January 2, 2008 by samantha.

I once heard that Southern California has no weather. Every day it is sunny without a cloud in the sky. And as much as this is the case, it is not always true. For instance, we are about to experience the worst storm since the 90’s. We are predicted to have strong winds, heavy rain, and chaos & pandemonium. I am so excited!!! I miss the rain and all the madness that goes with it. I will admit that Californians do not know how to drive in the rain, so I opt to stay off the streets. I usually bunker down with a bunch of rented movies and order a pizza. I would rather play it safe than sorry.

Unfortunately, rain is not such a great thing for Southern California. Do not get me wrong! We are in desperate need of rain. California is in a continuous drought. Even when we have a wet year, we are still praying for rain. But what I have noticed is that whenever we have a horrible fire season, it is followed by a wet winter. It sounds great since the rain will help to revitalize the burned areas, but instead we are hit with destructive mudslides. We have no rain or fires for a few years and then we are in a constant state of emergency for a year.

So what is the answer? I have my opinions. I have my solutions that will be controversial and many will disagree with. But right now, I am going to try to stay dry.

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October 24, 2007 by samantha.

For those of you who are calling and emailing, I think my grandmother’s house is okay. She is in Colorado through the weekend, so I will know as soon as she gets back. I have checked out all the websites that I can get information and all looks good. I am sure that she will have a hell of a mess to clean up when she gets home. The soot and ash is going to be nasty. I have tons of soot and ash and I was not even close to the fire, so I can only imagine what her house looks like.

The fires seem to be weakening and dare I say controllable. The Slide Fire, the one that is affecting me, is the one that is causing the most trouble at this point. Today, the smoke and smell were blowing my way. The wind was so strong and the smoke was so thick, that firefighters were told to back off. Thankfully this afternoon, the winds had shifted and I saw numerous firefighting planes flying over.

I am finding new ways to enjoy my week off. I am playing with friends, working with the dogs, and tackling the tasks that I have been avoiding. I am working on my college class and some boring school assignments. I am not even going to try cleaning up all the ash and dust until the fires are over. I did some light dusting today and 15 minutes later it was dusty again! Of course, I still Roomba everyday!!!

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October 23, 2007 by samantha.

Southern California is on fire and no one has any idea when it is going to end. Currently there are 17 fires burning and millions of people have been evacuated. The one that is closest to me is in Running Springs or the Slide Fire. It is about 20 miles away and I can see the flames at night. At the moment the wind is blowing all the smoke and ash away from me, but I can still smell the smoke at times. When the fire is far away I have no reason to panic. But since I can the fire from my couch, I am scared. It is so easy to say that there is no reason to be scared, but I am. I have gone into what I call hurricane mode- my bags are packed, my gas tank is full, and I have some cash. It is what I would do if a hurricane was coming and I figure the plan would work in cases just like this. I do have a few places I can stay if I do have to leave. To be honest, I do not think I will have to evacuate. I am far enough in town and as long as the winds do not shift, I am good. Thankfully a friend is staying with me. We went for a nice walk with the dogs and had a good dinner. It got my mind off of everything for a while.

The highlight of the day is that school has been cancelled for the week. Not because of the fires, but because of all the damage that the winds caused. It gives me time to complete the tasks that I have put off, hang out with the dogs, and got to lunch with friends. Which reminds me, thank you to all of you who have called. It makes me relax a bit and smile. I have no word on my grandmother’s house. I do know that the two fires that are in San Diego are close to merging. No one is allowed in the area yet. I pray that everything is okay. I could not imagine losing your husband and your home in the same year!

In a completely unrelated story, Ms. Ophelia has come down with a bacterial infection. I will spare you the details (call me if you want them), but she is doing great now. She is on some antibiotics and a bland diet for a week or so. I think she just likes going to the vet and getting all the attention. It was nice to spend some one on one time with her. I think Val enjoyed the time by herself. Of course, she practically knocked us down when we got home. I think spoiled rotten, only child Val is enjoying the roll of big sister.

Before I close, I have learned some good news that should make all of us feel better. Arnold Schwarzenegger and FEMA are here. President Bush is on his way. Were is Brownie????

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October 22, 2007 by samantha.

It feels like right now the only place not on fire in Southern California is Redlands. I do not want to jinx myself, but we are in the middle of it all. Malibu, San Diego, and the mountains all are on fire. Fire is a normal fall occurrence. Usually, I am not affected by it. Unfortunately, this is not true this time. My grandmother and aunt’s neighborhood is on fire. Just like hurricanes, they name fires. I find it a bit ironic that one affecting my family is called the Witch Fire. They were evacuated early this morning. They took what valuables and family memories that they could. It is hard to stay calm and relaxed knowing that their homes could be gone.

The one good thing is that I did not have to go to school today! Not because of a fire in the area, but because of the Santa Ana Winds. The winds have caused a massive dust storm and major power outages. Too bad I am too worried to enjoy the day off.

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