Diary of a middle aged runner

[Bierzo Baggie]

So, no Tebaida Berciana race tomorrow as the Tebaida Berciana has been burnt to a cinder. After 4 days the raging blaze has consumed over 2000 hectares of hillside, which roughly translates as 2000 football pitches, to give an idea.
A catastrophe.

Went for a jog around the river. My body gently complained. Overhead buzzed helicopters like mosquitoes.  Also the occasional yellow amphibious “scooper” aircraft they use when the fires get really bad. But the wind has dropped and today they should finally crack it.

It’s warm and dry and the ground is harder than it should be.
Spring came too early
The winds have been virulent and unpredictable.
And the farmer who reclaimed his pastures in the “traditional” way has been irresponsible and misled.
The villager who cleared her land was old and stubborn.
The pyromaniac forgot to take his medication.
The politicians had posed for photos whilst neglecting their duties,
The regional authorities who pulled the purse strings were short-sighted and tight fisted.
The UNESCO world heritage site campaign was ill-conceived and premature.
It was the perfect storm.
It was an accident waiting to happen.
The chronicle of a death foretold.

Excuses, excuses…