Greetings all this mid-week Wednesday morning!
Things here at Blog Central are beginning to settle into a fire routine--quiet mornings, interesting mid-days, chaotic late afternoons/early evenings and then the "settling in" during the evening hours after the wind dies down and the inversion layer "blankets in" (my phrase, not forestfightingese--perhaps I can add to their [substantial] private dictionary of terms!]).
A few "Top Ten" observations (in no particular ranking or order--I am too tired for that skill set today):
(1) I just realized this morning that I have not shaved for five days, and, more relevant, hadn't even realized that I hadn't shaved. Now that doesn't seem too radical of an observation until you realize that that has never happened to me before--never. We have a neighborhood fire meeting with Incident Command at 7:00 tonite and I might just shock everyone by showing up with carved Fu Man Chu whiskers (in infancy form that is).
(2) I hurt. My Achilles heel in my right foot has been somehow bent out of shape and, everytime I get up from sitting down, I have to brace myself to keep from falling down. Also, my hands and fingers hurt like heck. Law school and its practice over the last 35 years had neither course or ongoing continuing education in fire fighting, and it is a demanding task. Cuts, wasp stings, strain, doing things quickly that you normally wouldn't even consider doing slowly all add up to take their toll, witness: My fingertips hurt just typing this note--which may have its blessing in shortening things!
(3) Our "other home" is in the San Francisco Bay Area; we have fog there in the same manner that we now have smoke here. Waking up (late, blessedly, as I did today) creates an immediate orientation issue for us now: Looking outside, "Just which house am I in??" Smelling the smoke outside ususally resolves that issue, but then again we could have smoke in self-perceived ritzy Marin County, too (but I think they are considering passing an ordinance banning that carcinogistic substance--seriously...smoke, quiche and hot tubs just don't blend well, unless smoked cheese is involved).
(4) The true wonderfulness of the fire crews shouts forth day after day in both large and small ways. Whether its the brass or, more importantly, the I.A.'s, this is an awesome assemblage of human tallent whose spirit, sense of purpose, great humor and dedication are emblematic and indicative that the core of this country of ours is still sound, though its growing fringe elements seem to both grow in size and garner most of the press. Maybe someone can pick up the mantel and tell this wonderful story of Americana....come to think of it, maybe I will--or maybe I already have.
(5) I have client appointment calls this morning (for the first time in over a week)--another sign that "nomalcy" in chaos can and does exist. I even read Mark's loan documents late last evening!
(6) Kathy, now, first thing in the morning says "turn on the coffee" instead of "how is the fire": We have learned to adjust.
(7) Our dog, Sir, now again frequently chases his friends the chipmunks around the yard (it is a good thing that we feed this cockerish Cocker Spaniel, as he would surely starve based on his lack of successful hunting) rather than plaintiffly looking skyward or staying right at our heels in fear of his surroundings. He has learned to adjust.
(8) I seldom have to introduce myself to the fire fighters--with but few execptions, we have already met and know each other's names. See (4) above as being applicable to the troops from Montana, Idaho, Alaska, Virginia, Oregon, Arizona, Florida, New Mexico, Florida or (that other place) California--yes, that is the diversity of the assemblage. As of yesterday, 479 personnel were assigned to the Sawmill Complex, well over half of those to our Sawmill Gulch/Bear Gulch subset--yes, folks, we have greeted and met well in excess of 250 people during our fire watch here.
(9) Fighting fires is an expensive and dangerous business. Falling trees, "rollers", whipping winds ladened with embers and ash, and rugged terrain spiced with irradic weather all make for a dangerous bouillabaisse. The cost of fighting this Sawmill Complex set of fires, posted as of yesterday, is right at $2.0 million dollars, and increases quickly on a daily basis in hundred thousand dollar intervals.
(10) I have an undying respect for the individuals who have chosen to dedicate their lives fighting fires. 16 hour, fourteen back-to-back days are a normal "gig" and, after just ten days of being with them, step by step, my candle is burnt. What a truly dedicated and wonderful blessing they each are to this special part of the world (as well as the fire that they just came from and the fire that they will next go to, until winter brings a "season ending event").
Best to all from the scene of it all,
RCR
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