This has been a very windy month, making the drought ever more evident as the dust swirls through the valley and into the house. We attended a community meeting about the threat of wildfires which is a real concern with the drought and all of the pine trees that died last summer due to the beetle infestation— making plenty of tinder for a wind-fueled fire. There are already many fires across the state of New Mexico— well before the annual fire season usually begins. People who have lived here in the Ramah Valley all of their lives say it’s the worst wind and drought conditions that they’ve ever seen. We’ll be packing a ‘bug-out bag’ and making plans in case we need to evacuate. Yet, even with these extreme conditions, the signs of spring still make their presence known: calves and colts in the fields, hummingbirds buzzing around the sugar water, dahlias waking up (but still sleeping inside overnight), Zach and I are making art, Tuna (our puppy) is happy and growing, and the planets aligned with a sliver of moon in the morning sky.
