Happy 50th birthday, North Lake Tahoe Fire!

Ben ready to go for a spin - check out those boots!

Daddy and Ben admiring one of the wildland crew carriers.

Sam at the wheel of an engine....not a truck.

Ben with Sparky the fire dog.

A couple of weekends ago we helped our local fire department celebrate its 50th birthday. They opened up the main fire station for an open house and held a barbecue for the community. The boys were most enthralled with the trucks/engines....obviously. By the way, not all fire trucks are engines nor are all fire engines fire trucks. It all has to do with water and ladders. Ladders = trucks, and water pumping = engines. I'm sure it's technically more complicated than that but that's the best way to explain it to a three year-old. Ben and Sam are the kids who can hear a siren a millisecond after it first begins and can track the wail until they see the passing truck. Whenever we drive from home to Raley's we MUST go past the fire station to see if any trucks are out and if they are we have to slow down to count them all. Ben continuously wears his fireman's helmet and informed me recently that we need to make him a fire fighter's jacket to go with his new rain boots which just so happen to look like fireman's boots.

We are so lucky to have such a kind group of men and women in our community who are dedicated to protecting the citizens and structures. No matter where we see the firefighters, they always take a moment to say hello to the boys.