Hopefully, this is the last fire blog....

As I was driving to the San Diego Airport yesterday morning, my husband and I took the "back way" over the mountains to Emmy's house. I wanted to stop at Em's house and print out my boarding pass and say goodbye to her and the kiddies and let Peter see the kids, especially Clarkie.

Anyway, remember that this back way was the escape route that Em and I had strategically planned in the event that she and her family had to evacuate. Much to my surprise and chagrin, parts of my beautiful drive and scenery were scorched beyond recognition due to the recent fires. But the most distressing part of the drive was that it was soooo close to my daughters house....so very very close. I actually wept as I drove through this post-apocalyptic scenery that got so close to Em's house and realized how blessed she was to have escaped, especially in light of El Nino winds, which picked up the winds and blew the fires arbitrarily, increasing the dangers and difficulty in predicting their behavior and controling them.

When we left her house and traveled along the 15-South to the San Diego Airport, the destruction continued but it was amazing to see evidence of the power of prayer and hardwork. There were acres of blackened destruction with spots of greenery right in the middle of it and I marvel at the little animals that must have huddled in there (those that were trapped who hadn't already escaped). Also, there were houses, completely unharmed within acres of burnt rubbled and blackened acreage. Again, it was very moving and we were in awe as we drove past. It was almost a sacred experience, not unlike one feels at a funeral...rather reverential, for what has passed. Fallbrook is known for its fertile valleys and I've always referred to it as the Garden of Eden, because that's what it looks like when you visit it...

Anyway, here's to the firefighters and the community, the birds, the grass, the trees, the flowers, the shrubs, the field mice, the cats, the dogs, and all creatures great and small..."and all creeping things"