Fire

Wow, this really takes me back to the last time. It was Donna's 16th birthday and she had Lauren spend the night on that Saturday since her birthday fell on a Sunday. I woke up and went out to get some last minute gifts (okay, I didn't have time to shop so I was buying her real gifts that day) and was greeted by an orange sky with a decidedly smoky smell to it. We were out of work and school all week that time and it came within a half mile of my house.

This time is much worse and much better in some ways. The magnitude this time is much greater. Fires in the North County and South County and pretty much to the east of us as well. Yet they are far enough away that we actually have pretty good air quality in comparison. There is not a whisper of wind where we are at and the wind has been the fires friend and our foe from the start. We are better prepared to evacuate than the last time. I'm worried but not out of my mind with it like the last time.

I'm just glad Donna will be spending her birthday in England this year. I never thought I'd say that, glad that my baby will spend her birthday away from me. But I am. I'm glad she will be spending it with a group of people that will enjoy Hamfest with her. Glad that she will have a boyfriend to share it with this time. Glad that she is safe and away from this craziness.

Jo seems to be taking it in stride. She's not a panicky person by nature...unless there is a bee or just about any flying insect around. Then she pretty much pegs out the meter of losing it. But the fires, meh!, nothin' but a thing. It certainly makes it easier for us 'rentals.

So if we have to evacuate we will be moving to our "yacht" at Silver Strand. We have an old 25' sail boat that can house us but it will be very tight quarters. Much like a jail cell, so ya, I'm praying the fires (more than ever before) don't reach us.

I hope this ends soon, there are a lot of good people out there that have lost their homes, let's hope there won't be many more.