Friday, October 13, 2017

TGIF

Hard to believe it was a year ago when we traveled to Victoria, BC, to visit our friend Ted Grant.  We spent an afternoon at Butchart Gardens.  A rainy day necessitating umbrellas and camera protection.  Ted, being a fellow of a certain age, had a hard time with all the walking.  He now lives in a swank retirement home with some fine people.  I'm glad we were able to visit while he still lived independently.  Like Ted, his house was modest and practical.

And now, here in Northern California, we have raging wild fires taking out wineries and towns over the mountain range from us.  We have a few friends living in 'stand by' mode, awaiting evacuation orders.  Today the winds are blowing the smoke south and away from us.  But we've had some pretty terrible air quality here this week.  These high north winds are not at all good for the various fire zones.

It's sad, and depressing.  So much damage, and many lives lost.

I managed to send a package to a friend in San Juan, PR, this week, though.  She requested some small battery operated fans which I was able to scout out at an ACE Hardware store in the next town over.  Still no power, still dire circumstances in San Juan, and even worse in the countryside.  They are all extremely exhausted, and many are contracting water borne diseases, as anyone with half a brain could have figured out since there is no reliable water source since the storm three weeks ago.

Jesus, Joseph and Mary.


5 comments:

  1. These fires are seriously mind-blowing in every way. My sister-in-law was evacuated from her home last Monday from a fire by Grass Valley. It's truly fire season and heartbreaking. The world seems nuts to me right now. Everything is broken.

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    1. Yes, everything is broken. I need to have a good chat with my daughter today - that always cheers me up.

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  2. Horrifying on the fires and so little coverage of it in the news at least not when I turn on looking. Even the papers aren't covering it to the level I think it should have been. This should be as big a story as the hurricanes and the loss of life may be greater ;(. What has gotten me is how little warning the first ones got. The devastation is mind blowing. I was relieved to see the Luther Burbank Gardens were safe. I had visited them some years back and that would have been another loss that couldn't be recovered.

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    1. We know several people who are on evac stand-by. I'm urging them to leave now. Roads will be completely congested if they get the order to leave. I'm so afraid that many of the missing will be found in their burned out homes, given the late night/early morning start of the fire. Anyone who takes sleeping meds may not have woken up.

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