Tuesday - COVID197 and FIRE41

I got up on time and got plenty of work done today.  Bex went to a friend's house.  About the time I was thinking of checking in with her on when she planned to come home, I got a PulsePoint notification of a vegetation fire nearby.  I sat up, turned off the TV, and got busy.  Below is what I posted on Facebook after I had a chance to settle down.

9:11 p.m. I get a PulsePoint notification. Vegetation fire at Sweetwater Springs Road. I look at the map. It's too close. I start packing. I call Becca, who is at a friend's house in Santa Rosa, and she starts heading home.

9:14 p.m. I'm on the phone with Tammy and have texted

Jessica

.

9:24 p.m. I remember to call my landlady/neighbor to let her know.

9:30 to 9:40 p.m. I'm packing. Becca arrives and she packs her car. I talk to Jess and to Tammy and we finally figure out that it is a smoldering log in the Walbridge contained burn area about 2-3 miles from my house. Tammy and Jess had all of their resources at their fingertips - maps and cameras and solid sources of information. They were a lifeline while I got everything ready. By the time we had that info, absolutely everything was packed in the car and I had laid this out on the counter for my final note to first responders letting them know the time that I evacuated. All that needed to be loaded in the cars were animals.

Sarah Stierch said it best on Twitter:

MT JACKSON #WALBRIDGEFIRE UPDATE - it's a smoldering log. They'll be taking care of it. Not too worried. Going to start a hashtag: #WalbridgeTheFireThatWillNeverEnd

Then she said when all of this is over she wants to start a punk band called Mt. Jackson and the Repeaters.

I am emotionally spent. I am so fucking ready it is ridiculous. And when the trailer's done, we will be real pros at this stupid stupid thing that we have to do.

But we are safe. And more prepared than ever. All I could muster the energy to do was bring in my crocheting bag for the night. I'll sleep in my clothes. Again.

So I'm pretty pooped at this point. And yes, I'll sleep in my clothes tonight. And Oliver the cat thinks he's going to die because I packed his food dish. He'll survive.

We are safe and well and prepared. I hope you are too.

Monday - COVID196 and FIRE40

Bex woke me at about 8am as I'd requested.  I wanted to go back to sleep so bad but had to pee, and by the time I did that and fed the little animals, there was no going back to sleep.

The Shady Fire still roars on and further evacuations were ordered in the four hours I slept as it gets closer to Santa Rosa proper.  The horizon was blanketed in dark smoke and the sky was brown, sun orange.

The day was intense, both with work and with watching the fire.  Finally late in the day, Bex and I drove to town together to pick up a pizza for dinner and it felt good to both of us to drive and listen to music and not think constantly about the fire and threat of fire and past fire experiences.

I had a chance to talk to my parents and to Tam today.

The air cleared when we went out and I actually smelled skunk when we did chores.  But within an hour or two, the air turned smoky again and I needed to close the window that was letting cool air into the 80-degree-house.  I heard a helicopter overhead but because the radar app I use is down, I couldn't see what it was or where it was heading.  I had to let that go.  Maybe it was REACH on its way to help someone in need.  

So we scan the maps again before bed and stay packed and ready to go and hope to get some rest tonight.  It's hard to be sleepy but not want to sleep.

With all that is going on, we are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Sunday - COVID195 and FIRE39

I tossed and turned last night.  I didn't want to get up but body aches told me it would be better if I did.

Thanks to Jon, we have the 2x4s we need to finish the trailer.  We expect to work on that next weekend, if the place is still standing.

I made lemongrass paste which is an ingredient in the curry paste I intended to also make, but I was pretty pooped after that.  I put some of that into a jar and brought it to Jess when I picked up groceries in the evening from her house.  I also picked up from the mailbox a Sunday delivery of another cute outfit for Bella.  It was too hot to try it on her but I am looking forward to it!

While we watched the Glass Fire in Napa County, suddenly new fires sprang up closer to family and friends in Santa Rosa.  About the time I was tracking the new Shady Fire, I received notification of a fire closer to home outside of Monte Rio.  It was a tense night, putting everything in the car except for two bags and the pet carriers.  I watched in horror as the fire approached Santa Rosa and began to eat at the senior living community of Oakmont, burning everything in its path along Highway 12 and beginning to overlap the horror of the Tubbs Fire in 2017.

I got work about 2:30 a.m. that the fire in Monte Rio was contained to about an acre and had been started by a homeless encampment.  It took until 4:00 a.m. for me to finally get tired enough to try to sleep - fully clothed.  I sent a text to Bex asking her to wake me when she got the message.

We are tired and stressed but we are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Saturday - COVID194 and FIRE38

 I woke up early, surprisingly, since the wind kept waking me up overnight.  All I could think about was hidden smoldering logs and trees catching fire with the strong dose of oxygen.  All was well when I woke, and I started the day ready to get some work done on the trailer.

Jessica and I started replacing the temporary screws in the trailer and then Tammy joined us to cut and install support 2x4s inside the trailer.  We called it a day when we ran out of 2x4s and only have 4 more to install before we can put on the roof and door.  It's close and is looking good!

I spent the afternoon recovering.

The wind has kicked up again in a big way.  Our inside gear is packed and ready in case we need to evacuate again and we're keeping an eye on maps.

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Friday - COVID193 and FIRE37

I thought I could get a good morning's work in but overslept AGAIN, this time until 10am!  I am so tired and am not sure why.

I kept busy all day and then relaxed after dinner.  The wind kicked up tonight and I smell smoke.  There's no activity that I can see but it put me on edge enough to pull together things more that need to be taken from the house.  This is frustrating and stressful and enervating.

We'll work on the trailer tomorrow and I hope I find my energy again.

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Thursday - COVID192 and FIRE36

I turned off the alarm.  And then I rolled out of bed quickly and started moving before looking at the clock to confirm my suspicion - I got up late.  I had an hour to do chores, get dressed, AND to travel to south Santa Rosa.  Thankfully I wasn't too late and they were not at all put out.  I have a feeling since they opened at 9am, they were grateful that I wasn't standing at the door when it was unlocked.

The estimate was 1 1/2 to 2 hours and they had the trailer hitch installed in a little over an hour.  I was told they had more people available to work on it so it went more quickly.  I chose the right receiver and ball, they put put that together for me.  Paid and walked out feeling accomplished.

I picked up some feed on my way to Jessi's to drop off a few food items to her I've been collecting.

I had a Zoom conference with my workmates shortly after arriving home which was productive.

Bella checked out the chickens today and then got spooked when one of them made a loud noise in the nesting box.  She is sporting her new PJs from Mom tonight.  

Bex made Alfredo pasta for dinner and I helped.  It is always good!  She makes the sauce from scratch and is quite the pro at it.

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Wednesday - COVID191 and FIRE35

I got up on time this morning and easily made my appointment.  I was able to dive into work but about halfway through really just wanted to take a break for the day.  I made it through, despite feeling kind of off.

I made salsa and we layered that with other ingredients for taco bowls tonight.  It turned out good.

We watched TV too late and I need to be up on time to get the car in for the trailer hitch install tomorrow morning.

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Tuesday - COVID190 and FIRE35

Damn, I was tired.  I turned off the alarm and slept until 9am.  

It was a work day.  I was going to get chicken feed and forgot about it.  Luckily I don't wait until the last minute, so I can order it tomorrow for curbside pickup and the chickens won't go hungry.

A helicopter flew over this afternoon which created a little feeling of panic.  Bex and I both pull out our phones to check maps and media and radar tracker.  I kept the radar app open until the flight ended for the second copter that flew over was done.  It is hanging out over Walbridge and I know there are a couple spots that are being troublesome and the fire is not fully contained yet.  I'm getting better at getting through the scares.

I made enchilada sauce from scratch.  Need to make salsa next and then I can make the dinner I'm planning.  I also have Thai recipes on the list to make.  It's been challenging finding the energy after working all day.

I  relaxed with Bex this evening and wasn't tired (still am not) so stayed up late.  I have an 8am appointment so I am making myself try to sleep.  

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Monday - COVID189 and FIRE34

I had a hard time getting up with the alarm this morning.  As I was getting ready to go to bed last night, I received a notification of a vegetation fire near Guerneville.  I waited until they said forward progress was stopped and two hours for mop-up, and then had a hard time coming down from the preparation Bex and I did to be 100% ready to go.

It was Monday, so a work day.  I took a long lunch to spend time with Bex.

While we were evacuated, the mice decided that this would be a good place to hang out.  I've set a Rat Zapper under the sink in my bathroom and have been catching one, two, and sometimes three a day since we returned, sometimes two at a time.  Yesterday, the light was blinking so I took the trap outside to dump it.  And all that fell out was a Q-Tip.  Are they that smart or was it accidental?  I quit baiting the trap after that because the Q-Tip triggered the plate, turning it off, and the bait was gone.  I can't believe they were smart enough to do that deliberately.  The trap works fine without bait.

It's been a long Monday, a little warm this afternoon, but apparently not as hot as it will be next weekend.  We're bracing ourselves for anything.

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Sunday - COVID188 and FIRE33

I slept past 7 again and it was nice.  It was smoky again today and I couldn't see the hills or Mt. St. Helena.

The morning sped by and Bex and I went out to pick up groceries from Jess.  We stopped in quickly at the Thai market and fell in love with the place and all of the fascinating food there.  I'll be making lemongrass paste to use in the curry paste recipe Jess gave me.  Then of course I use the curry paste for the curry dish I made this week and we loved.  I'm sure our cooking repertoire will be expanding with this new culinary adventure.

Bex and I watched TV and I crocheted again.  I'm on the second square of a blanket that I've merged two patterns to create and I think I finally figured out how it should work.  The center is the most fun to make.  

I can't believe it's the end of the weekend already and my list of things to do is not much shorter than it was Friday night.  But I was able to rest some and needed that.

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.