Symbolic Red, Missoula, Montana

“Welcome, Space Wanderer,” blatted Rumfoord’s oleomargarine tenor from the Gabriel horns on the wall. “How meet it is that you should come to us on the bright red pumper of a volunteer fire department. I can think of no more stirring symbol of man’s humanity to man than a fire engine. Tell me, Space Wanderer, do you see anything here—anything that makes you think you may have been here before?”
- from “The Sirens of Titan” by Kurt Vonnegut

On a non-sci-fi note, our local firefighters are true heroes for whom I need to give more thanks when I pass the station, and offer prayers when I hear their sirens.