Elk Hideaway

Elk HideawayElk Hideaway was our home lost in the Oregon Road Fire of August 18, 2023.  This is a watercolor painting of it from what pictures I could find. The finished painting reminds me of the peace surrounding our forest home, before.

Step one painting Elk HideawayOur hideaway was a DIY house that we designed and built, my husband and myself. We did most of the work ourselves over 5-years, which is probably why the loss is so hard to settle. Painting this portrait begins with a light wash background and the structure surfaces placed in light yellows.

Step two painting Elk Hideaway Next, the shadows and brown pigment are added to the structure along with a little foreground highlighting in the painting.

Step three painting Elk HideawayMore darkening on the structure begins to show more of the detail.

Step four painting Elk HideawayI add light wash coats to the foreground and background which seem to start to bring it to life.

Step five painting Elk HideawayThe final touch is dropping a beautiful blue skyline over the rooftop. Fini! I get a feeling that everything will be alright.

Our new house is almost ready for the basement slab to be poured. So, we look forward to having a home by the end of summer, hopefully. All of the trees are gone now so we now have wide-open views of all the neighbors and the far-away mountain ranges. But, the neighborhood consensus is, that we all feel kind of naked without our trees. Their beautiful shapes and colors with all of the wildlife were daily inspirations. We miss the trees so very much, but maybe it is the privacy they gave us that we miss the most.

Wildfire Destroys

house fire debris 2023A wildfire destroys everything you are familiar with so fast. On August 18th of 2023, a home full of lifetime accomplishments and accumulation disappeared. We had 20 minutes to get out. See a more detailed description of that day at this post.

Home before the fireMoving On

This beautiful house was gone. Grief over loss can get you down, making it hard to move forward. Or, it can inspire you to search for what’s left that is good today. The only thing you can do is stay in the present to keep your sanity.
Kubota Tractor melted Here is a picture of our melted Kubota tractor parked in front of the house. Wildfires (Oregon Road Wildfire in Elk) quickly simplify your life. Reducing to an overnight bag, suitcases, and a few boxes is a lesson in humility. It is peculiar how the missing “stuff” begins to matter less and less as time goes by. The sting of the loss decreases with time.caterpillar in front of garage debris

It is a journey we slowly walk, towards an unknown destination. Having much less is fine after all. Don’t get me wrong, there are times when my memory shows me…  Grandpa’s clock ticking and announcing the hours. I can see it in the dining room and notice a tear leaving my eye. Look at this picture of the garage debris with the old caterpillar parked in front.

1872 Apple PressMemories pop up randomly. My piano. and my Mom’s music book that we played duets together so long ago. The many photographs of our family, children as babies, parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins are all gone. Trophies, ribbons, heirloom linens, and that wonderful apple cider press. Okay, I am sure you get the picture.

Silence

I have quit sharing my stories and thoughts on these blogs during the past nine months. What could I say? I don’t want to share negativity with no solutions. Many survivors after the fire have taken to airing daily frustrations and publicly comparing notes on who did what to whom. It doesn’t help anyone. If I don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all. Remember those sayings?

Wildfire destroys, but it may also have some good effects too. I don’t think I will collect as much stuff this time and maybe I will appreciate more. There is now a light at the end of the tunnel, so, buckle your seatbelts and hold on for a ride. The writer is back and so is the artist.