Wednesday, July 09, 2014

Reflections on writing this Blog (2 of 2)

In late June into early July 2008, I was on vacation in rural northern New England, and away from easy access to the internet. I was slowly starting to get back into writing articles for this blog. I wasn't sure what direction my writing would go, but I kept writing anyway. I spent some time each day listening to the news on National Public Radio when one day I recall hearing reports on the Basin Complex Fire that was then burning in the Big Sur area of Southern California. Each day more reports followed and for reasons that are still hard to articulate, I found myself getting interested in wildfires. I knew when I returned from vacation that I would write about the Basin Complex Fire.

My first article on wildfires, on the Basin Complex Fire, was six years ago today, July 9, 2008. And I was hooked, I had entered a new world. I knew that I had a lot to learn. The best way I can describe those first few months of writing about wildfires was that I was taking my few readers along with me as I learned about the world of wildland firefighting.

By late December 2008, I was still interested in wildland firefighting and wanted to keep writing about wildland firefighting. I had an awareness that aerial resources were used in wildland firefighting, but knew no specifics. The problem was  that I was approaching the end of what I could easily do on my own. In early to mid-January of 2009 I met a new friend who knew about aerial wildland firefighting from the inside. My friend introduced tohis world of aerial wildland fire firefighting and spent a lot of time teaching me including many e-mails and sending me a lot of information that I soaked up. A couple of weeks after I met my new friend, I wrote my first articles on aerial wildland firefighting. Over the course of the next few months I continued to write about aerial wildland firefighting and I continued to learn. I met a few more people in the business. I continued to learn and I continued to write. I am eternally grateful to those in the business that I met those first several months that I was writing about aerial wildland firefighting, they made those first several months easier as I continued to learn and gain confidence.

My new friends introduced me to the world of aerial wildland firefighting and helped me wade through various websites where I could find information, introducing me to some sources of good and reliable information on wildland fires in the U.S. and elsewhere and I met more people knowledgeable about aerial wildland firefighting. They answered my questions and we chatted by e-mail while I watched live streams of major wildfires out west. They send me information that I would not otherwise easily find on the internet.  I am still in touch with many of those who helped me early on as well as some I met later, they continue to answer my questions and send me information. Thanks to all of you who helped me early on as well those I met later. My blog is better for knowing all of you wonderful people.

I still continue to learn. 

A brief but heartfelt thanks to my Grandfather who was aeronautical engineer. I think that I got the "airplane gene" from him. Grandpa, I know that you are smiling down on me as you fly in favorable tail winds.


Saving the best and most important for last, I'd like to thank all of you who read my blog. Without you none of this is possible.

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