Happy Birthday Fire

Had a shut-in birthday. The nearby fire this week has been serious, houses burned. Some animals, have not escaped. Though now, at least it is contained. It saddens me to think of so much devastation for those who are facing the losses. Some stay to the last minute hosing down their roofs! They think it was started by a motorist, perhaps the muffler scraping on the road too close to the shoulder.

Trabing Fire as seen from the other side of the county 25 miles away.

We had a thunderstorm with lightening Friday (no rain) so many strikes that started numerous fires throughout the state. We seldom have thunder storms and lightening. It's been so dry this year. So dangerous.

I couldn't believe my ears tonight when they said on the news that Governor Swartzenegger announced there are presently 520 wildfires in CA.

My asthma has been well controlled this last year but not now. There's no place I can go to get away from the smoke. The usual ways out are blocked from day to day.

Truly, I am NOT in danger personally. I live close to the edge of the city. But farmland filled with fresh growing vegetables and berries of all types separate me from the wild lands and forests. Though they are close.

The one near me, the"Trabing" Fire was so close that leaves were lifted off the eucalyptus trees and flung all around town, and of course it snowed ash. My car was covered with it. I bet it's good for the garden though.

"You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with."
- Jim Rohn

"Never worry about numbers.
Help one person at a time,
and always start with
the person nearest you."
- Mother Teresa

"Success is not the key to happiness.

Happiness is the key to success.

If you love what you are doing, you will be successful."

~ Albert Schweitzer ~

On the Way to the Vet

I put my cat in her travel case to take her to the vet. It was nearly 100 degrees out.

Even though my car has air conditioning, I worried she would be stressed by my putting her in the hot car and waiting until it cooled down.

So I took some picnic ice packs I had in the freezer and laid some beneath the cage and laid some on top of them.

As I started to drive away, I noticed there was a large plume of smoke in the direction of the freeway. I knew the sign. Wildfire! I decided to not take the freeway and turned the car around to take the long way.

Very quickly the traffic on Freedom Blvd, increased and slowed. You can see in the picture on the left all the cars lined up one after the other. That's unusual.

Seemed like traffic might have been diverted and other drivers had the same plan as me. Then, I got another look at that plume of smoke. It had tripled in size!

By that time the leaves from the trees were being blown into town. No way was I going to take a chance and get caught in traffic near all that, even with the air conditioning on. What if the car overheated? What if I had to get out, carry my cat and walk.

I pulled over and stopped, took a couple pictures, then went home.

Dowager Queen Age Eighteen

Indians Fire Ventana Wilderness

I have recently been asked for an update on the new fires in my region. We have had a very dry spring. Little rain. That makes the bushes and grasses easily sparked by lightning.

As long as I stay inside and use my nebulizer, it doesn't bother my asthma much. I have a small air conditioner in the bedroom and I can hole up in there with my books, cats, computer, and TV if necessary.

They are calling it the Indians Fire. Not sure why they call it that. It's in the Ventana Wilderness area, which is at least 40 miles away. Even from that distance, the smoke spreads over the region including where I live. And this fire has been burning for a week. The picture above shows when the smoke was mostly over the ocean.

It's presently at about 10,000 acres.  It's more brush and grass than than trees, they say, and because it's in a more uninhabited area not easy to stop.

Locally, over a thousand have been evacuated. Though it is a smaller fire than the other one, it involves Redwood trees. I am saddened that there are fires at all, but also saddened that the trees are being burned.

So, to answer the question. I'm fine.

Still, to me, this is all nothing compared to the floods that seem to have taken over the middle of the country right now.

Graffiti Art?

I saw an interesting video today about "Reverse Graffiti". I couldn't figure out what that meant when I first saw the phrase.

I looked up definitions of graffiti. (see below) But, found little to match my idea of it. Today, graffiti has a whole different connotation. It's art, in a way. Even though it is illegal, there are those who wish to express themselves by spray painting (usually) either their personal symbol of their name or some other depiction. There are those who might create a whole, or partial mural.

Definitions of graffiti include:
"scratches, letters and other marks scratched on the surface of a coin in ancient times to identify its owner"

"a rude decoration inscribed on rocks or walls"

"The words or pictures scrawled or scratched in public places, particularly on walls - could be political messages, personal notes, advertising, curses amongst others."

"Graffiti can take the form of art, drawings, or words, and is illegal vandalism when done without the property owner's consent. Its origin can be traced back to ancient civilizations such as the Roman Empire and Ancient Greece."

All that being said, just take a look at the following video.

Summit Fire Containment

The Fire is completely contained. They are now spreading seed.

Jim Sienkiewicz, Photographer - From his website

Hopefully, it will grow enough brush that next winter when the big rains come, there will be minimal mud slides.

Summit Fire Containment

Capitola, California after the rain

The fire is 70 percent contained. It helped that we had some rain and lower temperatures.

So things are pretty much back to normal now.

It seems no matter what part of the country/world we live in there is some kind of natural phenomena occurring that we all need to deal with.

I don't like the fires and mudslides where I live, or the earthquakes, though I have never had to deal with a Big One.

But, I wouldn't trade for the sub zero winter weather I experienced when I lived in New York state, and the tornadoes of Indiana.

Summit Fire Update

I thought by going up to San Francisco, I would escape from the worst of the smoke. But, when I came home, I discovered it was still bad enough that I had trouble breathing.

How would you like to have this hanging over your head?

I had to call my lung doctor and have him order a nebulizer for me. First time I've ever had to use one. I've always managed with my hand held inhalers. But, things are improving.

At least it is not as hot as it was. The temperature has dropped and we are having a little bit of rain, so this makes it easier on the firefighters. Hopefully they can get the fire contained!

I hate to see the forest decimated like this. In the winter and spring when we get heavy rains there is nothing to prevent mudslides when the trees and brush are gone.

I'm home now with windows closed and air filters on. It's tolerable. Wind is blowing in other direction and has slowed down quite a bit.

Running Away from Fire

The part of California where I live has patches of redwood forest encroached upon by civilization. The fire started in a rural area about 7 miles from where I live. Even though I am in a city (and surrounded by strawberry fields), I am well protected from it spreading to my area or home.

On highway 129 heading east outside of Watsonville.
Smoke is coming from Corralitos

Strong southerly winds drove the smoke and ash directly into town, and further. I haven't had an asthma attack in at least a year and I didn't want to wait around to see what would happen. Since my son and his wife live in San Francisco, it made sense to go stay up there. I put my cat in her travel cage and the two of us went together.

Conveniently, I had a medical appointment today at UCSF. So, I used a tank of gas to complete two tasks at $4.15 a gallon!

The fire has moved further up the mountain since the wind has turned north, and I think it's safe to go home and sleep in my own bed tomorrow. The weatherman says it looks like we will be having rain this weekend.

The picture above, I took with my cell phone as I drove out of town. Notice the size of the trees in the middle line and you can get an idea of the size of the cloud of smoke. The hills are in the background, where the fire has now moved up into.

I Miss My Mom

A Mother's Love


A mother's love!
What can compare with it!
Of all things on earth,
it comes nearest to divine love in heaven.

A mother's love means a life's devotion -
and sometimes a life's sacrifice -
with but one thought, one hope and one feeling,
that her children will grow up healthy and strong,
free from evil habits and able to provide for themselves.

Her sole wish is that they may do their part like men and women,
avoid dangers and pitfalls,
and when dark hours come,
trust in Providence to give them strength,
patience and courage to bear up bravely.

Happy is the mother when her heart's wish is answered,
and happy are sons and daughters
when they can feel that they have contributed
to her noble purpose,
and in some measure,
repaid her unceasing,
unwavering love and devotion.

- Anonymous

Steve Irwin Memorial

This one is for Bindi's friend, Coco.

Purpose of Suffering?

"Suffering, I was beginning to think, was essential to a good life, and as inextricable from such a life as bliss.

It's a great enhancer.

It might last a minute, or a month, but eventually it subsides, and when it does, something else takes its place, and maybe that thing is a greater space.

For happiness.

Each time I encountered suffering, I believe that I grew, and further defined my capacities--not just my physical ones, but my interior ones as well, for contentment, friendship, or any other human experience."

~ Lance Armstrong


What do you think? Is there a benefit to suffering?