Fires (again!)

Its never a surprise when the Santa Ana winds blow into town. But the force behind them this year has been mind-boggling! I have a very good idea of the power behind a hurricane now. The fires began Saturday night, and the nearby Malibu fires were believed to have started from downed power lines. I was actually clueless to what had happened until Sunday around 2:00, when the sky got that familiar orange tint. By 3:30, the inside of the house was so dark, Jenna and I ventured outside.











The top photo is from our front yard, facing East (notice the flecks of ash, caught by the flash)...the bottom photo is facing West at 3:30 pm, Sunday. It is the gas station just around the corner from our house.




What I saw at 3:30 was a tiny red blot in the dark brown sky...and then the sun disappeared! Then I noticed that the street lamps had automatically turned on. All the neighbors' light-sensitive lamps were on! Later that evening I had a choir practice at a church building across town. It was super-smoky there, and when I got home I noticed my hair was still clinging to that Bonfire smell. I have been on the edge of tears these past 4 days...and sometimes I just let them flow. What tugs at my heart the most? Small things, like the horses running scared inside their corral; the photos of firefighters taking cat-naps (sitting up, of course); the TV reporter who is covering his own house burning to the ground (Kimmell?); parents finding out their children are safe..and then they burst into tears, etc.

Its a very humbling time, and creates gratitude for even the mundane.

Like my friend Audrey, I see the crumbs on the countertops and the drips of KoolAid on the floors as a reminder that I can stop whining and start helping others less fortunate.

Sadly, the fires aren't over. I'll continue my vigilant watch.