08.28.09

Smoke Gets in My Eyes

Posted in Uncategorized at 6:29 pm by Administrator

Another fiery day in Los Angeles. .  . Well, actually, not quite in Los Angeles proper, but around us.  It seems like every year we have fires due to all the dry brush and stuff around this area.  Once I saw a guy wearing a “tourist” T-shirt of California, which listed the “Seasons of California” as Earthquake season, Flood season (along the coast), Drought season, and Fire season.  Eh, I guess we’re currently in the fire and drought season. . . Last year we had fire all around us from San Diego to the South of us, Santa Monica Mountains to the west of us, Santa Barbara to the north of us, and the San Bernardino county to the east of us.  And boy oh boy was our air quality the pits.  The sky was also gloomy and smokey looking and we even had ashes drifting down on our homes and yards.  This year we’ve already had fires, and right now there are about three fires burning.   This morning I read that about 1,200 people were evacuated from Pacific Palisades, about 800 or some from La Canada Flintridge (IIRC), and then there was fire in the Angeles National Forest, which was the first one that broke out, to my knowledge.  I saw one of the fires from the freeway yesterday, so today knowing that I was heading back that way, I took my camera along to see if I could take any pictures while driving.  This is the first one I took from the 10 eastbound.

Yikes!  Obviously I wasn’t aiming in the right direction (I don’t usually drive on the freeway and take pics at the same time. . .) a bit on the high side!  But at least some of the brown smoke can be seen on the bottom half of the picture. . . Since I noticed that didn’t turn out too well, I tried another shot. . .

Eh, heheheheh, ha ha!  Strange angle, but again some of the brown smoke can be seen beyond the trees.  See the brown hazy stuff below the blue sky?  Course I didn’t like either of those shots, but by then I was passed the area and not able to try another shot.  I’m guessing this fire was the one near Pacific Palisades.
Driving along I saw that there “another” fire off in the distance.  I think this one was the one near La Canada Flintridge.  It was taken while still on the 10 E bound just before Downtown Los Angeles. See the big billow of smoke just beyond the trees.

Then while I was still zipping along to get to my friend, I saw yet “another” fire off of the San Bernardino freeway eastbound.

Cripes poor people who have to evacuate their homes. . . And boy is it a HOT, HOT day today!  I don’t know what the temp was, but I was a sweatin’.

Then on my way home this afternoon in Los Angeles just about 4 miles or so from my house going northbound this is what the smoke looked like.  I’m guessing this is the one near Pacific Palisades.

Ahhh, all that brown smoke filled with fire retardant and all those other noxious chemicals burning from buildings wafting through our air. . . just makes me feel like taking nice deep breaths. . . Breathe in. . . Breathe out. . . Breathe in. . .

Okay, so back to seriousness. . . whenever these fires strike and other disasters which cause people to lose their homes, I think about what if it were us?  Would I be prepared to leave my house?  Would I take anything?  Oh my gosh!  All my yarn!  I better organize so that I can make a quick “grab” of my precious. . . Other than that, I suppose as long as I got my kiddies and my hubby out with me, all should be well.  Although we do have a book collection that I would be sore to miss. . .

For now I count my blessings and thank God for another day.

Marlakins

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