61 Comments
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Gretchen  Letterman's avatar

Jeanne, thank you for watching over Table Rock, and bringing her to our hearts. May she soon be soothed and comforted by an extinguished fire.

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Jeanne Malmgren's avatar

Thank you, Gretchen, from me and Table Rock!

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Katie Weinberger's avatar

Sending prayers 💚🙏 beautiful writing of a devastating event

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Jeanne Malmgren's avatar

Thank you, sweet Katie!

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Stephanie C. Bell's avatar

Sending prayers for your mountain! She is with you, just as you are with her. I wrote about a mountain I love recently, it might bring you some peace. Wishing your mountain well as she fights!

https://treespeech.substack.com/p/mother-of-all-waters

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Jeanne Malmgren's avatar

Thank you, Stephanie, and I will read about your mountain.

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Hazel Kahan's avatar

The pain is so palpable, Jeanne—yours andTable Rock’s. And your writing is so beautiful. If I hadn’t opened your post, I may not have known about this fire. Thank you for telling it.

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Jeanne Malmgren's avatar

Thank you, Hazel. Good to hear from you!

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Allison Delman's avatar

Jeanne, we grieve with you, it’s all so heart wrenching. May everyone be safe and may Table Rock recover quickly.

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Jeanne Malmgren's avatar

Thank you so much, Allison! I appreciate you.

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Marisol Muñoz-Kiehne's avatar

Tough times for Earthlings.

Fires, floods, slides, drought now, coming.

Howl, hug, heave, heed, hope?

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Jeanne Malmgren's avatar

So true, Marisol ... and all those "h"'s are appropriate responses, for sure.

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Janisse Ray's avatar

A poem, Marisol.

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Jim Melvin's avatar

At least it's looking hopeful that we'll get some rain in the early morning.

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Jeanne Malmgren's avatar

Holding up hope for that, Jim!

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Lisa Wagner's avatar

My heart breaks, too, for Table Rock. It‘s a place I know well from hikes long ago and frequent views traveling along highway 11, again some years ago. She‘s an iconic place; I hope that the fires are contained soon, with some rain to assist perhaps soon.

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Jeanne Malmgren's avatar

Thank you, Lisa! I know you and Tim must have enjoyed Table Rock when you lived in Clemson. She's unforgettable. Re: rain ... we had only a whisper last night, not nearly enough to do anything.

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Mark Loyacano's avatar

Only sadness, words failing me.

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Jeanne Malmgren's avatar

Thank you, Mark. I feel your sadness in my heart.

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Sherrie Whitten's avatar

You know we've watched the fires burn in planes like California, but it didn't stab at my heart, because I don't know those places. These are the places I've hiked and camped too. People I know whose homes are threatened. We watched the planes all day at Jocassee during BellFest.

So..I too feel your sadness & will pray. Thank you for putting it to words in such a meaningful way.

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Jeanne Malmgren's avatar

Your prayers are powerful, Sherrie, so thank you for that. And thank you for your love of this beautiful area we call home. I’m sorry I missed BellFest and I hope it was wonderful. I thought of the planes dipping into the lake right in front of y’all! I was doing the Silent Hike, which I had already scheduled for the 22nd so as not to conflict with BellFest when it was on the 15th. 😂

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Nina Veteto's avatar

Oh Jeanne! How tragic! I’m soo heartbroken to read this. I was just there. Thank you for the post—will send prayers!

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Jeanne Malmgren's avatar

Thank you, dear Nina! Prayers needed.

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Karen Davis's avatar

Just reading this Jeanne, how are things now?

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Jeanne Malmgren's avatar

Thank you, Karen. And I’m sorry I’ve fallen behind in reading Life in the Real World. This situation is sapping all my attention. Things are still up in the air — literally. We don’t yet know when or how or where this fire will be contained. It’s out of control. 5,000 acres now…

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Jeanne Malmgren's avatar

Correction:Almost 9,000 acres. It doubles every day.

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Lee Edwards's avatar

Hi Jeanne. Your writing has made me teary-eyed for our mountain and all her inhabitants. When we were on the silent hike on Saturday, I knew the fire was growing, but I didn’t know it was going to spread like it has. Thank you for getting the word out in such a beautiful way. Please stay safe and I’m praying for all. 🙏

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Jeanne Malmgren's avatar

Thanks so much, Lee! Yes, I think back to that hike a few days ago. We sure didn’t know what was coming. I think I figured at that point they’d have it controlled within a day. Appreciate your prayers!

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Ginger Clark's avatar

Jeanne, I have seen nothing about this particular fire, and I suppose that speaks, sadly, to how these events have been normalized and deemed no longer newsworthy. Thank you for sharing the story and giving voice to the pain of the mountain and those who love her.

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Jeanne Malmgren's avatar

And thank you, Ginger, for reading about it here. I know you're well south of me, so it's not surprising you hadn't heard. The situation has spread to WNC, where there are three separate wildfires raging there, in wilderness game lands and encroaching on neighborhoods.

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Jeffrey Howard's avatar

I appreciate you re-enchanting these natural spaces like Table Rock, and hope the fires and contained soon.

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Jeanne Malmgren's avatar

Same back at you … may all this pass soon! WNC does NOT need more disasters.

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Diane Pflugrad Foley's avatar

It's so hard to imagine a fire there. Thank you for your clear, concise description of what is happening and what we can do.

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Jeanne Malmgren's avatar

You are welcome, Diane, and thank you for being here!

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