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Smoke, fire, fear
Saturday morning Bruce and I sat under the cover of our back deck and watched God’s weather channel. Lightning zigged and zagged. Thunder rocked and rolled. We smelled the rain before we heard its ping on the roof overhead. The rain swapped places with hail that pelted the earth until it was petered out.
A series of skinny lightning fingers electrified the hillsides all over our north west Igo/Ono area. They pierced. They poked. They wriggled. They squiggled. They disappeared and reappeared.
Bruce pointed off in the distance where lightning last touched down.
Smoke! And more smoke!
He called Cal Fire and spoke to a dispatcher who sounded as if Bruce’s report was the last thing he wanted to hear. Apparently, many others had made similar calls about different fires.
Saturday night before we went to bed we stood on our deck in the dark and stared at the shimmery, orange glow of fires dotted along the back side of Whiskeytown National Recreational Area.
Sunday we awoke to air that smelled like the inside of a smoker and looked like dirty dishwater.
The sun set invisibly Sunday under a blanket of dirty air as solid as winter Tule fog.
Our thoughts turn to those who live in the fire areas.
Then it occurs to me that the smoke is so dense that even if a fire were near, it would be on top of us before we saw it.
We go to bed wondering what morning will bring . . .
. . . and may God bless the firefighters.
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Bless you, yours and all your creations, Doni.
I thought about you guys all weekend knowing you had a front row seat to those lightning strikes. It’s crazy how the clouds can produce such a beautiful design, yet the lightning produces such havoc! I agree-God bless our firefighters, and keep them safe.
I feel so awful for everyone affected by these fires. I was complaining about the smoke and then realized that was pretty selfish. Let’s just pray that they are contained soon and our firefighters are back home safely.
cough cough weeze Geesh how bad is it going to get. We have wet cloths on our air conditioner to help filter the air and that it helping (re-wetting every twenty minutes.) I don’t know what we would do if we didn’t have the Austin Air Filter. The only time we have to use it is when we have fires from strikes.
I hope everyone is okay. The word so far in Igo is that no one’s home is in danger and the back burn work to stop it. The wind has changed direction and has turned on its’ self.
People who live up in that area are saying that the fire burned the undergrowth and left the tress alone.
Sometimes living in the country really stinks though.
Canda, did you notice the eye on Bruce’s first picture in the clouds. It’s on the right hand side of the picture. In fact that whole mass of clouds looks like an angry face. My thoughts are with those that are fighting these fires. I know our exhausted fire fighters are doing the best they can. God Bless each and everyone of them. Be safe!
I agree, that whole storm was a wierd, angry, vicious thing!
I hope you all give some thought as to an escape plan in the event that you are asked to evacuate on short notice. Pack pet food, bedding, pet restraints (leashes, cages, water, etc), your important personal items and treasures, pack clothing and prescriptions, and have all things close at hand and ready to toss into your vehicle.
We have had one close call just to the north of us, which spurred me to plan ahead and make a list of necessary things.
Say a prayer for the firefighters and crews of the air support, air tankers and helicopters, they’re putting their lives on the line for you.
Take care and may we all be blessed and stay safe!