have prevented the Yarnell fire long past.  Today it is Arizona that submits to the wrath of God, and we reach out to them to comfort and encourage.  The 19 firefighters who perished yesterday were experts, deserving of our honor and gratitude.  I hope you will find a way to express your solidarity with the citizens of Arizona, or to express your hope to Gov. Brewer that she will at last act to mitigate and adapt to climate change.  I have done the latter.

Reading Sharon Astyk's latest book Making Home was pleasurable indeed.  I though it was her best, to date.  The reason I'm thinking of her book right now is that I would like to dedicate some new action of mine to the deceased firefighters.  She wrote about hanging clothes out to dry in winter, something I'd never considered, and said the smell was incomparable.  While hanging clothes out to dry these days would amount to an exercise in frustration, we're getting so much rain, maybe the wintertime clothes hanging would make sense (though I have to believe my neighbors would have serious doubts).  Then again, a far more practical action might be stringing a line in the basement - a more moderate, four seasons approach.

Think of something you could do to honor individuals who did so much.  I'll see you Thursday.

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