“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead
It's been a dark week in Oregon--literally. Thick smoke has blocked the sun and clogged the air, keeping us all inside and praying for rain. Well, not all of us.
Breitenbush Resort is a magical place dotted with hot springs, set deep in a dense forest next to a rushing river. It's place where "...in communion with untrammeled nature and the free air, the narrowing tendencies of an artificial and petty existence might be perceived and corrected, and the spirit enlarged and strengthened.” (Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court John B. Waldo, writing in the 1880s.) And I was sure it was gone. Detroit, the nearest small town had been completely destroyed, and the fire map showed the wildfire right on top of Breitenbush.
But when the community evacuated, two men stayed behind. Armed with garden hoses, sprinklers, and shovels, they fought to save as much as they could. The next day they were joined by three men from Port Townsend, WA, about 250 miles north. And as the fire raged all around them, that small group of committed citizens saved Breitenbush's historic buildings. Pretty damn amazing.
You can read the story here.