stir crazy

I am going just a little bit nuts.  Which is normal.  I tend to handle crises with reasonable calm during the most acute parts, but the day after day of uncertainty, emotional roller-coasters, and general upheaval eventually get to me.  In particular, it drives me crazy to have nothing productive to do, no routine to fall back on, and no opportunities to just go out and hike.  Most of our favorite places are on fire, the rest are closed, and the air is filled with so much smoke that being outside is difficult, so I feel extraordinarily confined.  Well, that and the effects of the stress of the past few days -- thinking we might not have a home anymore, or a town anymore, and not quite knowing what to do while we waited to find out.

The good news is that we have a home and we will get to go back to it sometime.  Even better, there are no reports of casualties or injuries, in spite of the massive scope of this fire.  So I am just trying to let the frustration and anxiety wash through me, reminding myself that this is normal, and figuring out ways to work around it.

Links to photos of the fire, our town, and the beautiful places we live near.

Las Conchas Fire photos from The Big Picture

Las Conchas photos from the Albuquerque Journal

Oh, and we saw Maya today.  I didn't pack enough food for her extended stay in the kennel, so I picked up a fresh bag to drop off.  She look relaxed and happy, but I didn't linger where she could see me -- too distressing for her to have us visit and then leave again.  I miss her more than I can put into words.