the id, the ego, & the single misfiring brain cell

Title thanks to Mary, who suggested it last year, when I was writing about the same thing from Turkey and I called it "london bridge is falling down." It's that time of year again, boys and girls, and this time, we may not escape the ravages of Mother Nature's forest cleansing machine. 

Yesterday afternoon, I left work around 1:30 (?) to go home so I could get some work done (seems counterintuitive, but you just have to trust me here). By the time I got there and was settling down with a nice bowl of chicken soup, I read Mich's status update: "Please. No fire in Black Forest."

Oh. No. It appears that a conflagration had erupted around Hwy 83 and Shoup Road, several miles southwest of us. Problem? Record heat (triple digits) and respectable winds (20-40 mph gusts)...and the wind was blowing in our direction. 

Mich left work as early as she could to come help pack us out. She called after she should have been home to let me know that I needed to be packing now. Our two main access roads had been closed and she had to come home in a very roundabout way. We starting piling up the things we planned to NOT leave by the door, while asking friends in social media for more suggestions (to make sure we didn't forget anything important). When Mich got home, we found birth certificates, social security cards, mortgage/lease agreements, photos, marriage license, random electronic equipment, and of course a pile of Turkish carpets and some artwork. And all the pets. Oh...and a few clothes. I think we grabbed toothbrushes, too. Before we were finished, our electricity died. I hear it's out all over that region now. 

We had to drive out the back way, down Morgan Road, emerging in Monument on Hwy 105 around 9:30 last night. Several people had offered to take us in, but I doubt most of them took four cats and a moderately-sized affectionate dog into the equasion. We called Chris, and she said, "Why aren't you here?" So on we came. 

We left before they even gave us a preliminary evacuation order, about 16 hours ago. As of about an hour ago, though, our home is in a mandatory evacuation area. 

That only thing I keep thinking is "it's just stuff, it's just stuff, it's just stuff." 

And we have insurance. 

But when (if?) you lose your home to fire, it is not analytical, no matter how much you want it to be, is it? We're invested in that place. We've done so much work on it, cleaning the land, building the fence, planting flowers and a vegetable/herb garden, disposing of trash, getting the garages clean and ready for a summer of activity.....

It's hard watching this. 

I don't know if it will survive this firestorm. I can only hope. If it doesn't, though, we'll still be fine. We always are. 

(And in the middle of all this, I was delighted to hear that CNN had finally set up live coverage of the "breaking news" in Istanbul and the rest of Turkey that has been going on over two weeks now. I'm proud that one of our main media outlets has decided to cover this event , particularly since Turkish media refuses to acknowledge it is happening. I've been waiting for this. Go USA!)

Y'all be good to each other. K?

d