TRAVELING LIFE'S HIGHWAY

We continue to explore the surrounding areas.  The other day we went to Pinetop/Lakeside.  The views are breathtaking.  It is a quaint mountain town.  All of the business's are tucked into the pines and everything is soo rustic. This is home to the White Mountain Apache Reservation.  Naturally, there is a casino.  It too fits into the landscape without being obtrusive. Hubby made a donation but eventually came away a winner.  I spent my time curled up in a comfy chair in a sunny courtyard reading - I am not much of a gambler. Casinos are casinos but the first thing I noticed were the ashtrays everywhere and the smell of smoke.  It's been quite a while since I've walked into any public place and smelled smoke.


Speaking of smoke we have had a couple of days of smokey air  from a fire nearby.  It is so dry here  they have closed some of the county roads to everybody except for homeowners.  I spotted a sign on the highway the other day.  It was a very professional sign posted outside a business.  It read

  FIRE IS AT EXTREME DANGER POINT

   DO NOT EVEN FART IN THE FOREST

I am not kidding.  It made us laugh but also made us think about how devastating those fires can be.  About ten years ago there was a huge fire not far from here and a whole town was decimated.  We've been up close and personal to forest fires and you cannot believe how quickly a whole hillside can go up in flames with just a spark.  It's like watching a Hollywood movie except it's real and very frightening. We and everybody else are keeping fingers crossed for some monsoonal moisture.  


See you later for more Aimless Ramblings