A Short Blogging Break and Personal Stories of the Tick Fire

Grassy Hollow picnic area in Wrightwood, Californa

I just wanted to let you know that I will be taking a short blogging break.  I plan to be back on November 24th.  I have been pushing myself too hard, and decided to close my Etsy shop for a few weeks, too.  It will be good to relax, read, knit, and do yoga.

I have been talking with my neighbors about their experiences in the fire.  One woman told me that our street was completely black. The power had been shut off; and the whole area was evacuated.  She said that people were trudging down the street, from different neighborhoods.  She described them as looking like zombies.  It's so important to have flashlights and battery powered radios.  Solar lights are excellent for California, too. I have a few hurricane lamps, and the flame inside of the glass gives off a tremendous beam.  I used them during the last power outage.  I heard people noticing and commenting, "Stephenie..." when they walked by my house.  I put one lamp by the window.   You could see it through the light colored curtain.

One lady's house burned down because her driveway was too ornate and narrow for the fire trucks to enter.  She was crying on the news.  I had always noticed that house. It has a long, winding drive with intricate brick work.  It made me evaluate about how easy it is for the firemen to reach my cottage.  They have to be able to get to you to do their job.  Nobody thinks it's going to happen to them, but it can, and it does. 

An elderly couple on our street had the sheriffs knocking on their door as they were announcing on a megaphone to evacuate.  Their middle aged son wasn't home, and they needed assistance.  The officers escorted them to the shelter.  It's so important to check on parents and grandparents who are living on their own in these situations.  They might not  realize the magnitude of the situation.  When fires start at night, sometimes people are  sleeping.  I know of a young woman who died of smoke inhalation during a cruise ship fire.  She had gone to bed early.  We need to call each other, and to check and double check.

I learned about the last fire through Anita, who comments on my blog.  She knew about the fire before I did!  She saw it on television, and I was up at the cabin.  I don't have t.v. or Internet there, and was reading blissfully by the fire.  She was called me and asked frantically, "Are you okay?"  I hadn't seen the images on the news. 

Facebook is an easy and fast way to reach people, too.  You can mark yourself as safe, or post an announcement to your group.  

Thank you for visiting my blog.  I hope you will continue to read some of the other posts here until I start up again.


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