fire on the mountain....run, boy, run

Figured I'd give you folks some updates on two interrelated topics of concern at the ranch...fires and mountain lions.

The California wildfires continue to burn and the staff continues to pray that the Lord will send rain upon this place. While we aren't in any real danger of the fires, we have been impacted greatly by the smoke. It makes everyone have sort throats and is causing lots of sinus problems, as well as impacting some of our hiking activities and what not. Please join with our staff as we ask the Lord to bring rain to this dry clime and put out the fires.

Because of this, we are seeing lots more deer and wildlife than usual as these animals are being displaced by the fires. Most notably, a family of mountain lions has taken up apparent residence about ten yards north of the Green Bean. Last friday night, two staff girls spotted them (two adult lions, 4 babies) as they walked home and then last night, Matt, one of the boy staffers was out for his nightly run at dusk when he heard something stir beside him and looked over to see one of the adult mountain lions a few feet to his left. He ran to the Green Bean (which caused a bit of a stir) and called the front desk to alert everyone. Again, I don't think there is any real danger....we now have men in golf carts driving us home at night to the Bean and no one is allowed to wander by themselves at night...but it was sort of exciting to have "mountain lion survival training" at lunch today.

The pictures above are of the California wildfires from 25,000 feet. Photo credits: Scott Booth...as he flew his fighter jet over California on his Transpac journey from North Carolina to Japan.