Yesterday was the first day in over 45 days where we didn't get multiple phone calls from the City of Asheville telling us to boil the water that was coming out of our taps. Yesterday we got the word that the boil water notice is lifted. I emptied the last of the boiled water into the pitcher, my daily ritual. Yesterday, I didn't boil more water. It's been interesting to find out how much water we use for cooking and drinking--about a gallon or two a day, depending on whether or not we're home, whether or not we're cooking.
Some people went online to proclaim their jubilation. I am tired, and part of me is always waiting for the other shoe to drop. I try to do the things that help me maintain mental equilibrium. On Sunday, I went for a walk, up to the chapel, to the outdoor altar where I planned to sit and breathe for a bit.
I saw smoke as I walked up the hill, and I expected to gaze out to see smoke drifting from a distant mountain. Instead, I saw flames on the other side of the hill where the Quiet Way path would take hikers up to the chapel, flames not too far away from where I stood.
I called the camp director before I called 911--in retrospect, that was stupid, but I wanted to make sure they weren't doing a controlled burn. Nope, and he had called for help. I walked quickly back down the hill, and then went down to a fork in the camp road to make sure to flag the trucks to the fire, should they come in the back entrance.
Happily, the response was quick. I walked back up to make sure there was nothing more I needed to do. The very kind fire fighter I chatted with briefly told me that I should never hesitate to call 911, that they often arrived to find fires under control, and those were happy days.
I have been worried about fire since the early days of hurricane recovery--so many trees down, and such a dry October and November. I am glad the fire was contained, but worried about what would have happened if no one had been around/awake to see the smoke and flames, as several of us did.
I am also worried about the health of my spouse. A few weeks ago, he did something to his back while helping with the chainsaw to get trees cleared. It comes and goes, and just when I think we've turned a corner, he has a flare, a sciatica kind of pain. Yesterday was a very bad flare. Luckily, he has a doctor's appointment for his annual physical on Friday, so maybe we will discover that there's something that can be done.
My spouse's experience makes me worry about the future. We do not live in a country that has lots of options for people who need more care than I can give--and with Trump in charge, I don't foresee our nation ever evolving that direction. The long term outlook might terrify me, if I really let myself think about it.
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