Yesterday morning, I was able to look toward the rising sun without any negative effects on my eyes. As a matter of fact, I was able to look directly at it and take a picture with my camera without any side effects, which is not normally the case. But when it comes to weather, the new norms are here. With shorter, warmer winters and longer, warmer summers, the fire season now plays a dangerous role. Every summer, we wait to see which community will be affected by the fire season, all while wondering if it will be our turn this year. We learned about Jasper and its community being devastated by powerful winds that blew the wildfire into the town. Our hearts went out to the people. After evacuating, they, like everyone else, learned about and saw the devastation caused by the out-of-control wildfire.
Yesterday afternoon in Banff, as rain arrived after a few weeks of above-normal temperatures, we were happy with the moisture but worried about the lightning that accompanied it. We were reassured by the helicopter taking to the air after the lightning passed, ready to catch any wildfire that might have started. This would give time to prepare and fight it if needed.
This is also the new norm that goes through our minds, alongside the new norms for weather. Living in the mountains, the topic of wildfires is always on our minds and is a frequent topic of discussion. Trails that used to be an escape from a troubled mind and a troubled world are now also a reminder of what is happening to the environment around us.
I took these pictures while ashes were falling on me from a wildfire far away. The Sun, which has been around for five billion years, has changed very little on the surface. Earth, which has been around for 4.5 billion years, has. And it's changing even faster today. But, like the Sun rising in this picture behind all the smoke, once the wildfires are gone, the heart of Jasper and its people will rise and rebuild, as we humans have done so many times before. And I hope to visit soon after on one of the most beautiful drives in the world.
