You might understand this if you're NOT a Norwegian. We Norwegians tend to stick, mostly, to Ole and Lena jokes. And, sometimes Sven. Campfires? Not so much.

TEXAS FIRE ANTS

One of my most vivid memories of Texas is walking over a fire ant hill and both of my legs on fire within 5 seconds.

This months Funny River Forest fire has been a tragic one except for four babies.

These are wolf cubs who were rescued by firefighters after they heard them crying for help from the fire.  They're making a new home at the Alaska Zoo.

THANK YOU FIREFIGHTERS!

COLD AGAIN NEXT WEEK

Don't burn, baby!

It is DRY, folks. We've got fires burning tonight.

At least 4 fires in NE La Crosse & N Monroe counties. Smoke from larger fires seen on radar. Thanks to @NWSLaCrosse. pic.twitter.com/kKsMyFW7fZ
— Bill Graul (@news8bill) April 10, 2014

DUANE REPORTS ON BLACK HILLS FOREST FIRES

"The sky is heavy with smoke and haze from the forest fires here.  One fire has burned 3,600 acres."

DUANE REPORTS MORE FIRES

"Another forest fire in the southern hills yesterday.  About 300 acres burned and it's not contained yet.  I'm afraid this is going to be a bad summer.  We need rain.  No moisture."

SOUNDS LIKE THE BLACK HILLS IS PRETTY DRY TOO

DUANE REPORTS:
"Fire burned M Hill yesterday.  Another fire in Black Hawk burned out two buildings.  There were several prairie grass fires.

Fire truck sirens were blaring and helicopters filling the sky like crazy."

WARNING: DONNIE IS PLAYING WITH MATCHES

"Looks like brush burning day.  Will send blazing yuletide pictures."

DRIPPING SPRINGS STORM

That hours worth of rain that fell on Donnie and Linda, yesterday, must have had some wicked thunder and lightening with it.  I see one house in Dripping Springs, hit by lightening during the storm, is being declared a total loss.

WE'RE GETTING A "TASTE OF TEXAS" WEATHER

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
419 AM CDT THU OCT 6 2011

...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS EXPECTED ONCE AGAIN THIS
AFTERNOON INTO EARLY THIS EVENING...

.RED FLAG CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON...
LASTING INTO EARLY THIS EVENING. AN UNSEASONABLY WARM AND DRY AIR
MASS WILL ALLOW THE RELATIVE HUMIDITY TO DROP AS LOW AS 20 TO 25
PERCENT. THESE DRY CONDITIONS COMBINED WITH SOUTH WINDS OF 15 TO 20
MPH WITH GUSTS NEARING 30 MPH WILL RESULT IN CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER
CONDITIONS.

GRASSES...BRUSH AND CROPS ARE VERY DRY ACROSS THE REGION AND
FIRES COULD SPREAD QUICKLY UNDER THESE CONDITIONS.

Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota all reported wildfires yesterday.

WILLARD WOULD LIKE SOME OF OUR WEATHER

"Red Flag fire warning is in effect. Hot 90's all week. I like your wet fall forecast."

HERE THEY GO AGAIN

DONNIE REPORTS ANOTHER FIRE
"We were packing again today for evacuation--a big house fire just a mile north of us, in the midst of all this explosively dry woodlands. Fire trucks and police wailing by our place all morning. Fortunately, no wind at all today, and at last report the fire is contained, but the house gone."

I DIDN'T HEAR FROM DONNIE TODAY

I began to wonder if their house burned down or their internet had gone out again so I figured I'd better call.  It was neither.  He said he just hadn't been on the internet at all today.  He's letting the world get along without him.

He drove into Austin today and he said there's still a bit of smoke haze in the air but things are getting back to normal.  Following in the Solberg tradition, however, their bags are still packed and sitting by the door just in case they have to make a hasty retreat.

A BETTER DAY FOR TEXAS

I see the winds have, finally, calmed down in Texas.  With a thousand homes destroyed by the wildfires, Donnie and Linda can  be very thankful theirs wasn't one of them.

DRIPPING UPDATE

I haven't heard from Donnie and Linda, this morning, but Twitter keeps me up to date and I just read a tweet that Hays County has ended the evacuation in Dripping Springs and they closed the shelter early this morning.  That's, probably, the best news I'll hear all day.

A NOTE FROM LYNNE

"Keep us posted on Donnie and Linda.  So hope they are safe and their house is spared.  Mom Blair is here with us and we are watching the Weather Channel and I am on the internet getting information.  Scary for all."

SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES, EARS, NOSE AND THROAT

Donnie sent this picture of smoke over their house yesterday.