Friday, May 6, 2016

Can Anything Good Come From Total Devastation?

I am NOT a last-minute kind of gal but working seven days a week, long hours every day, sometimes things get put on the shelf until the last minute.  Me bad.  I read my challenging question for this month's Secret Subject Swap a couple weeks ago and didn't have a clue what to write about -- until an hour ago.
Fort McMurray


Something happened this week that can is affecting many people in the world and it is happening very 'close to home.'



Some of you may remember my post last summer 10 Reasons to Skip Summer .  Although it was a humorous post, it also shows the wildfires in the forests of the West Coast of the United States last year.  These are not unusual at the end of a long, hot summer.  But at this time of year, almost unheard of.

My question for the Secret Subject this month was:  Did those showers in April bring May flowers? It was submitted to me by Not That Sarah Michelle.


Fort McMurray

This question could be answered literally or figuratively.  I chose to answer it by sharing how April showers had no effect on the demolition currently occurring in the Province of Alberta, Canada.  I know several people living in Fort McMurray, Alberta and cannot describe how heartbreaking it is to watch this entire city burn to the ground.  My daughter lived there until a year ago.

Fire

































As of this writing, 1600 buildings and 10,000 hectares were destroyed in less than one day.  The 88,000 residents have been evacuated - with no casualties!  The fire happened so rapidly that people were not allowed to return to their homes to get their pets or livestock.



Shelters for the evacuees are being set up 300 miles away and people are urgently trying to get there. But, the gas stations had exploded and there was no gas for vehicles. As the winds are now blowing wildly, concerns mount as to what will happen if the fires reach the tar sands.  Thousands of workers are living in camps with only one highway in or out.
Fort McMurray

Some drivers heading south ran out of gas and ended up stranded.  A fuel tanker truck was able to stop along the highway and filled up gas tanks for stranded evacuees.

This article  in the Scientific American describes the devastation and what may have caused it -- global warming -- as temperatures rose quickly to 90 degrees F coupled with high winds.

This affects us all.  From the emotional to the practical.  There are many opportunities available to help these people who have lost everything they owned in a matter of minutes.

Smack in the middle of the evacuation, TWO BABIES were born en route.  To answer the question:  Do April Showers Bring May Flowers?  We can only hope.

B U T.....here's your smile for the day.  My 4-year-old grandson (dark blue shirt) at his school dance.  When he "saves" the little girl from falling, do you think he had an ulterior motive?


I am quite certain that my fellow bloggers will have lighter, happier posts to share with you this month than this one was -- so have a look and hopefully a laugh or two.

Baking In A Tornado
Southern Belle Charm
Not That Sarah Michelle
Spatulas on Parade
The Bergham Chronicles
The Diary of an Alzheimer's Caregiver
Dinosaur Superhero Mommy
My Brain on Kids
The Lieber Family Blog
Climaxed
Confessions of a part-time working mom
The Angrivated Mom





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