Texas is Burning Down

Picture Taken 9/6/2011

While we’re over here on the east coast putting up with days on end of rain, Texas is slowly burning down. Recent arrivals from the state reported 115 degree weather and little fires everywhere on the road. Part of Scarborough Faire burnt down – The Junk (where we hung out on site and ordered food, drank beer, and listened to local musicians) is no more, along with severl booths that happened to be near it. One person died in that fire – Will, “The Pickle Guy.” I have yet to hear the details of his death.

Parts of “Toon Town” – a well-known part of the TRF (Texas Rennaisance Faire) campground – are gone, including several semi-permanent houses there. Ryan has a house in Toon Town and he’s been checking regularly on the status of the fires there. So far as I know, his house is fine, along with his home forge.

I heard that already, over one thousand homes have burnt to the ground, leaving one thousand families without a place to return to. Thousands more have evacuated, waiting in angst for the fire to burn out without anymore damages done. I have yet to get ahold of the family we stayed with in Scarborough, to see how they and their ranch are faring. Perhaps they’ve evacuated, too???

And while Texas is burning down, parts of New York are flooding due to the hurricane down south. The hurricane is pushing a huge storm system right up against the side of the Appalachian Mountains, the worst of it headed straight for New York. The Tuxedo Ren Faire shut down and evacuated about a week ago (this being Sept. 9th when this post was actually written), and I’m concerned about my friends who were trying to start a booth up there. Did they actually make it? Did they have to evacuate? Where are they now?

Until I learn more, or all of this crazy weather blows over, I keep my friends and fellow transients in my thoughts and prayers. Stay safe, you guys.

Peace.