kaye301

I am have also been sitting here since 4:00 a.m.--not used to time difference
since I met my walking friends at 5:30 am for training hike--we met that early
because of time difference change and heat. On Thursday it was 107 degrees
here, per news report--a bit higher than usual. It didn't feel that bad since
it was quite dry; however, as many may know by now there are many fires in So.
Cal. In fact, I wouldn't have gone walking if walking mates wanted to go
local--air was bad from fire. They felt the same and we again went to the
beach--only did 10 miles yesterday (after doing 16 the day before--but did do
almost 20 on one day the previous week).
When I left the house to go walking, the sky was quite smokey. It was still
dark. I met up with several other gals, also doing the breast cancer 3-day.
We drove to the beach (7 miles away as far as crow flies) but 30 miles by car.
It was still smokey and we realized the fire had split and was in more than one
area. If it was hard to walk we would stop and go home. After the first half
mile it seemed okay. The sunrise was magnificent--with the sun being an
exquisite shade of magenta. It's hard to believe that something so beautiful
resulted from something so destructive. One of the gals I work with mentioned
that her daughter was on an emergency rescue team for horses and might be
called since they have a horse trailer.
When we got home the air was thick and dark. I sat down at the computer and
was in disbelief as I saw an ash fall on my arm. I looked around and realized
that there were ashes all around. They must have come through the chimney and
then been blown out through the air conditioning vents. I then realized that
the ashes in the master bath were coming in from the bathroom window--through
the screens.
The fire was at least 10 miles away yesterday. Our local freeway--less than a
quarter mile away-- has been closed since Saturday night. News coverage was
primarily concentrated on another of the fires--about 70 to 90 miles away where
at the time over 150 homes were lost (now over 250). As far as the fire by us,
last night's news said a local presidential library was in danger of being
lost. That is about or less than 10 miles away. The house still smells
smokey--am wondering what I will need to rid the house of the odor.
I think we are far enough away from the fire not to be directly affected but
online news headlines didn't make me feel overly secure in that regard and am
not about to turn on the radio. Still it is quiet, dark, and all seem to be
asleep, so think we are probably okay.
So, aside from worrying about b.c. I really do have a life...albeit would
definately prefer not having to deal with b.c.
I wanted to mention that when I started the training walks last month--on some
days I was in agony from the sciatic pain. However, I knew that if I made
myself go on the treadmill that would help. I don't know if the exercise
shifted things around so it hurt less or resulted in a surge of endorphins
which masked the pain. The same might have happened with the walking. The
added Celebrex and Zometa might have also helped, and the Lovastatin might also
be helping in conjunction or working together with everything else. I have no
clue.
The sciatic pain was generally worse while lying down--and still is--but when
starting out on these walks, some mornings I wondered how I was going to ever
do it. I forced myself to proceed. It helped walking with others and by the
end of the walk the pain was less or gone. Now, the pain is so much better,
overall, but do occasionally still get (but not at previous intensity,
fortunately).
Okay, will end this now--am going back to bed. I am starting to get a
headache--from smoke, I think and my eyes are burning a bit...

lbucc

Kaye,

My brother lives in Oakland. A few years ago terrible fires threatened his
home. They waited until the last moment, figuring that they were fine, before
packing the kids up and heading for his father-in-law's place in San Fran.
When he called us to let us know he was okay, each and every one of us asked if
he had taken the family bible. He hadn't...and this is about the only thing we
have left from my father's family who exmigrated from Germany.

It turns out that the fire got to within a block of his home and his home was
spared. It was a mess, smoky and full of ashes, but intact.

Now why am I telling you this? I just think that you might want to make plans
and pack up those things that are valuable to you and your family. That way,
you're ready to go at a moment's notice and you will have saved things that are
a legacy for you and your kids.

Hope it doesn't come to that.
Take care.
....lisa

kaye301

<< That way,
you're ready to go at a moment's notice and you will have saved things that are
a legacy for you and your kids.

Hope it doesn't come to that.
Take care. >>

Thanks Lisa. It did jump the freeway but at the east end (at least 15 miles
away, I think) of the adjacent town and not at the pt. where it would be a
hazard. Latest news report is that they feel they will have this under control
later today. I just woke up--did go back to sleep--and can see the sun from
all sides (good sign for us).

pat from apple valley, ca

Hi KAye,
I guess you are close to Simi Valley. Hope all will be well with
you. They were saying to load your car with what you would want to save
and park your car facing out in your driveway and then if you stay, you
can unpack after..If you don't need it fine, you will just be ready. I
seeover 80,000 acres have gone up ..I am in Apple Valley, north of San
Bernardino. We can see the fire from here, but thankfully don't get any
smoke as the Santa Ana winds originate from here, pretty much..It si
soooooo bad...Hope you are well. Pat from Apple Valley, CA

kaye301

<< I guess you are close to Simi Valley. Hope all will be well with
you. They were saying to load your car with what you would want to save
and park your car facing out in your driveway and then if you stay, you
can unpack after..If you don't need it fine, you will just be ready. I
seeover 80,000 acres have gone up ..I am in Apple Valley, north of San
Bernardino. We can see the fire from here, but thankfully don't get any
smoke >>

Glad to hear that you are okay. The closest the fire was so far seems like it
was about 6 miles from the house at least from what we could gather from maps
in the paper and am not sure of their degree of accuracy. Seeing the ashes
come in kind of freaked me out a bit--and assumed they had to be coming through
a window screen and down the chimney (in order to get out of the air
conditioning vent(s) but only in some rooms upstairs. What worries me is the
full-leaved, overgrown trees resting on three different parts of the roof--one
side is a pepper tree, but particulary the other--two mulberrys.
Looking out the window, the sills are black with ash/soot. The pool looks a
mess but haven't gotten out to that part yet. We have almost an acre with lots
of foliage. Our roof is now tile--that was replaced after we had to have the
house rebuilt after the last big earthquake. (We were out of the house for
over 2 years and wondered if stress of that contributed to cancer in some way).
At one point I was scrubbing out insides of kitchen cupboards--that were
melamine lined pressed wood. I had wanted them replaced with what we had
before--all wood--because of cancer-risk. The contractor had different ideas.
We could have taken the contractors to court but that would have been even more
stressful, so we 'ate it.' However, I wound up with all the symptoms of
formaldehyde poisoning and am wondering if that in any way contributed to the
aggressiveness of the b.c.
As far as the fire my heart goes out to all those whose homes were lost and
even more to those who died in the fire and their families--so sad...

catharine honeyman

I hope so, too. I know several people in S California and my fingers are
crossed for all of them. Most of them are in urban LA, though. They are
e-mailing me and our friends almost hourly to report that they are safe. I
must say, though, if the chapparal (or whatever you call the SoCal biome)
that developers appear to be encroaching into further and further every
year is *designed* to burn yearly or so, why are people being allowed to
build in those areas? Or at least denied insurance, and thus no mortgage.

It's like people who always scratch their heads as they crawl out from the
wreckage of their condo on a barrier island off of the Carolinas and cry
"Why us?" It's called a BARRIER ISLAND for a reason, ya dumb clucks.

Now, my dear friends who are going to twit me for moving to Volcano,
Volcano is *uphill* and *upwind* of Kilauea and Pu'u O'o craters, which
are the only ones that are active right now. Very few people who live in
places like Royal Gardens, which was a subdivision downhill from Kilauea
completely covered by lava a few years ago, have moved back. They got the
message the first time.

Oooh. Can you tell I'm not in a good mood? My sincere sympathy to anyone
whose lives are being affected by the fires. I'll shut up now.

--
Aloha,
Catharine

titubant sed non decidunt wiblia

kaye301

<< why are people being allowed to
build in those areas? >>

Hmmm, my dad used to say that...definately makes sense...

<< Oooh. Can you tell I'm not in a good mood? My sincere sympathy to anyone
whose lives are being affected by the fires. I'll shut up now.


Uh oh...hope you are feeling okay...
As far as the fire, it is surreal. My condolences or best thoughts and prayers
go out to those whose lives have been disrupted in some way by these fires.
We have been fortunate. According to a map in our local paper (if accurate),
the fire came within about 6 miles of our home. Ash was floating down from the
ceiling of our 2nd story computer room--seemed to be coming in from the air
conditioning vents--which may have meant the flue to the chimney was open--or
just through the screen from the open upstairs bathroom window. It was quite
eerie.
The gals I am in training with for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer 3-day and I
decided to walk outside the area along the beach last Sunday. However, I am
now hearing that being in areas further away may actually be problematic.
That's because the residue is smaller and can more easily get into one's
lungs--at least that's what they're saying on the radio. If that's the case, I
am wondering how long the particles will remain in the air and when it will be
again safe to do long-distance training. I am wondering if it would be better
to remain inside with the air conditioner on (and flue and windows closed) and
use the treadmill???

pat from apple valley, ca

Your AC only works if it recirculates the air and cleans it. If you just
have the normal AC it brings in the air from outside to cool and you get
the smell and smoke. We started to smell it as soon as we turned on the
AC so stopped it and just ran the exhaust fans in the bathrooms and
kitchen. Cleared the air pretty quickly. We had terrible smoke yesterday
and the sun was just a little red ball all day. We had piles of ash by
the doors. Today with 40+ winds the air looks pretty good..The winds
should help where you are since it is coming from the west and pushing
it all the way to us and then to AZ. those poor people...My sympathy's
also to the fire victims..It really looks terrible from where I
live...Pat from Apple Valley, CA

kaye301

have the normal AC it brings in the air from outside to cool and you get
the smell and smoke >>

Right. However, at the time I saw ashes coming in, it hadn't been on. In fact
our upstairs air conditioniner stopped working a few weeks before. We need to
get it replaced.
We have been okay for the past 2 days. The air out here is so much better than
it had been. Tonight there was the most incredible sunset with glowing white
light through the clouds--almost mystically religous in nature. It reminded
me of paintings of that nature.
My thoughts also go out to the victims and their families.

mary k farrell

Hi, Kaye:
How are you doing up there now? I'm here in San Diego. Fortunately, I
live about a mile from the beach; the fire got within 10 miles of us and
burned some of MCAS Miramar, Kearney Mesa, and Clairemont. We had a niece,
her fiancé, and their two BIG dogs move in with us and our cat. They lived
in Tierrasanta. The fire came within two houses of them. Another niece in
Tierrasanta said the fire burned right up to her front lawn.
Our air at the beach is finally somewhat clean now that the winds are
blowing from the ocean. But the fire is still raging and less than 20%
contained. I feel so sad about all the homes lost, and the lives lost. One
fireman from Novato came down and lost his life. Now his young children will
have to grow up without him. It breaks my heart.
They're going to be doing some serious investigations here in San Diego.
Turns out the biggest fire here was reported at 4:00 PM on Saturday, but no
fire service was sent out until almost 5 HOURS after the first report.
I hope you're all okay. Praying that these fires will stop soon and no
one else will lose their lives or homes.
Mary K


reminded