Firefighters

This group of firefighters were having breakfast at a cafe next to the pet store where I went to get food for Ozzie. I asked them how they were doing  and they said 'tired'. They were happy to have their picture taken, before heading back into the fray, and I was happy to be able to thank them before they climbed back into their big red trucks. Reinforcements are beginning to arrive from all over the place. According to their arm patches, several of these fellows were from Australia.

Thank goodness there were no thunderstorms last night. The Wallbridge fire above us had burned for almost a week with 0% containment, but the perimeter hadn't gotten much bigger overnight and they had 5% containment.by  this morning. There are 465 firefighters, 70 engines, 33 bulldozers, 12 hand crews  and 21 water tenders pushing to get control of this fire as it heads toward  the towns of Healdsburg and Windsor. 

A CalFire chief  credited a 'lid' of smoke for suppressing the Wallbridge. fire's spread. It probably does that by depriving it of oxygen...the same thing it is doing to the rest of us. It's also lowering visibility and preventing the air tankers from flying. However, Blackhawk helicopters pulled water out of  vineyard ponds (extra) and Santa Rosa's own Huey1 rescue helicocpter  plucked two firefighters off a burning ridge with seconds to spare. I saw the footage on the  news and it was dramatic!

Somehow life goes on in this increasingly surreal world. My  Dancing Stars quilt is ready to be quilted, but I can't do it until the swelling goes down on my finger which was bitten/stung (apparently they can do both) by a wasp last night. I'm glad I had taken the stitches out of my leg in the morning because I don't think I would have been able to do it now.

I  thank all you wonderful blippers for your good wishes, crossed fingers, prayers and thoughts. They so help. Things are looking marginally better today. The nonfunctional battery which is so frustrating has fallen to the bottom of the list for the time being. I'm grateful they haven't turned off the power....