I’m very relieved to share that the Park Fire, which has been seriously threatening my plans for the past couple weeks, is now almost entirely under control. Some interior parts are still burning, but fire personnel have done an amazing job establishing a solid perimeter around the fire, preventing it from expanding any further. The fire burned more than 429,000 acres (670 square miles), making it the 4th largest fire in California history. Sadly, hundreds of homes were lost. The fire ended up coming within a mile of Mineral, the town in which my family’s property is located. This was much too close for comfort, and if not for CalFire and their amazing partners, Mineral would have almost certainly burned as well. My heart goes out to the individuals and communities that lost everything. Life can be really unfair.
On a lighter note, this photo was taken in the Lassen Volcanic National Park, about 20 minutes from Mineral. I’ve photographed bears before, but this is the first time I’ve photographed a bear with her cubs - very exciting! It is never a good idea to get close to a bear, especially with cubs nearby, and I want to assure you that this photo was taken from a very safe distance thanks to a large zoom lens (and some additional cropping during the editing process). No lives were risked in the taking of this photo.
"Always respect Mother Nature. Especially when she weighs 400 pounds and is guarding her baby."
-James Rollins
