The Big Four O, Fires, and a Mongolian Living Room

Not to be outdone by California, Oregon, and Washington, northern Nevada is on fire right now. Smoke chokes her skies during the day and her hills glow devilishly during the night. Lightening hitting hilltops during storms have started most of these fires - which technically speaking makes them part of (queue music) The-Cycle-Of-Life. But when your doublewide is gone, it’s gone, and how good that is for the salt brush and field mice is a somewhat moot point.

The State gives each of these massive fires its own name. Right now the Hawkins Fire is attempting to relieve Reno of its burdensome western suburbs. That probably means something profound, but I have no idea what it might be. Don’t build houses for affluent Californians out in the brush? Go to church more often? Buy a surplus fire truck? Maintain your firebreaks? All of the above? Only the Big Guy knows, and He generally prefers us to figure these things out for ourselves.

Tina turned the big Four O this week, which made for a lot of drinking. A small group of friends and family members came out to the ranch to join us, including Tina’s sister Keri, her husband Gary, his brother Chris, fellow author Thomas Rafalski, and his charming wife Yo-Mi. (I probably didn’t spell that right.) It was hot – maybe a bit too hot – but we had a good time setting up Gary’s yurt. I was fascinated by the damn thing. I want one now! It was the size of a living room! Back in San Francisco I lived in apartments way, way smaller (not to mention less comfortable) than the inside of this crazy Mongolian tent. It had a 20-foot diameter, enabling us to set up a hammock, two chairs, a table, and a bar inside. It was also quite comfortable inside in the 90 plus degree weather.

I’ve taken it down now, but I find the yurt to be such a wonderful structure that I’ve been inspired to create a semi-permanent version for our ranch in the spot where we put it up. I believe that I’ll pour an actual foundation and make permanent walls that bolt onto it, but leave the rest of the arrangement temporary so that it can be taken up and down at will. Or something like that – I haven’t quite figured it out yet. I’ll take pictures as I create it.

In any case, I would like to thank not only all of you who traveled all the way out here to help celebrate Tina’s birthday, but also those of you who called or wrote to wish her well. Your thoughts are appreciated and your absences are always acutely felt.