Firestorm 2007

Here are pictures from Monday early am. The fires at this point were quite far. When we received the call for mandatory evacuation the smoke was very thick. It almost felt like you needed to push the smoke with your hands. The ash was falling like snow and our eyes were burning. The winds were so very strong from Sunday night and all day on Monday. We evacuated south to Sorrento Valley. We thought that we would stay there the night, but the fires continued west and south. So at 9:30 pm we received the call to evacuate once again. We all left and went south to La Jolla. We were graciously welcomed to the home of, to me, strangers. I brought our cat with us from house to house. I had to leave my bird. I was afraid that just bringing her to the car would have killed her from the smoke.

Tuesday afternoon we were cleared to go back to Sorrento Valley, but not back home to Carmel Valley. The air was clearer there so I decided to go the 5 miles north back home, if just to take a shower and return. The streets were earily quiet and there was still ash falling all around us. The wind was quiet and when we returned there were maybe only 1/3 of our neighborhood home. By Wednesday night some more of our neighbors were returning.

What did I do? I knit and knit and knit. GeorgeAnne is organizing and seaming blankets for those who lost their homes and were and will be displaced for some time. So I knit 8" squares for her. If anyone would love to help go to GeorgeAnne's blog to read details. She has also organized a group on Ravelry for the same purpose.

I hope all of you are home and safe. My prayers and thoughts are with all those still fighting the fires and to those who have lost all. Peace.