It seems as if the worst of the fire in our area (the Easy Fire if you want to look it up) is under control. Part of it is that the wind has dropped. Mandatory evacuations in many areas have ended, power has been restored, and all might be right with the world. The air is cold and smells fresh, just a tang of wood smoke in it, unlike yesterday morning when the house was filled with it. We went for a walk last night, finally able to get out of the house without howling winds, and the sky was clear and bright. Yesterday was surreal. I can only imagine what it might be for people who return to neighborhoods devastated by fires, or those who live through an invasion of their country and find their lives totally overturned.
We spent yesterday morning packing things up. Josh doesn’t have the collections I have, so his packing was pretty straightforward. On the other hand, I had to sort through things, deciding what to take, deciding what to leave. Making those choices is actually rather draining mentally. It forces you to think about what you value. Luckily, nothing happened, but what if? Very strange in my rather settled life.
Fires and natural catastrophes are unavoidable, but the older I get, the more I am sick of the winds and fires of California. I talk about moving, but the fact is, I won’t. We are settled here with family and friends and a job (Josh). In some ways, we are lucky we chose where we moved 13 years ago, but it was luck, not careful planning around potential natural disasters. We are in the middle of a suburb far enough from open land and mountains and canyons to avoid the worst of the fire potential, and have underground utilities. There is a natural gas pipeline (or some kind of major pipeline) not too far from where we live, which could explode and cause a bit of damage, but in general, we are okay. Fires have been on all sides of us over the years, but it seems we have enough distance to be bypassed. Much as I would love to live on a mountain top, I am glad that I am flatlander!
I plan to keep things boxed up for a bit. Josh will work from home all day, We will monitor the fire potential, but get on with daily living. I made moussaka last night for dinner, and this morning I want to get out in the brisk air for a walk and some photography and some badly needed exercise. Air quality looks good as the wind is up, but particulate matter is hard to assess. Painting, reading, and drawing also sound good! We have been pretty fortunate altogether, and while I am at it, those of you who wished us well, your messages were truly appreciated!
Ink, Yarn & Beer 