Mountain Community – Tales of a Family

Daily writing prompt

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

“Some places stay in our hearts, even when the landscape changes.”

This question used to feel pretty easy. If I could live anywhere in the world, the answer would be Beulah, Colorado, without any hesitation. But since the fire, writing those words feels so different. It is still the place my heart loves, but now my heart also carries grief, worry, and prayer.

It is hard to write about a dream place when that special location has been wounded, when families have lost homes, memories, and peace of mind. Still, through the sadness, I would choose Beulah every single time.

It is a charming little town, tucked away in a lovely mountain valley, filled with beautiful landscapes, peaceful days, and kind and generous people. This mountain community cares for one another; people visit, check in, and wave, and it is so inviting that even strangers feel welcome. Life moves at a slower pace and reminds each of us to breathe a little deeper, look around, and appreciate what is right in front of us.

Throughout the year, the people gather for community events, small-town traditions, friendly conversations, and neighbors helping neighbors. This place feels like home, where people belong.

And the landscapes are breathtaking, filled with green pastures that stretch across the valley. A forest of thick Ponderosa pines covers the hillsides. The mountain air feels clean and calm. Pueblo Mountain Park, with its hundreds of acres, trails, picnic areas, and gathering spaces, offers fun and remarkable days outdoors. The perfect place to create lasting memories.

Wildlife has always been a part of Beulah’s magic. Deer graze in pastures and front lawns. Turkeys meander across roads and roost in nearby pines. On occasion, elk, bear, and mountain lion would be spotted. Some of my favorite pictures include bear cubs crossing roads or peeking through tree branches after climbing trees for protection.

This valley is my happy place. Beauty is found in every corner and every bend in the road. I especially love the golden hour when the sunlight dances between the pines and touches the valley in a soft, warm glow. Deer and squirrels visit and make themselves at home in yards around the valley, reminding everyone that Beulah is a place where people and nature live side by side. For me, Beulah will always be my escape from a busy world, a place to slow down, enjoy the beauty of nature, breathe in fresh air, and enjoy the peace the valley so freely offers.

Beulah celebrates all four seasons. Spring brings fat honeybees and wildflowers. Summer offers gentle rains, warm days, and cool evenings. Autumn paints the valley in gold, amber, and yellow. Winter turns everything quiet and still, covering the valley in snow and turning it into a magical winter wonderland. Each season shares its own kind of beauty, and each season gives Beulah another reason to be loved.

But now, as the community rebuilds, the beauty is found in its people. Neighbors and friends gather together again, offering helping hands, open hearts, and shoulders to lean on. Their strength rises as they continue to care for one another. Since the fire, that special grace and kindness matter even more. Beulah is not just a pretty place; it’s also a community with heart.

The fire may have changed the landscape, but it has not changed the love the people have for this town. Some places will never look the same. Some families have lost their homes, and it is hard to write about wanting to live in a place when so many are grieving for what the fire took from them.

But the fire does not erase what Beulah truly means. If anything, it shows how deeply this special place is loved. I will always call Beulah my happy place, even when sadness may tug at my heart. I would still choose the peaceful living, the wildlife, the trails, the mountains, and most of all, its kind people. Home is sometimes loving a place through its hardest chapters.

Now, when I think of Beulah and the home of my dreams, I pray for healing. I imagine meadows turn green once again, birds singing from trees, wildlife returning to familiar places, and a loving community rebuilding with courage, faith, and love.

Beulah may be wounded right now, but she is still beautiful, still loved, and still the place my heart would choose.

So if I could choose anywhere in the world to live, I would still pick Beulah, not because it is untouched by hardship, but because it remains a place of beauty, kindness, strength, and the feeling of home.

Aspen Fire Update:

The Aspen Acres Fire has grown to approximately 93,600 acres, with containment improving to 15%. Firefighters continue to make progress, helped by higher humidity, though afternoon storms, lightning, and gusty winds remain a concern. Some evacuation areas have been downgraded from mandatory evacuation to pre-evacuation, but many communities, including areas near Beulah and across Pueblo, Custer, Fremont, and Huerfano counties, remain under evacuation orders. More than 1,300 personnel continue working to protect homes, strengthen containment lines, and support affected communities.

Colorado strong ❤️

Monetary Donations: Can be sent to the United Way Southern Colorado.

My heart is still with Beulah today.

The Aspen Acres Fire has continued to grow through the Wet Mountains and down to the valleys and open prairies, burning more than 86,000 acres across Pueblo, Custer, Huerfano, and Fremont counties. Officials report the fire is still at zero containment, and evacuation orders remain in place for many communities, including Beulah, Rye, San Isabel Colorado City, Wetmore, and surrounding areas. Thousands of people have been displaced, and more than 180 structures have been lost.

It is hard to find the right words for a place that has always felt like peace. Beulah is not just a dot on a map. It is a sweet mountain town filled with kind people, quiet roads, wildlife, trees, memories, and that feeling you get when your soul can finally breathe. For many of us, Beulah is our happy place. Today, that makes this loss feel deeply personal.

Fire crews continue to work in difficult conditions. Over 600 firefighters are now assigned to the fire, and crews have been building containment lines, protecting homes, and using water drops from Pueblo Reservoir to slow the flames. Weather remains a concern, with dry conditions, possible thunderstorms, and wind gusts that could cause more fire growth.

On this Fourth of July, as so many people would normally be celebrating, I hope we remember the families who are waiting for news, the evacuees who are far from home, the firefighters standing between flames and neighborhoods, and the animals and wildlife caught in the middle of it all.

Please continue to pray for Beulah, Rye, San Isabel, Colorado City, Wetmore, Bishop’s Castle and every surrounding community touched by this fire. Pray for the people who have lost homes, land, memories, and a sense of safety. Pray for the firefighters, deputies, emergency workers, pilots, volunteers, and everyone working long hours to help.

May the winds calm.
May the smoke lift.
May the rain come gently.
May every person and animal find shelter.
May those who have lost so much feel surrounded by love.
And may our beautiful Beulah rise again, held by the strength of the mountains and the hearts of the people who love her.

Colorado strong ❤️

Note: This photo was shared in a post by Robert Bradford, whose home was spared in the Aspen Acres Fire here in Colorado. The picture itself was taken at his neighbor’s property, where a dry tree stump topped with a carved wooden eagle somehow survived the flames. Sadly, his neighbor’s home was lost in the fire.

To me, this image speaks boldly. It is both heartbreaking and powerful, a symbol of loss, survival, and hope rising from the ashes. I wanted to share it because it tells such a bittersweet story.