NO FIRE TODAY

When I was out jogging a few weeks ago a bunch of town volunteer fire trucks passed me doing 300 mph, sirens at full blast. The guys inside looked intense and eager to do battle with the blaze. They ripped down a side street and faded into the woods. Not more than 10 minutes later while I was trotting down another street one of the fire trucks came lumbering up over a hill, driving rather slowly, with only the groan of the engine filling the air. The passengers inside had such a deflated saddened look about them. There would be no fire that day to conquer. Back to the fire house and back to average lives they went.