Ablaze & The Heart of The Matter

The mountains that line the northern boundaries of Los Angeles have been ablaze for several days now. Great grey plumes float in the sky, coloring the sky with a pinky-golden glow. The ash began to fall last night. A thick blanket of feathery ash lay atop our valley. Even as I type this, the glow keeps increasing, the white linen curtains have gone from grey to vermillion in seconds. My gut keeps whispering, just stay inside.

It has been stifling hot. The air is thick and colored and ominous. The cottage feels each season with intensity. Winter storms blow through thin windows and doors. Spring comes alive inside the cottage. Summer, especially late summer can hit the cottage with a great, hot force. It is usually hotter inside than out in the garden...

Yet, as mountains blaze and loved ones  are displaced, this appeared on the cottage floor. It is a heart, sneaking in through the wet towels on the curtain rods. The heart of the matter.