house-sitting for Nick and Deb. while they are away in Missouri. even some rain falls, enough to wet non-porous surfaces for a short time. air siphons the dark spots off, invisible (hungry ghosts). other storms in previous days build up over the mountains, but then go nowhere and drop nothing in the dry plains and little in the high country. while two new fires burn near Boulder. countless others elsewhere. and at the same time, the burned places fear the rain because of the potential for massive mudflows and loss of soil which will ruin what running water is left in the area and complete the destruction of the riparian strips. and so it goes.