March Hints at Spring in Ukraine--Fire!

During the past several weeks winter snows have melted away and the western Ukraine landscape reveals the residual effects of the long period of freezing temperatures and snow---a grayish-brown hue of dead stubble and trees in late dormant state. But there is one new, additional ingredient in this seasonal mix--smoke. There seems to be an incessant urge to rid the land of what deadness remains after winter and encourage some green to push forth, so for weeks there has been the haze and smell of smoke in the air as many places in the countryside are burned. A few evenings ago Leah looked out while we were eating and exclaimed, "Look at that outside!" We looked and the entire hillside was on fire across the road from our apartment and behind the university dorms. It was a huge blaze which caused us to be concerned because we knew there were a few isolated houses there. In the photo below you may easily see that there are buildings all around the fire and even an Orthodox Church above the blaze. We thought perhaps there might be some firetrucks come, but none did. The fire persisted to blaze and we actually soon forgot about it. The next day Cheryl and I walked through that area and nothing seemed to be burned but dead grass and unwanted bushes. It certainly looked to us the evening before that the fire could have easily gotten out of control, but thankfully did not.

March burning