The Fires Continue

Some of the fires have been contained and people are being allowed to go back home. It is sometimes just to see what is left of their home and whether they can find anything in the ashes. How sad! Some will find their home OK.

The Irvine/Santiago fire has burned 27,000 acres. It has now moved to the Cleveland National Forest. We just have the smell of smoke around us. Last night and today has been the first time we have smelled the smoke inside the house. We have everything closed up but it still gets in somehow. It is like the smell you get after you have had a fire and the smell lingers. It will be around for sometime until that fire is contained and we get some rain to wash it away.

The President was here yesterday to look things over. He told people that they be feeling bad today but things will be better tomorrow. How sweet was that?! Now he should make sure those people get the money they need to rebuild!

Anyway, we continue to do what we need to do. We try to stay inside as much as possible but life goes on. We were told that smelling the smoke is like smoking packs of cigarettes. Not good. Again, once it all goes away then your lungs can clear. I just hope it is soon.

The Fires

Day 3 - The fires keep burning and growing. We have about a dozen fires all around us. The fire for Orange County/Irvine was started by someone. Can you believe that? Actually starting a fire! No one has been found yet but they are looking.

The fires are not that near us. We can see one but again it is not close. We feel sorry for those people who are loosing their homes or having the uncertainty of whether they would have a home to return too.

We are at the mercy of the weather and the winds. It is scary. You want it to end!

Traveling ...

We have finished our latest trip to Indian Wells California. Indian Wells is very near Palm Springs which is in the desert. We had a bit of a problem with blowing sand during a portion of the trip but it wasn't as bad as the day before our trip. On that day there were major accidents. Two people had died. We did not encounter anything like that.

The temperature was very nice which was a surprise but a very nice surprise. We only stayed at the hotel, for the meeting that Dad was going to, for a night. The drive was only 2 1/2 hours and the traffic moved very well.

This trip came only one day after we returned from DC and Maryland. I had just enough time to do some laundry before we were out the door once again. Our next trip will be for the two of us going in different directions. Dad will be flying to Oakland and I will be flying to Sacramento. Dad will be helping on a job for Clark and I will be attending a meeting for the Operation of Emergency Services for California.

Once we return from those trips then we will be off to San Diego for a weekend the beginning of November. We will then have two weeks before the trip to Denver for Thanksgiving. We will be checking the area out and visiting.

Then we will move into December. That month will be very busy too. I can't worry about that now. I need Christmas suggestions .... send out cards ... what to take??? TOO MUCH! One day at a time.

New Baby Blankets!

I have finally finished another group of baby blankets for the hospital. It has been fun making them especially trying to use different patterns. I also try to use different colors instead of the pink or blue. The one picture that looks like a dark green is actually yellow. I also tried to make hats to go along with the blanket. That is hard because you don't know if what you are doing is big enough.