A New Sun Rise

This morning I drank my coffee in the back yard, watching the sun rise over the hills and feeling damned grateful that I still have a home.

It's been hellacious in Southern California. Every year we get these winds, but this year, they are the worst I can remember. Combined with the dry humidity and the fact that we have drought conditions, it's little wonder that treacherous fire storms have erupted.

Whenever we get these fires, I hear snarky criticism about people for building too close to hills or whatever. In some cases, yes, people are taking risks. But with the Santa Ana winds, it doesn't matter where you live. The embers are carried MILES and start fires even on flatland tract homes. The flames are whipped up so fast by the winds blowing at 50 to 100 miles an hour that there's little anyone can do.

I'm pretty sure all of us in So Cal know someone who has been evacuated and is waiting to hear if they still have a home. I feel terrible for them.

One thing I'm grateful for is our firefighters and police departments. The firefighters have worked tirelessly. They put up with flack from people not wanting to leave their homes, and with constant second guessing from laymen. But they do their job, saving lives and as many structures they can. The police lend a hand with evacuations, crowd control, looting (which infuriates me), tracking the arsonists, and just doing whatever is needed. Everyone is working their butts off. I can't say this enough: I am grateful.

So this morning I went out back to check the pool that I spent two hours yesterday trying to clean, but I stayed to watch the hope of a new sun rise in Southern California.