Two Black Dogs

I knew there was a reason we bought a dark brown couch....

Blake is here for the weekend while Dana and Jim and both boys are having a family vacation together (a rare occurrence) before the boys go back to school. She sent me a picture of the 'most beautiful run I've ever done'.*..They are staying at Sea Ranch up on the Mendocino Coast.

Two good series on the rebuilding front. Our friends Jerry and Mary are moving to their new rebuilt home after two years worth of frustration and delays. I'm trying to think of the perfect housewarming gift for them. Oddly enough, something new is probably the last thing they want since everything is new and they haven't had time to accumulate more personal items. As people begin to move into their completed homes, the common comment they have is that they feel like they are living in a hotel.

Cindy, my neighbor/realtor/home flipper extraordinaire told me this morning that their company sold the house across the street from us today to a lovely retired couple who lost their home in the fire and have been looking for a new home for two years. The housing market here is very unpredictable as we approach the two year anniversary of the fires and, for most people, the end of the time when insurance companies will cover their rent. This beautifully restored house has been on the market since May and I think Cindy is both relieved and excited. 'Everything happens for a reason' she says...

The helicopters have been strafing our house again today. The last time it happened we assumed they were certainly looking for an escaped fugitive. But no...it is our power company (PG&E) in what my friend calls 'CYA Mode'. They have been held liable for billions of dollars' worth of damages from fires caused by their poorly maintained equipment. I think they're just thumbing our noses at us.

*extra