I was born and raised in beautiful, lush, wet and green Ohio. Just a
skip and hop away was the largest Amish/Mennonite community in the
United States. Holmes, Tuscarawas and Wayne counties, primarily. The
groups are Old Order, New Order, Swartzentruber, Amish-Mennonite,
Mennonite and more. While the Amish are a major tourist attraction,
there are also great fishing and boating lakes, wonderful parks, easy
access to cultural opportunities, world class zoos and amusement parks.
Lets not forget History- settlement communities, archeological dig
areas, early canal travels and more. Ohios slogan used to be "Ohio-the
heart of it all". In many ways it still is that. Both an industrial
and agricultural biggie, Ohio plays a large part in the economy of the
country. Needless to say, I love Ohio.
Ohio is also a place that
tornados frequent, blizzards are well known, power-outages and floods
are common enough that most people are fairly blase' about them.
Contrast
that to Colorado, my current home. High-desert mountains, where skiing
and hiking take advantage of the over mile high areas. River and lake
fishing is good, and the easy way to tell a visitor to the state are the
altitude-sickness symptoms. Headache, tiredness and lack of appetite.
Colorado is a home to cowboys, elk and moose, bears and mountain
lions. People here think nothing of driving a couple hours to go to the
mall. And 60 mph winds are considered "gusty". Even with all the
snow here, we never have enough water. Our water, by centuries old
contract, goes to Texas, California, Arizona. Our grass is rarely
green, unless artificially watered. Usually the color is a greenish
brown. Sagebrush, taking the form of tumbleweeds bounce even into the
city. The sun shines approximately 350 days per year here. In the
summer it can reach the low 100's. With next to no humidity, it doesnt
feel that hot. And in the winter, 10 below is common, with the wind
chills factored in to feel like 40 below.
The thing that
is feared most here is fire. Once it catches, the ever-present winds
take it and run. The terrain of the mountains can make it hard to
battle, and so many of us out here have built our homes into the woods,
where a strong fire can take them in one gust. There is currently a
fire of over 4000 acres burning. It has taken at least 2 dozen homes.
Two people have died, and one is missing. There are over 500
firefighters on the job, battling this now for 4 days. As of this
morning, only 10 to 15 percent is contained.
What I would give for
the green and water from Ohio. And yet, Colorado has a beauty unlike
anyplace else. It is a state of constant surprise, from tiny towns with
amazing museums, to ancient dwellings. Adobe churches and homes in
various state of disrepair, and modern structures that would look in
place back east in the capitol cities.
I find myself so grateful for the opportunities Ive had to see so
much of the world. To see the beauty of such diverse areas, and yet
Ive also realised that nothing is as good as home. No matter where home
is, its always wonderful to get back. Something about the security of
being with our own things, the comfort of familiarity.
Keep those who are affected by the fires in your hearts, and look
around at your own "comfort and security". Have a wonderful day!
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