Hey everybody!!

Just checking in since it has been quite a while since I blogged anything, and quite a bit has been going on, as well.

I guess everyone knows about the Southern California fires, by now.

We are fine, so far.  Today has been the worst day for us, as the smoke is pretty abundant.  Up until today we have been pretty clear, considering.  We have not had any fires close to us but the Fallbrook Fire, the one they are calling the Rice Fire is about 15 miles south.  With the winds blowing west, as there were up until last night sometime, all the smoke was being blown out over the ocean.  Now that the wind is blowing east again, all that smoke over the water is being blown back over to us, and that is what is happening as I write.  My neighborhood is white, while the sun is blazing orange.

I am not complaining, as I have the house all closed up and the air on.  Yesterday, our temp was 100*, but it's started to cool down some, the high today was 88*.  Yesterday, I was able to go outside.  I picked all of the roses that were ready or half way ready to pick....with all the winds blowing all this dirt around, you wouldn't have believed how dirty everything was.

Wednesday is my normal day off from work.  I am only allocated a certain number of hours per week, and I satisfy those hours working 4 days, so a 5th day I have off, and that day is Wednesday, which is great as I work 2 day then a day off then 2 more days then the weekend off.  I get a lot done, and I can't complain.

But, I got the call yesterday that due to the poor air, and the fact that all the high schools in Temecula are now being used as Evacuation Centers, school is closed until Monday.  It would be a great thing if there was someplace to go for some fun, but Southern California certainly isn't the place to go to for fun, right now.....or for sometime to come, I think.

There is another fire, on the outskirts of Temecula, still burning.  My son, Ryan used to live over in that area.  When I was at school on Tuesday, we all saw the smoke and the flames coming over the hills but I think they were able to get it a little bit contained and now I understand that it is going east instead of north.  But, there are so many fires going on.....some I can understand the origins but there are several others that just don't seem to make any sense that they were started by burning embers being carried so far by the winds.....and then we hear that several are being investigated as arson suspicious.

I will never understand the thrill of setting fires on purpose.  Especially when so much loss and devastation occurs.  And, in case many of you are unaware, a lot of the homes that are built in the toolies, or in areas out away from the more densely populated areas, you can't get fire coverage, or the cost is so high you simply can't afford the coverage.  So, very many of these homeowners do not have insurance, they will rely on Government loans to see them through to either settle somewhere else, or rebuild......but, to rebuild in the same areas......well, you will always have to be prepared, this could and more than likely will, happen again.

So, I want to thank Julie (EnglishJuls) for checking up on me and my family.  She did the exact same thing, 4 years ago, when we were in the midst of the Cedar Fire.  That time, we didn't suffer much at all, didn't effect us much, although Tim missed some work due to road closures, and when he did make it in, he had to wear a mask for several days.  This time he is doing much better, as the majority of fires are north of him.  But, he did say driving on the I-15, through Rancho Bernardo and Poway, the smoke was so thick you could not see in front of you!!

My lead teacher, Heather grew up in Rancho Bernardo, and on Monday we were able to find the addresses of some homes that were destroyed, and her childhood home was on the list.  My Principal, JoAnn lives in Fallbrook, she wasn't able to make it home from Monday on but as of yesterday at about 4:00pm, her house was ok.  Another of our teachers, Jeniffer, her parent's live in Pauma Valley, and they had mandatory evacuations, they are staying with her in Murrieta, but they do not know whether their house is ok or not.

Fire is a horrible thing.