Sauratown Mountain; from Moore's Knob, Hanging Rock State Park, Danbury, NC.

Sauratown Mountain is off in the distance - the mountain with the red lights illuminating the
antennaes. Last week, a fire broke out on the mountain and burned over 300 acres. It was a relief
to hear that the fire did not spread into Hanging Rock State Park, one of my favorite places, a
place I where I have hiked and climbed and camped and loved for nearly 40 years. Good memories.

In the scheme of all things, fires are insignificant events. The rocks are over 500 million-years-
old, and in their time these mountains rivaled some of the highest on our present earth. From our
human perspective, however, a forest fire can really seem to mess things up.

I expect these mountains will be around for a while longer, and trees grow well
and quickly in the Carolinas.