My beloved Saddle Peak has been spared the big burn so far. Here are two views of it taken from my childhood home about 36 years ago (wow, was it really that long ago????) The evacuation for that area is still mandatory, and it is hard to get news of the fires' progress due to the severity of all of the other fires in San Diego.
Today, the beautiful live oaks have grown up so tall that they obscure the view of the mountain.
Yes Ariel - the green oaks are still there in living color :)
I am keeping all the folks who have lost their entire homes or businesss in my thoughts a prayers. Those who have had to evacuate: maybe a certain curmudgeon & and his dogs, and perhaps a few gals from San Diego - take good care while out of your home, and may it be there when you return safe and sound.
22 comments:
Remember when one fire burned thru the MASH set in malibu canyon--the producers used it as parts of a couple of episodes...Oh FIRE,so awesome....
I like your painting.
glad to hear. we are sitting vigil with the news.
Nessa - check out her gallery (Liz Reday) Her painting captured the mountain with it's colorful pink and orange rocks, chaparral brush and beauty most perfectly.
Jodes - I am right there with you! I've been glued to the tv, or streaming news on the computer non-stop. Do you have to wear a gas mask to go outside? I remember so well that choking, acrid smoke that hurts your throat and your eyes... so dry and awful. Stay safe.
I wish to hear they stopped the fire finally... It's so good the oak trees are still there.
So sorry about the fires. Your post below this one makes me sad for you about the church especially.
I hope the people are all now safe.
Lets hope they manage to get it under control - or rather that the winds die down or change direction and go back on themselves. This reminds me so much of all the bush fires in Aus, something that threatens every year - you learn to live with it but the destruction is so complete... and people always tend to return and rebuild.
I’m doing ok. My home is still standing and I did not get evacuated ... yet! There are still some concerns but things are calming down. There is fire to the north of me, to the east of me, and moving up from the south. With the weather improved and more aircraft here, I should be ok.
terry thanks for your thoughts and prayers for my daughter. She called this morning, they returned home last night.
Lots of ash but their home is safe.
She sounded pretty exhausted from lack of sleep and emotional distress but doing well otherwise.
These scenes on the news are so upsetting, peoples homes, wildlife, acreage..so sad.
Take care and thanks again.:)
tc
I'm pushing all this rain Down Under UP THERE! Here's hoping the rain arrives earlier this week - south of you!
I really hope that you are going to be ok and the fire doesn't go anywhere near you :-)
It's been on my mind too...it's terrible.
I can't watch the news anymore...after they said they were taking our limited water resources (we are in a drought and estimated to run out of water in 90 days) to funnel to the mussels...sigh. Mussels aren't even cute.
It has made me very sad to see this on the news. I am sending prayers.
Atlanta is about to run out of water, so it's a little scary here, too. :(
It made the first news in Iceland. When that happens, it must be extreme and I knew to worry straight away.
Now I have watched coverages online and via CNN ... horrific!
Ariel - I heard that the fire is contained in Malibu now - and all that remain are hotspots here and there. This is not a problem because the devil winds have stopped blowing so fiercely.
Actonbell - When one looks at the aftermath of the fire, in the calm, windless, clear morning, smelling the sooty air, it is surreal.
TLP - The people fared well and as far as I know there was only one injury from this fire - a fireman was dehydrated. I know that the wildlife didn't do as well.
Hi Terry! I´m so sorry. It´s so horrible to lose a home and all the memories of a beloved place or of childhood. I can not really imagine such a firestorm. Luckily, I was never confronted with something like this. And it´s even harder to imagine here in Iceland because we have heavy rain since days.
Northern Musings... Thank you for stopping by. I often hear about the fires in the outback - it must be the same, with blowing winds and nothing to stop the advancing fires. Not a bit like Iceland, eh? Just rocks, moss, ice and hot water :)
SoCal Sal - So glad to hear you are okay! Losing a home would be the worst news - although injury or loss of life would be the ultimate loss. Good luck getting back to normal.
TC - yes, I'm so glad to hear that your daughter is safely home again. The drama and emotional ups and downs related to the fires and havoc it wreaks are hard to manage.
Annonymous - looks like the rain didn't make it, but the winds have died down and hopefully the end of the raging wildfires is in sight. So many people have lost their homes... and a few actually have died. Teaches us not to hold on too tightly to those material things on earth we treasure so much.
Kingcover - thank you so much for your thoughts and good wishes. Just blow a little of that cool green luck you have over there out this way...
Lindsey - I can't believe your situation about the water! We've been following the news about the reservior drying up, and it looks unbelievable. What will you all do without water? Hmmm - I suppose taking a shower will become a low priority... ha ha - time to break out the campstove and paper dishes! Seriously, I hope somehow a solution is found because it sounds impossible for a city as big as yours to just plain run out of water.
Outdoorsy Girl - Thanks Julie for your thoughts and prayers. We take our day-to-day living so for granted! When things go wrong, we just don't know how to handle it. I just can't believe you all are running out of water... is that your only source? I can just see the headlines: - Atlanta becomes Saraha desert - people pay billions for a glass of water... auugghhhh!!!!!!!!
Minka - I saw that some Icelanders had to evacuate - funny how you people are so special that any mention of them over here makes the headlines! I love you guys :) Fires are one of the hazards of having trees and brush. Penguins can do without either.
SOe - I've tried not to mourn too much over the loss of the church - but if I sit and think about all those years I spent having happy times... do you know when I was 14 years old, I used to sneak into the admininstrators office at the church on nights when I was supposed to be attending a youth group... to call my Sweetie (yes, the same Bear I have in my life once again now) long distance, wracking up huge phone bills which I never paid? I felt so bad about it later on in my life that I sent a check (annonymously :D) to pay for the illicit phone calls that I owed. I loved that church so much.
In any belief system - Amen!
I am so sad for any lives lost. Fires like any force of nature show us that we are not in control of our lives the way we think we are. I pray that those who have lost so much can be at peace even during their loss.
I do remember the excitment as a child whenever a "natural disaster" hit. All the neighbors would stand around outside in the street and watch the progess of the fires. When we had floods we all barbequed because our power was out for days. We had to carry up water for the toilets and for drinking (had to boil it on a camp stove) from a little spring that ran across our yard after all the rain. All the neighbors brought their meat since my dad had a generator and we had the only working fridge. We all had a great time. At least we kids did. It was and adventure and it was fun to us. But of course we didn't lose anyone we loved and our houses were safe. It was a different story when we found out my best friends mom was killed in the flooding. So sad.
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