Aftermath, Beware Blackwater Smokescreen, and Santa Anas

It is being reported that mild Santa Anas are heading our way this weekend. Normally, most of us would not be alarmed by such a forecast, but under the present circumstances with three fires still burning in San Diego County, we are uneasy, jumpy, and hypervigilant. Do I unpack it all or do I leave everything stacked up and in the way but ready to go? I think I will compromise by repacking some things which can then be staged about the house and putting others away.

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The darkness before the dawn? No, it was the middle of a sunny afternoon that the first two of the following photos were taken. It was two days after the Cedar Fire of 03 ravaged Harbison Canyon. Picture #1 - an empty cold one rests on top of a destroyed restaurant table. Picture #2 - Canyon residents gathered for a meeting next to the smoldering ruins of The Canyon Inn. Picture # 3 - My husband across the street with our hose and a bucket putting out a spot fire three days after the burn. Air quality? There was none. These photos capture exactly the color of the ash-filled, still smoky air. A toxic, eerie environment.


BEWARE - Blackwater is scamming a scam behind a smokescreen in Potrero. While everyone is preoccupied with the loss of their homes or just trying to get back to normal after one hell of a stressful firestorm week, Blackwater USA is working a new angle to get at our tax dollars. Inspired by the inferno that roared through Potrero, Blackwater mercenaries want to be FIREMEN! They must be hoping that we all have smoke in our eyes to advance such an outlandish proposal. We don't. Please read the following articles:

1) "A Town Besieged: Potrero Residents Battling Blackwater Now Suffer Ravages of Wildfire" Here

2) "Blackwater's Base and the California Fires" - Here

3) "Blackwater to California: Hire Us to Put Out Your Fires" - Here

STOP BLACKWATER!!!

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The Santa Ana winds, for anyone who has never experienced them, are unique and dangerous. These seasonal winds occur from October through February. The "Devil Winds" form over the cold deserts, link up with the high pressure system over the Great Basin, race down the slopes, and tunnel through the canyons all the while heating up and gaining speed. These winds that blow and gust, hot and dry, westward across Southern California are capable of rising to hurricane velocity.

The temperature rises to beyond summer extreme and everything dries out. Lip balm and moisturizing lotions are required to survive a Santa Ana assault and anything that can be blown over or become air borne has to be battened down. Those with allergies or sinusitis suffer heightened discomfort and nose bleeds are common. During a Santa Ana the color of the sky brightens and intensifies and the air is clear. People and animals tense with an odd sort of restlessness that lasts until the "Vientos de Satan" blow out over the sea.

Fallen trees and fires aside, the most interesting trait of these winds is that they constantly change directions, lift, touch down again, and swirl. Some refer to them as the "Dancing Winds". One cannot trust their behavior. Sometimes they howl. Sometimes they swoosh but it is no gentle waltz they dance.

Someone long ago told me that the ancients believed that there are voices trapped in the Santa Ana winds. I've heard the voices twice during heavy Santa Anas. The first time 30 years ago, I was awakened to the winds blowing and what sounded like several people having a quiet discussion in the next room. When I went to the next room the murmuring moved to the room beyond. I made a cup of tea and sat up for several hours until the Santa Anas died down, and the conversation that I never could quite make out, ended. I heard them a second time 2 years later. Ever since whenever the Santa Anas blow, besides battening down and being on alert, I wonder what those who are trapped in the winds talk about and if I will hear them again.

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What if they gave a war and nobody came?
.............Kitchen Window Woman..............

Home Again and Bush's Wildfire Visits '03 and '07

Thank you all for your concern and encouraging messages. We came home last night after spending two nights down in the city. Harbison Canyon was spared the raging inferno this time around, at least so far...

We evacuated right after I posted the update on Monday afternoon. The winds were more powerful than we had ever experienced during the 22 years we have lived here. It was bending the China Berry trees almost in half and whipping the Pepper tree branches in all different directions. The air was filled with dust and debris, our windows were rattling, and we had to shout to be heard while we were loading the cars. It was then that the reverse 911 call came. We were urged strongly to leave on a voluntary basis. Given the wind and a fire down the road we were ready to go!

Did I mention that we no longer have a fire department in the Canyon? It burned down in the last fire. Our fire station and 50 of the 287 houses that burned have yet to be rebuilt. This is what was left of the station. We also lost two engines.



The wildfire situation here in San Diego County is as ripe with blogging material as it was in ' 03. Since I wasn't a blogger back then I'll blog about both. The politicians are on the radio and the television talking about the lessons learned and the improvements that have been put into practice since the Cedar Fire in 2003. Although there have been some improvements, I think they are busy framing their arguments to cover their asses because once this crisis is over and the ash settles, their unfilled promises will float before the public eye like a bevy of bloviating blimps.

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GO HOME BUSH!
Bush's last wildfire visit ( November of 2003) was several weeks after the flames had subsided but was just as disruptive to the recovery effort as his '07 wildfire visit today was to the fire fighting effort. Earlier this morning, while the usual flock of Bush supporters were bleating and baaing "Hail to the King" in anticipation of his hiney's stopover, the much needed fire fighting planes and helicopters were grounded. The fires were STILL BURNING and allowed to continue to burn for four hours without air cover to keep the sky clear for the president to do flyovers, speeches, and photo ops! Four hours during a wildfire is an eternity! WTF???

I am not the only Californian who wishes the Presiding Asshole would have stayed at home. We are sick to death of this president and all of the rest of the politicians with their attending entourages who have thrust themselves upon us during this difficult time.

BUSH WASN'T WELCOME HERE BACK THEN EITHER!
The school in Harbison Canyon remained closed for three weeks after the 2003 Cedar firestorm. Finally the day came for the students to return to school. Since the homes of many of the children had been destroyed in the fire, parents accompanied them to speak with the teachers and change the addresses in their children's paper work.

Minutes after their arrival, the school buzzer went off and a voice commanded that everyone remain in the classrooms with the shades drawn - the school was in lockdown. So the parents, teachers, and already traumatized children hunkered down and trembled. Several minutes later the principal explained over the intercom loudspeakers that two helicopters had landed on the playground. President Bush had come to assess the destruction in Harbison Canyon. They were then told not to look out of the windows.

Meanwhile, at our house in the canyon, my daughter and I prepared to walk down the block. We woke up that morning to the sounds of helicopters. The choppers were in the air back and forth for several hours. There were snipers on the tops of all of the hills. The secret service had ordered the two main roads in the Canyon closed so that the president's convoy of vehicles filled with his entourage could pass unmolested.

Once down the stairs that lead up the hill to our house we noticed a shiny new Mercedes parked across the street next to the burned hulk of car that had been left behind when the fire rushed through. Four or five young people dressed in power suits and ties got out of the car and noisily walked down the block in hopes of catching a glimpse of their Republican hero, George W. Bush. They either drove over the top of the hill just before it was cordoned off or they knew somebody BIG.

The fledgling suits soon disappeared from sight. They went a lot faster than we did because I use a cane. We arrived at the street corner just as a steady stream of limos, Hummers, and vans raced by at dangerous rates of speed on our narrow two lane winding road. The continual swoosh of air almost knocked us over as the VIPs blurred by. The Canyonites who lined both sides of the road shook their heads at the dangerous devil-may-care style of driving. It was dangerous for us, that is, as there are no sidewalks or curbs here. The president treats local speed limits like he does The Constitution.

We hung around for about 10 minutes and talked with neighbors who were equally unimpressed by the presidential drive-by. The driving performance was soon repeated on the return trip to the school after the President's photo op with "a carefully selected stricken family" ended. My daughter and I walked back up the road towards our house. We were just about home when we looked across the street. The Mercedes was gone. This is what we saw...



The Young Republicans had enjoyed a fast food picnic and used my neighbor's burned car as a table (not wanting to dirty their Mercedes). Then the well dressed youthful bunch (future leaders?) exhibited the indifferent lack of consideration so often displayed by their party members - they left behind their garbage for someone else to clean up! Amid so much destruction this was unthinkably rude and hurtful!

Once back at the school where the kids were still under lockdown, the Presider and his keepers boarded the helicopters and left. The snipers, secret service, drivers, limos, Hummers, and vans all disappeared as swiftly as they had come. Finally the children, staff, and parents were freed. George W. Bush DID NOT STOP TO VISIT with those kids - many of whom were fire victims. He could have done a little speech for them and let them see his helicopters. They would have been thrilled. Instead he chose to terrorize them with a lockdown!

One grandmother was so outraged she wrote a very angry letter to the White House and to the paper. Months later the children who were fire victims each got a glossy publicity photo complete with a simulated signature of the man who had no time for them. Recently Bush again turned his back on America's children by vetoing the SCHIP.
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We are all very tired probably because it has been so stressful especially after the last fire. This time we were threatened by two fires. We live between where the Harris and the Witch fires were burning. I hope all of our friends in San Diego County are OK and made it through this without loss. My heart goes out to those who have lost their homes or been injured. We will all pull together here like we did before to help those who need it. Many will need help and support for many months if not a year or two. The insurance companies do not make it easy, rebuilding is difficult, and finding an affordable place to rent in San Diego is nearly impossible.

*Note - I will answer the comment on the previous post (FIRE) tomorrow - my computer turn is over.

...........Kitchen Window Woman..........