I can't say I'm a big fan of heat (high 90s), but I sure did appreciate the clear blue sky overhead all day yesterday. Keep 'em coming! I haven't seen the news yet today so I don't know how it's going up at Tahoe. That should come to a screeching halt! (As long as I'm issuing orders.)
There's not much new to report on the home front, and that's okay, too.
Stay safe. Be well.
Dave, one of my avid fire watchers, excitedly called early yesterday morning. "Mom, there are no fires at all in your vicinity!" I had already noticed that there was little to no smoke in the air for a change. That, and Dave's news, finally allowed me to take a deep breath. What a relief!
I scared myself silly in the afternoon. I was in the kitchen and glanced out a window in the breakfast room. Oh no! I saw two patches of bright orange across the road on the hillside. OMG, not only fire, but fire so close to home. I thought, "Well, we're for it now." Looking closer, the patches weren't moving. Oh good grief, they were patches of sunlight, something I hadn't seen in a long time.
There's some smoke today, not bad, but there. I'm going to hold onto the good thought.
Stay safe. Be well.
Two words are constantly on my mind and on my lips. Just two words, sometimes said in rapid succession, sometimes aloud, sometimes alone and often to others. I don't think I have ever meant Please and Thank you more heartfelt or sincerely.
Please keep us safe. Please let the west wind blow. Please let the power come back/stay on. Please protect my family and friends. I ask for a lot, and much has been granted.
Thank you for another day. Thank you for my loved ones. Thank you for Florence, my friend and provider. Thank you for Michael and the cats. Thank you for the firefighters who work in the midst of this terrible disaster. Thank you for the huge favors granted and so much that cannot be named.
The smoke is better today (not good, but better). Thank you.
Two more words. Stay safe. Be well.
Wow, I thought the smoke was bad yesterday, and it was, but nothing like this morning. I can't even see the edges of my property, let alone the hills. Feelings on days like this are a mixed bag of relief and sorrow...relief because it is just smoke, sorrow because others are suffering the fear and devastation of the raging fires to the north.
Tissues were close at hand all day as eyes dripped and nose leaked. It was even hard to take a deep breath. I don't need a crystal ball to tell me today is going to be more of the same, or worse.
I was still at the computer in the morning when a car came up the drive. Turned out to be two deputies who were patrolling in the event of looters (bastards!) and had seen my open door. It gave me a chance to thank them for all they're doing.
Florence came in the afternoon on one of her mercy missions. I'll never be able to thank her enough for bringing groceries and other needed supplies, plus it's grand to see my friend even for a short visit. Not only did she bring necessities (which always includes bananas), she handed me a bag with a McDonald's burger and fries! I can't count how many years it's been, and I shamelessly bit in, relishing every morsel.
I don't mind watching reruns on TV, but I could do without a repeat of smoke-filled air. Drip. Sniff.
Stay safe. Be well.
Eight a.m. I can't remember the last time I slept this late, but there's a good reason for it. My neighbor Chuck, who did evacuate, called at 4 a.m. to see if his house was on fire. Websites showed it might be. After fumbling and stumbling around in the dark with my walker, I could finally answer that we were safe for the time being. There is much less smoke here this morning, so I'm guessing the backburns they were setting worked. I can never say enough good things about the fire crews, ground and air. True heroes.
Well, let's see what today will bring.
Stay safe. Be well.
Under the circumstances, an uneventful day is just fine. What is shown on the news is very unsatisfactory regarding our area as the attention is now elsewhere, but in a way it's a case of 'no news is good news.' It means we're not in imminent danger. Yay. The fire is raging up toward Kyburz and again, bless the firefighters.
A friend stopped by. It was as I feared. He and his wife did evacuate and are staying locally, but he is not allowed to go back to his house. He has sneaked past by hiking up to check on things, but cannot drive up his road. Florence and Dan must have done some smooth talking to come here. The word is that the evac orders may not be lifted for a month. Aarrgh.
One can live under sustained stress just so long, so a dull day was just fine with me.
Stay safe. Be well.
It's been a rough week, no lie. With all that others have gone through and lost so much, I feel pretty wimpy complaining of more days without power. The silence and darkness just added to the fear of seeing more, closer smoke and waiting for flames to appear. At one point the Caldor fire was just over the hills to the east, but thanks to the heroic efforts of ground and air crews, it was stopped. Helicopter and planes worked well into the night, 11 p.m., to stop the spread. Bless them one and all.
No power, no TV, no way of knowing where and what was happening. It made me a crazy person. The only way to recharge the cell phone was to sit in the truck for an hour. Michael must have thought I'd gone batty as we sat with the engine running and not going anywhere. Having disobeyed the mandatory evacuation order, I didn't think they'd let me back in if I left. Florence, Dan, and Dave, my guardian angels, brought supplies Don't laugh, bananas were high on the list.
It's great to have the computer back again. It will be wonderful to have hot food. Running water and flushing toilets are a luxury beyond words. Michael and the cats were getting bottled water, courtesy of F&D.
As with life, there's no way to know what's going to happen next, but for the moment, we're here and safe.
Stay safe. Be well,
These are dark days for California, and quite literally for Farview Farm. The Caldor fire has wreaked havoc and devastation for so many. On Tuesday, I had arranged for a housekeeper to come put a dent in just the living room; a trial run as it were. That's about the time the smoke clouds were rising over the hills to the east. There was no way of knowing where the fire was or which way it was going. The irony did not escape me that I could be dust free and buried in ash.
Then the power went out. Losing touch with the world was terrifying with no way of knowing where the fire was going/coming. Believe me, ordinary days and nights without light or sound are very, very long. About midnight on the second night, sheriff's deputies came through the area announcing mandatory evacuation orders. After great consideration, I decided to stay put, but scared out of my wits.
The landline phone went out, but I had my cell and was able to stay in touch with family. My brother-in-law Stan kept me informed on the fire's progress, telling me it was to the east and going north. The town of Grizzly Flat has been destroyed. I haven't seen the news yet today.
Power was restored yesterday afternoon. The difference in attitude, the relief! I'm back in touch with the world and happy to be here.
Stay safe. Be well. God bless the firefighters.
Dave decided to ignore my heat warning and came up anyhow, a tremendous, welcome surprise. If I've missed anything during the pandemic, it's been my Kids. Oh, we've kept in contact, but a text or call just aren't the same as a face-to-face visit. Dave, always generous, arrived bearing gifts. Some necessities, some luxuries, and a bag of deconstructed tacos. In a recent conversation, I mentioned I had a craving for Taco Bell tacos...it's been years. All the fixings were in the bag in little containers. All I had to do last evening was put them together. Yum! KFC one night, Taco Bell tacos the next. I'm living high on the hog here and shall become positively portly.
It was grand to spend the better part of the day with my son and really get caught up. During our time together, I received a call from Larry, my Kid in Hawaii. It was almost like a reunion.
Later in the day, Florence and her crew of goat wranglers came to pick up the girls. With their departure, it is the end of Farview Farm as a real farm. I think of all the animals and fowl I've had over the years, and I'm sad, but it's for the best. All things in their own time. Florence sent me photos of Sheila and Tessie's new home. Beautiful manicured acreage and a barn that is the equivalent of the Taj Mahal. They'll be happy there.
It was smoky yesterday, but nothing like today, There are fires burning to the north and east of us, but I don't know yet how close. Smoke is so thick now it hangs like a heavy fog. I can barely see the hills across the way. Scary times.
All in all, it was a Grade A day.
Stay safe. Be well.
Oh, excuse me! That came out of nowhere, but should have been expected. Florence and Dan stopped by in the late afternoon and brought dinner! What a treat. Lack of appetite has been an ongoing problem for some time, but you'd never have known it if you'd seen me tear into that box of KFC All conversation came to a halt as I crunched and munched and wiped greasy fingers and mouth. Omigosh, it was so good. What I couldn't finish then kept calling my name later in the evening...nothing left but bones and empty containers now and I make no apologies. A huge thank you to my friends.
Sheila and Tessie are scheduled to leave today. Catching two goats in a large field is going to be quite a production. I think the trick will be treats, and goats' natural curiosity. I'll be sorry to see them go, but happy they're going to greener pastures.
Today is supposed to be the worst of the latest heat wave.before we get a break. Dave thought he might come up, but I gave him the choice to opt out, as much as I want to see him. It's not true that misery loves company.
I think I dreamed of fried chicken last night.
Stay safe. Be well.
With soaring temps, there's only one place you can find me... asleep in my chair. Sleep is the only way I know how to escape. Actually, don't worry about disturbing me because it's never a deep sleep and once a welcome phone call is over, sleep, like the heat, descends and I'm gone again. Sure doesn't leave much blog fodder.
Arrangements have been made to rehome the girls. All that remains is transport. Their new place sounds heavenly, and they'll be joining a herd of 17 other goats. They deserve this. It has me thinking back to the day when it took me all of 10 miles to convince Steve that we needed to get a pair of goats, Lucy and Esther. Little did I know what adventures lay in store.
Smoke from the northern fires blankets the hills and valley. While not a good thing, it does provide some blockage from the direct rays of the sun, the worst of two evils.
Stay safe. Be well.
Florence and Dan sent an unexpected text that they were coming to visit in the afternoon. Well, it would be grand to see them, but I was worried about sitting on the porch because the heat was soaring, I needn't have worried. When they got here, they simply said, "We're coming in." Nobody has been in my house since the beginning of the pandemic, and it shows,. Dust and cat fur abound. My pride took a big hit and it was a hard pill to swallow, but friendship means more than neglected housework. The reason for their visit was to bring the loan of a wheeled walker.
The inability to walk is now the bane of my existence, and it's difficult to get from one end of the house to the other, let alone from the living room to the kitchen. The walker has a seat so I can rest when I've made the trek from here to there. Old age hits hard, but, hey, ya take help when it's offered. I practically whizzed down the hall on a trial run after they'd left. What a difference.
Florence fed and watered the goats, something I've had trouble with of late. She's also going to try to rehome them. It's time to let go, and Sheila and Tessie deserve better care than I've been able to provide. It will be the end of an era, but the right thing to do.
In addition to the walker, my friends brought an assortment of goodies. Believe it, I gorged on donut holes and ice-cold watermelon chunks later on. The best part of the day was sitting together as we had in the old days, just two years ago.
The walker needs a horn so I can warn traffic of my approach.
It was a good day.
Stay safe. Be well.
See where this is going? I'm approaching the fruit that will go soft first. Today will definitely include the strawberries and a couple ears of corn while they're still crisp, but I've got my eye on that honeydew melon.
I don't plan on posting a daily menu, but I'm still in the thralls of all this bounty.
The smoke was so bad yesterday it was like perpetual twilight. The sun was a dim orange ball that never broke through to shine. The only good thing was that it was somewhat cooler. Poor California.
Stay safe. Be well.
Did I say I craved fresh? Well, I hit the mother lode of fresh! Another call from Camille, another, "I'm going shopping. What do you need?" She told me where she planned on stopping on her way back from Sacramento and if I could have, I'd have danced a jig. In summer, Hwy. Sixteen is a veritable farmers' market. There is a particular strawberry stand renowned for the most perfect, big, sweet and juicy berries. There's never a dud in a box. Steve stopped there so often and we ate so many that we both ended up with a strawberry rash. With much restraint I said, "Just one, please." One must know one's limitations.
However, I lost it when Cam said she was also going to stop at Davis Ranch. People come from far and wide to buy produce at Davis Ranch. What began as a sweet corn stand has expanded and become a cornucopia of vegetables, all picked fresh daily. I started by telling Camille, "Just four ears of corn, please," and then lost it. "Oh, get me one or two of whatever looks good."
I'm going to overdose on fruit and vegetables. Camille had also stopped again at the peach orchard, and bought a flat to split. There were strawberries, a honeydew melon, red peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, yellow summer squash, sweet corn, of course, and right now I can't think what else. It took several trips to get it all into the house. This personal shopper business is great!
It was a good day.
Stay safe, Be well.
One of my biggest issues right now is walking, so I don't do much of that anymore. Getting around the house is hard enough, and I was worried about getting the trash down to the big road. Swallowing my pride, I finally asked a seldom-seen neighbor if he would consider swinging by on his way down and take my stuff with his. "Consider it done," and he did and will. Nice man.
What with one thing ad another, Camille and I don't talk often these days, and it's been ages since we've seen one another. She called yesterday. "I'm shopping at Costco. What do you need?" She was whizzing around in one of those electric carts, and I got a running commentary as she cruised the aisles. There were only a few things I really needed, but anything fresh was high on the list, and bananas sounded good.
When she came by later, she'd also stopped at a local peach grower and she shared a couple of his renowned bounty. (I traded her some yakisoba packets.) The best part of this home delivery was that Cam had time to sit and have a long-overdue conversation. Due to Covid, it's been ages since we've seen each other and it was so pleasant to sit on the porch and play catch up.
The first thing I did when she left was bite into one of those perfect peaches. With juice running down my chin, all I could think of was my kind friends.
It was a good day.
Stay safe. Be well.
It's more than a little alarming to find a notice in your mailbox announcing that the County Superior Court is going to issue a bench warrant for your arrest if certain actions are not taken within twenty days, even more so when you realize that the date mentioned is long past. The notice was without an envelope so I can only think it was originally put in a neighbor's mailbox and they finally put it in mine.
This saga began back in April when I was pulled over and given a citation for out-of-date tags. It was a fix-it ticket, but it was the first and only ticket I've ever received in all my years of driving. The print was teeny-tiny and/or nearly illegible. The only thing that was clear was smog needed. No big deal, right? I went on line to pay back fees, but found I couldn't until a smog check was performed. Time was ticking, but these pesky health issues took over and everything got delayed.
Because of Truck's antiquity, my local shop couldn't perform the test, but they pointed me to a place down in town. It took a while to get an appointment, and when I did, they opened the hood and said, "We can't do it. A part is missing." Aarrgh. The locals could fix it, but they were booked for nearly two weeks. When they finally replaced the part, they told me to drive it for awhile before the smog check.
There I was, driving around with out-of-date tags, a citation in my purse, and an appointment, at long last, for the necessary smog check. As I wrote, Truck passed. That was the same day I found the notice of intent to arrest. It was last Friday, and I spent the weekend with visions of being hauled off in handcuffs, not a pretty sight. Yesterday, Monday, I finally got fees and penalties paid and can breathe a sigh of relief.
Take my word for it, crime does not pay.
Stay safe,. Be well.
