end of an era

I had to post again because of today's recent headlines in the backcountry. As I relaxed in my leather club chair this afternoon with Mr. Apple and a gingerale, I noticed the familiar sounds of fire trucks close by. This isn't anything out of the usual because I live so close to the volunteer fire / rescue dept.; but today I kept hearing sirens...closer and closer. I noticed loud trucks going past my house, finally I got annoyed and peered out the window...the site I saw was literally "burned" in my memory.

The Enoree School, which is located here in the backcountry on my street--"School Street" burned today. An inferno of flames engulfed the old building sending green smoke and debris into the air above the neighbors' roofs. I stood on my front porch and felt the heat against my face and legs...wondering why all the bystanders would want to get any closer. Then I remembered I'm in the backcountry. My neighbor shouted, "Ain't this something? This is the biggest thing to hit Enoree in a while!" I'm thinking to myself, it's really disheartening--watching this piece of history burn to the ground, and there's nothing I can do to stop it--all I can do is watch the blaze from my own home and be thankful that it didn't reach our houses.
I watched the school burn for almost half and hour before I saw any sign of water being tossed onto the flames. Dozens of community / volunteer fire departments rushed to the scene (as you can imagine) all 500 of them, literally. All scrambling about, running this way and that--not quite sure where they were going or what they were doing because this was a little different from their Friday night brushfires...this was all out BACKDRAFT. I remember, vaguely, when our high school burned down--people watching in awe, clumsy firemen desperately trying to remember which way to screw the wrench on the fire hydrant that is so rarely used. The Master's truck was parked on the street, and I of course being the observant citizen, noticed a hydrant near the rear of his vehicle. I politely moved the truck into our drive because I knew momentarily there would be a flood of fire trucks fighting for the next available hydrant. Dolly and I sat on the porch watching the smoke plummet above our bungalow town...and seconds later, another volunteer fire truck pulled in and raced to find that hydrant. All the while I was concerned with getting my vehicle out of the way the neighbors and bystanders were pulling their cars and trucks in the way. I had to remind myself that most people don't "think" when a crisis occurs.
I called to tell the Master and then took Dolly and myself inside to escape the lead paint and esbestus fumes coming from the old building's smoke.
And here I am typing to you fine folks...yes, it's the end of an era. No more Brownie girl scout troop meetings, or pool table fun in the summertime, bowling in the afternoon, or birthday parties in the basement.

I'll post the only photo I got of the event soon, my camera "died" as soon as I clicked the shutter as did the school.