Hi all, Many of you will remember the fight we had here with grass fires last February and March. I stayed packed and ready to leave at any moment day or night. I also got little sleep for watching the skies, even at night. Fires burned thousands of acres in my county alone. We even made the national news. Well, we had *record rainfall* this February and just about floated away (my gravel driveway is now in front of my neighbors' house :< ), but I never complained because it was better than worrying if I would become a "crispy critter". Well, I thought that all that rain would spare me and the fuzzies the worry about fires this year....I WAS WRONG!!! It hasn't rained in a couple of weeks and I guess the wind and sun have just dried everything out again. There is a huge fire right this moment only 3 miles from me, and the wind is up today. There were at least three fires (smoke visible from my house) yesterday. I saw military helicopters even hauling water to drop on those fires. So it looks like we are in for more of the same as last year unless we get some more rain quick. In case you don't know, I am in Texas, kinda near the Ft. Worth/Dallas area. I am also surrounded by wilderness! We won't hang around if a fire gets close, there would be no way to fight it off, too much dry brush and trees and such. So I guess it's time to pack up supplies again just in case we have to leave in a hurry. (It'll be quite interesting if I have to cram 42 fuzz-butts into a pickup and hurry outa here.) I am also seriously considering buying a scanner to stay up to the minute on the local fires. I just hate to spend that money if it is going to rain tomorrow or the next day...we'll see. I am driving down the road every few hours today to keep an eye on this big one closest to me today. It is a good thing I work for myself and my schedule is flexible or I'd have to quit my job to stay home and watch the fires and protect the fuzzy-kids. I only have to go out for a couple of hours to work this afternoon, so that's not too bad. Kisses to the fuzzies, Trish Director, Ferrets First Rescue & Shelter [Posted in FML issue 1880]