Page 60 - The Silver Fire

THE BLACK RANGE RAG - WWW.BLACKRANGE.ORG
After the Fire, Before the Flood (Con’t)
in heaven. I have yet to talk to anyone who had ever seen anything like it. The rain came down and Percha Creek ran black with ash. It was shocking to see, but at least there was water in the creek for the first time in a long while. The beauty of our beloved Percha Creek was apparent, in spite of the black water from the burn scar on the mountain above us.
The four-tenths-inch of rain we've received over the past couple of days has already brought the sad looking vegetation back from the brink. The birds are singing, dogs are wagging their tails and people are smiling again. The electricity in the stormy sky seems to have jump-started our weary hearts and we're ready to face what comes next.
We'll hope for the best, be as prepared as possible for the worst, and face
whatever comes. In the meantime, I hope we're all savoring this sweet time in the "boro".
July 11, 2013 - The Hopi Camp Crew Gives Back
A photograph of “Conejo Mimbreño” on a Mimbres bowl by Bob Barnes of Hillsboro.
The blog post is a Forest Service News release from the end of June. Reprinted here as an exception and in recognition of the service that the US Forest Service has provided to all of us.
The Hopi Camp Crew Gives Back to Mimbres Valley Children's Garden
The Hopi Agency Camp Crew of Arizona was recently dispatched to the New Mexico Incident Management Team to work the Silver Fire.The fire broke out June 7, 2013 when lightning hit in the Gila National Forest. The Hopi Camp Crew of 11 cared for the incident command post in San Lorenzo and its 728 personnel who camped there while fighting the fire. The command post was established at the San Lorenzo Elementary School.
Crew Boss Arley Woodty said it was “the best assignment yet”, because during down time, the Hopi Crew
also completed a service project for the youth and community.
The school is home to the Mimbres Valley Community Nature Garden. School Custodian Linda Jones has been watering the vegetables during summer break and needed help expanding plots for a new crop of sweet potatoes.
“Our students started a pollinator garden and grow their own food and learn the importance of agriculture to this valley that began 1,000 years ago with the Native Americans, continued with the homesteaders, and organic farms today.”
Thanks to the Hopi crew, the school has three new raised garden beds that are decorated in traditional Hopi symbols; Butterflies, Bears, Corn, Eagles, and Horses.
“We are artists back home; we all do arts and crafts, making baskets, dolls and jewelry, but we hardly ever get to do things for kids. We like it,” Woodty said.
Each member of the crew, even the bus driver, took part in painting. They hope the youth appreciate the meaning of the art as it relates to agriculture, snow, water, and prayer.
60
iN MEMORY OF THE GRANITE MOUNTAIN HOTSHOTS