OK, here's some of the saddest news I've ever had to share. One of the most violent series of fires seen in North Central Washington is still burning and in the last week it hit the Methow place -- more than once.
Right now Keith, Jann and their friend Chuck are without power (they are saying it might be 30 days until it's restored), water or sleep. They're getting up in shifts to ride the perimeter of the ranch to look for flare ups. Nonetheless, they plan to stay and ride it out and slog through the recovery.
First off, the main farmhouse and G'pa Hole's shop/garage, where he kept his cars, were spared and all of the animals are safe.
But G'pa Hole's workshop is gone, along with all of his wonderful handmade tools and gadgets and his John Deere tractor. The fire spread from there to the brand new garage built by Keith. Most of the vehicles were rescued but G'pa Hole's Jaguar, the one Keith had completely restored, was destroyed. Also in the new building was quite a bit of stored furniture and other household items, much of it antiques from Jann's grandmother. It is all gone.
It looks like the fire burned the rangeland above the main farm as well as the gully on the north end of the pastures. It destroyed many of the mature pines at the bottom of the rimrock and some of deer fence poles.
It looks like it took many of the new horse fencing posts too, and all of the fruit trees on the west side of the horse paddocks. Some were new, we planted them over the last few years, and a few were heritage trees from G'pa and G'ma Hole.
The fire destroyed the well house near the river and everything on the west of the highway. The cabins we have been working to restore and expand are gone, the dozens and dozens of trees we planted to re-landscape that section are dead and the worker's bathhouse and funky old outhouse were burned.
The whole thing is heartbreaking. Keith and Jann have worked so hard to bring the place back up to working farm glory and it's certain that the last thing they thought they'd be doing at this state in their retirement is starting from scratch.
It's too early to tell the total damage or what work needs to be done, what insurance will cover and how long it will take to feel whole again. But we wanted to update everyone on where we are now.
