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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MiguelATF" data-source="post: 397477" data-attributes="member: 4648">In Southern Oregon where I have lived for three decades, a bike path runs along the 'greenway' - a beautiful forested area adjacent to a small local river, Bear Creek - for miles and miles, connecting most of the local towns and cities. The part of the bicycle path which runs between Talent (the town where I live) and Ashland, to the south (where I lived formerly), spans approximately 4 to 5 miles (6.5 to 8 kilometers, give or take) - and I've ridden along it in summer, spring, fall and winter - hundreds and possibly thousands of times over the years. A little more than a month ago, much of it burned, in an apocalyptic conflagaration which started as a small fire but was driven by powerful winds, and further fueled by what now most thoughtful humans attribute to the extended (and more and more deadly) 'fire seasons', exacerbated by global warming.Over the last several weeks, crews have been downing and felling and partially clearing the burned trees - of the forested areas through which the bike path snakes its way.  This morning - a cool November day - I rode my bicycle along my favorite route which I have ridden so many times before.  What I saw and experienced was... stunning.  I'm taking the unusual liberty of attaching two instead of one Day-to-Day photos, since the subject merits it. The greenway was always, well, very green - but now the visible rich greenery is no more.[ATTACH=full]239668[/ATTACH]Going through it, one has to believe that much of what was burned, will come back in one or another way, over the coming years.  What was truly surprising to me is - with the trees, bushes and thick vegetation literally burned to nothingness - with often only charred tree skeletons remaining - one can see the contours of the land much more clearly - the ups and down, the declivities and small hilly rises - which have never been visible before.[ATTACH=full]239667[/ATTACH]I feel fortunate to be able to bike along here again, even with the altered landscape.  Somehow, for us bipeds who are part of the fauna, as well as for the immensely varied flora... existence - and life - goes on.</blockquote>

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