quote of the day

The Democrats are the party that says government will make you smarter, taller, richer, and remove the crabgrass on your lawn. The Republicans are the party that says government doesn't work and then they get elected and prove it. --P. J. O'Rourke

firemen

Since I've been a volunteer firefighter for a few months I guess I should introduce the cast of characters that play out this drama of keeping lives and property safe in our community. I'll be featuring various people over the next few weeks. Above on the left is John Shafer. He's my neighbor (he lives about 1 mile away as the crow flies). He's retired and occupies his time shoeing horses when he's not responding to fires. Sitting next to him is James Rector, he went to school with my daughter Kelly. (most of the firefighters grew up with my two girls) He owns a store next to Barren Fork Creek and it has become a place to meet fellow firemen, have coffee, and visit. He also processes deer meat during hunting season. We are a diverse group of men, each one adding his own unique abilities to the mix, building a rural volunteer fire department that the community can be proud of.

quote of the day

When the habitually even-tempered suddenly fly into a passion, that explosion is apt to be more impressive than the outburst of the most violent amongst us.
-- Margery Allingham, Death of a Ghost, 1934

Jenna Grace at rest.

dorothy's birthday

Yesterday was Dorothy's birthday and last night I took her out to dinner at Sam's Club. We walked hand in hand through the frozen food section pausing at each station manned by senior citizens anxious to offer us their delectable morsels. Dorothy lingered near the fresh fruit cups while I gravitated toward the deep fried quesadillas awash with melted cheese and grease.
I was just being facetious. We did go to Sam's but with the baby being born and all the fire calls I've been on we just didn't have time to celebrate her birthday until tonight. We went to the Echota House, an old house with two fireplaces that has been turned into a restaurant. Dorothy had the prime rib, and I tried the buffalo and quail. A delicious meal that came with hot rolls and baked potatoes loaded with sour cream, cheese, and bacon bits.
So now we're back home getting comfortable and hoping the fire pager doesn't go off.

more photos

Dorothy holds Jenna and at bottom, Hunter and Marley check out baby sister.

it's a girl!

The newest member of our family arrived today. Our daughter Kelly gave birth to Jenna Grace Keys. 7lbs. 130z.

Kelly has plenty of company when they're not all at the nursery looking at the baby.

one more time!

Fire trucks are lined up along the highway on Proctor Hill. We'd been anticipating a fire call all day what with 87 degrees and very dry grass. After the sun went down I though we were home free, but at 6:45 the pager went off. We sent three trucks and 6 firefighters. We were assisted by Westville and Welling.

After the fire we catch our breath and rehydrate.

Back at the station Roy fills the tanker with water.

The crew responding from Christie station: Top: Roy Johnson, Eddie Benham, and Mike Wolf. Below: At left, me.

pray for rain!

Those readers who believe in the power of prayer, please mention NE Oklahoma. We are in bad need of rain. Our landscape is beginning to resemble southern California.
We've responded four times in the last three days to the same wildland fire. If I've been unattentive to this blog, this is the reason why. I was out to midnight last night fighting this fire and now we're at it again today. The two trucks are perched at the edge of a ridge ready to defend houses from an advancing flame. I took the other photo on the way. You can see the fire truck behind us through the sideview mirror.

quote of the day

The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.
--John Stuart Mill