Monday, July 7, 2008

Guess it is your values


"Lane 2" firefighters dig into ice cream cones that the Crown King General Store gave them Thursday and Saturday.

http://www.dcourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=56943


A sense of euphoria is taking hold in Crown King as residents return and express their gratitude to firefighters for saving their homes and historic business district.

Residents are adding their names to a huge thank-you sign, and the Crown King General Store is handing out ice cream to firefighters.

Firefighters also are returning the favors.

Some Navajo firefighters made fry bread for everyone at The Mill Restaurant Saturday night.

J.D. Vigil of the Sacramento Hotshot team from the Lincoln National Forest in New Mexico - home of Smokey Bear -carved a huge bear out of a stump with his chainsaw and gave it to Crown King store owners Ben and Carol Boles.

It looks perfect in front of the store, Carol Boles said after the Hot Shot team lifted it into place.

Firefighters even replaced the U.S. flag Sunday on top of what locals call Flag Mountain, she said.

"They've just been absolutely wonderful," Boles said of the firefighters. "To have that bad of a fire and have only four homes burn, it's just amazing. We're proud of them.

"It's just been an extremely moving experience for us."

The Boles' home is on the south side of town and at one point they thought they lost it.

"I just hope other people learn from this," she said.

The Boles' store and the two restaurants in town have been serving meals to the firefighters, and that's a huge economic aid to them, Boles said.

She and her husband have been working 16-hour days to help feed the firefighters lunch, but she's not complaining.

"It's been kind of fun and exciting," she said. Her husband and son-in-law worked 36 hours straight when they first reopened Monday.

She returned Wednesday and was saddened to see the scorched land along the steep, winding main road up from Cleator.

But then she was heartened to see that pine trees still line the road after it crosses what locals call the Magic Bridge, where the landscape turns from high desert to alpine forest.

"It's even more magical now because the transition is so dramatic," Cole said.

Flames still were visible near the store when she was working earlier this week.

"It was very, very scary," Boles said.

The Mill will go on with its annual "Wine in the Pines" event featuring wine, appetizers and music on July 26, said Cole, whose realty company sponsors the event to benefit the Mesa Crisis Center. People can get updates at www.crownkingaz.com.

And the Crown King Saloon is planning a re-opening celebration, said Crown King Saloon owner Dawn Colt. People can get updates at www.crownkingsaloon.com.

Colt and her husband were among four families who lost their homes on the southern fringes of town, but she's glad that the new home they're building survived.

They already have found a rental home to use for a few months until they finish their new place.
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O K--You will say I'm going off on a tangent.
Yes, Indeed I am.

I saw this photo and thought:
THAT (PICK ANY ONE OF THEM )IS THE KIND OF GIRL I'D LIKE TO KNOW.

Firefighting is now like any other Safety Service. If a woman wants to be a (Name Emergency or police service), due to Trial Attorneys, Liability, and potential serious injury to their partners, women must measure up and pass the Fitness and Agility/Ability tests.

What I'm seeing in this picture are women who are able to go out and fight fires for 12 hours at a stretch. They can endure that labor, wearing the heavy Nomex suits in 90-100 degree heat, and still keep going.

Yet, I see no "Boob jobs" here, NO perfect Maybelline make-up, or any expensive jewelry hanging upon their persons.

YET--To me, these women are BEAUTIFUL. I pick them over Angelina Jolie ANY DAY!

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