Oh! The Glory of Water Falling From the Sky!

It has been far too long since we have seen water falling from the sky in these parts. Last winter I think I could count, in a period of six months, perhaps five days of rain, maybe ten, but almost certainly no more than that.

Today it’s raining and it’s glorious! I’m so excited by the look and sound of it that I did something I would normally never do. I went out and I walked in it. Just a short jaunt down the street to the other office and back. Enough to get wet and have to use paper towels on my hair to get rid of the water.

It felt wonderful on the skin and in the nose because the air is soft and damp, everything smells rich and full. It’s beautiful.

Normally I don’t walk in the rain because I don’t like being cold. Even if there’s the promise of warmth at the end, the being cold is something I don’t like, so I ordinarily avoid it; particularly if it means sitting around in damp clothes waiting for them to dry. As I did this afternoon.

I will watch rain from an open window, breathing the smells and feeling the damp. I will snuggle under blankets and close my eyes just to listen to the tapping on a roof. Rarely do I deliberately go out and just walk, but I did today and then I was cold but it was so worth it.

It is a double-blessing because of the fire up in Lake County. With the rain falling here, I’m sure it’s falling there, too. With any luck, it’s at least knocking the flames down and, with a bit of good luck, it will be enough to let the firefighters get a handle on the thing before it dries out and heats back up tomorrow. Over the weekend, we’re projected to have our normal ‘Indian Summer’ weather of hot days and cool nights.

Maybe we'll be extremely lucky and this rain front will reach across and have an effect on the Butte fire that's burning in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

One of the ladies with whom I work who was displaced came in to work today for the first time since the fire started. She still hasn’t been able to get into her property to check on things. Her landlord, a fire chief in the area up there, did go and check. As of two days ago, the house was still standing but the fire circled back. According to the information she has, it missed again, so she’s been twice lucky. A benefit to living near the bottom of a hollow - a low point in a fold of the hills.

The poor thing though! She looks worn out and fragile - as she well might. Her hair and clothes smell like smoke. I know, because I hugged her. I'm not normally a hugger - I like people but I only hug those I know well. Today, though, I was so happy to see her safe and well I couldn't help myself. She’s an emotional wreck and cried when we hugged, cried again when I walked her back to the office and she was greeted by everyone there.

This too shall pass, but it is a salutary reminder of how important friends are. As I said the other day, we have been lucky in that none of our employees have lost their homes, so far as we yet know. Others have not been so lucky, and that is terribly sad to know.

Be safe and well. Hug your friends and family and be thankful for what you have.

Best~

Philippa

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Why Do Some People Play The 'Blame Game'?

Very sad news from Lake County last night. One woman, Barbara McWilliams who was 72-years old with multiple sclerosis, died in the Valley Fire that is still burning. I learned of this on Facebook this morning, along with the FB post that prompted me to write this.

The FB post blames emergency personnel for not "doing something". Perhaps this individual who put it up spoke from emotion rather than logic and has since thought better of it, but I still feel compelled to speak up about this kind of 'blame game'. It happens far too often and, perhaps, this will give someone pause in future.

At least one of her neighbors who knew Ms. McWilliams was there stopped to help her. They offered to take her to safety while they were in the midst of evacuating themselves, but she declined. She probably didn't realize how bad it was and thought she would 'ride it out'.

By the time her family realized what was going on, it was too late. The area was cordoned off and fire crews and law enforcement had their hands full trying to get others out, keep the roads clear for the fire equipment and so on.

It's horrible. It's tragic. Unfortunately, it almost couldn't be helped given the entirety of the situation if the woman wouldn't agree to leave when she had the time and opportunity.

It's easy after the fact to point fingers and place blame. Which is what got me started on this. A post on Facebook where one woman "demanded" to know why "someone" didn't do "something" - laying blame squarely on the doorstep of the emergency crews. Another, Ms. McWilliams's caretaker, is doing the same.

This is an ugly sport in which people participate. When something like this happens, fingers fly and blame soars. But I cannot help but ask everyone to stop and answer one simple question: What were emergency workers - already spread thin across the state of California - supposed to do when there were hundreds of other people trying to get out, to find safety?

Take a look at this map:

These are the fires currently burning in California. How many thousands of exhausted, overstretched firefighters are on the lines of those fires, working ten, twelve, fourteen and more hours per day with little rest, doing their level best to keep things from getting worse? How many sheriff's deputies, CHP and police officers - on and off duty - are helping to keep things moving around these fire zones, to keep the way clear for firefighters and emergency crews? Yet people lay blame and, personally, I think that's shameful.

Yes, Barbara McWilliams's death is tragic and horrible, but it's no one's fault. Except, and yes, I will be "brave" enough to say it, perhaps her own for refusing the ride to safety when it was offered.

It's not as if she was deliberately left behind by the emergency crews. No one laughed and pointed and said, "Sorry, no ride for you!" Now that, if they had, would have been beyond criminal - but no one did.

Instead, they tried. The neighbor tried. Emergency crews, when they had the opportunity, tried but, by then, it was too late.

I am terribly sorry for Ms. McWilliams's death. My heart and prayers, along with those of many others, go out to her family but, knowing the little that I do about this woman, I don't think she would be proud or pleased to know that others are blaming the people who were and are doing their level best to save lives and property.

Think about that and, instead of laying blame try offering a hand and a quiet 'thank you'.

Philippa

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