Sway

Better...lol.

That sunset gave way to a star filled sky. We relaxed on the steps, catching glimpses of shooting stars and making wishes to the heavens. Her breath was warm against my ear.

"You're cold," she whispered.

"Not really," I replied.

How could I be, with her arms around me tight and our heated love between us?

But she wasn't convinced and she took my hand and led me to the fire pit. Moments later, we swayed to the dance of the flame. Again, the flames enthralled me.

The brighter the flame, the less stars above. A small sacrifice for the warmth, the visions, the trance and the sway.

Its in her arms that I am me.

In Flames

It wasn't so much sensual as it was seductive. That slow dance that pulls you in. It can drown you in the colors, the brightness, the heat, and as if it knows, it enthralls you. My eyes are warm and my skin stills feels the heat. But the mighty chill in the air broke the trance.



I couldn't deny it, I wanted to touch it so bad. Like cotton candy, I imagine its sweet scent is how it feels. But the embers betray you, only in the slightest way. Its like a woman - a moving, living, breathing masterpiece - the way it moves and pulls you in.





And the taste is still in the air. That smoke so sweet and thick that chases you from your view. And that flame, it tried to escape my lens. But I was up for the hunt and stalked it like an imaginary lover immersed in a strange fantasy that only the stalker understands.







Captured but not as beautiful as the live show. It begs to be set free. Even in its slow burn.

More excitement!

Today...me and J went down to Pueblo's. Its a little Mexican place with great food and a cool atmosphere. We ate a perfect meal and were walking back to the car when I saw something that just didn't look right. I stopped J and made her look too.

"Holy shit!" she said as we both stood and stared.

In the parking lot, behind our truck, there was a minivan on fire. Flames were shooting from the hood and dancing across the windshield. Smoke was clogging the streets around us. We stayed back and watched while we waited, and waited, and waited for the fire trucks to show up. One of the guys that worked at Pueblo's walked by and said, "I can't believe the fire trucks aren't here yet. The station is behind that building."
He pointed to the building that was behind the lot where we were parked.

The cop was there though. Umm...in South Florida, the police carry fire extinguishers in their cars. I guess that cops up here don't. Because if he did have one, he could have put it out before it got so bad.

So...after about fifteen minutes, the fire department showed up. By this time, the entire front of the vehicle was completely engulfed. It was like watching a bloopers show. The fireman pulled the hoses from the truck and made a tangled mess. When they finally got to the front of the van, he turned on the hose and nothing happened. He followed the hose back and found that one of the connections was leaking. Now there is two more fire trucks and all of them were standing around watching these guys struggle with the hose. Finally, after the windshield melted and the interior began to catch fire, the guys started spraying it with the water. All the owner of the vehicle could do was stand there and watch. I felt bad for the guy.

When the flames were finally out, I walked up to the cop and asked if I could back our truck out of the lot. I figured that the further away our truck was from the firefighters, the better. He agreed to let me.
On the way home, J starts laughing. "I can't believe those people were driving by that. The flames were shooting out across the street."
"I still can't figure out why the cop didn't redirect traffic," I shrugged. At one point, a propane truck drove by it. The burning van was less than three feet from the passing traffic. "I can't believe it took so long for the fire trucks."
J laughed again. "I know. The fire department is really only fifty feet away from where the fire was."
A few months ago, I told J that I wanted to be a firefighter. Even if it was just volunteer. "See, I told you that I should join the fire department. I would have been there and had that out even if I had to jog to it. Hey, can you hand me my smokes?" I pointed to where they were.
"Uh, you wanna smoke after seeing that?"

A few minutes later, we were home. J's dad is home and J starts explaining the excitement. Then they both started looking at me like I had clown makeup on or something.
"What?" I asked.
Mick smiles and J starts shaking her head. "I'm staying away from you. The other night, you called me to tell me the woods were on fire and now, I take you to dinner and a van is on fire. Ten feet from our truck."
I put my hands in the air and swore it had nothing to do with me. But maybe...just maybe, its a sign that I should be a firefighter.

The excitement!

We live with J's dad (temporarily) and he has 8 beautiful acres of wooded land on the side of this mountain. Neighbors aren't very close. We can burn whatever we want and shoot our guns in the backyard and there's no complaints. Hell, if your shooting, the neighbors join in.

Tonight, I'm alone at the house. J is at her aunts house (right down the road. In fact, most of her family lives on this road.), Mick (J's dad) is at his girlfriends house, and Rock...well, I don't know. Not my turn to watch him. I fixed some sloppy Joe's and pretty much have been just chilling out with the animals.

Its been pretty cold all day and the threat of rain has been just that...a threat. It was starting to get dark and I decided I was going to take a ride to the store to grab some smokes (no I haven't quit yet) before it got pitch black. I walked out of the door and froze. Behind the house, the top ridge of the mountain was on fire. FIRE!

My first thought...someone is burning something. No big deal. But then I remembered that the dogs were howling at the sirens I had heard a few minutes before. Hmmm....maybe I should investigate. If there is a fire, I have a lot of animals to evacuate...including a pet raccoon that is vicious.

I call J at her aunts house and ask if she had seen where the fire engines had gone. (The road makes a big U and she was on the other side where the fire was.)

J: No why?
me: Umm...there's a really big fire behind the house. I was about to leave and I didn't know if I should.
J: (talking to her aunt) She says there is a big fire behind the house.
aunt: Ran (her husband) said that Mr. D (our neighbor, just over the mountain) was burning something earlier but no one was out there watching it.
J: (to me) Where are you going anyway?
me: Just to the store. So, is it cool? Can I leave, or should I go check it out?
J: Rita's gonna call around and see if its okay. I'll call you back.
me: Okay.

Its true, most of her family lives on this road. Mr. D isn't related. At least I don't think he is. But she had another family member that lives just over the hill. (Her family is huge.) I got bored waiting, so I climbed up the mountain to get a better look.

That fire...way out of control. I lived on the edge of the Everglades all my life and seen it get scorched many, many times. I've seen small fires turn into infernos in a matter of seconds. This fire, although not as big, was definitely getting too close for comfort and spreading. I made it to the peak and there were firefighters all over the place. Small fires everywhere. I heard them digging in the ground with their shovels and shouting out orders to each other. It was dark, I couldn't really see the men but one by one I watched the smaller fires being put out by the shadows. It looked like they had it under control.

Now, I made a big mistake. I walked up the mountain, in the woods, in the dark without a damn flashlight. Honestly, I had gotten lost up there in broad daylight on a four wheeler last year when we were visiting and had to call Mick so he could signal me the way home. It wasn't funny, but Mick makes sure to pick on me about it every chance he gets. Anyhow, I watched them put out the fires closest to our house then turned around and realized, I couldn't see the path.

Thank God for my dogs. I made a few wrong turns and got tangled in them damn briars a few times, but I followed their barks and howls home.

The phone was ringing when I walked in the door.
J: I've been trying to call. Rita says that the fire trucks are at Mr. D's.
me: No shit. I just saw them. They are all over the place.
She relayed what I said to Rita.
me: Since the fire trucks have it covered, I'm going to the store.
J: (laughing) If you are scared, I'll come home.
I'm thinking, what part of "I'm going to the store" sounds like I'm scared?
me: Umm...nope. I'm cool. I'm going to the store.
J: Alright. But if you want me to come home...
I had to laugh. She lived with me in South Florida. She's been with me to see the fire in the Glades. Fire = no big deal.
me: Uhh, nah. Really, I'm cool and I'm going to the store.

I had to reassure her several more times before she actually let me hang up the phone. God, I love her.

Well, when I got back from the store I grabbed a flashlight and walked half way up the mountain. I stopped when came close to running into the firefighters. I figured they didn't need me in the way. (I really wanted to help. I thought it would help me get my adrenaline fix.) All was good so I went back down to the house.

Fire is out and J is home. And this is the most excitement that has happened around here since we moved here. I think its time to trick out the four wheeler and make a track with some jumps. Real excitement.

How much do you wanna bet that this fire will be the talk of the town tomorrow?