Hot...

...and getting hotter! We go from air conditioned house to air conditioned car to air conditioned destinations. All I can think about is people who are not fortunate enough to have access to these cool spaces. The county has finally opened a couple of cooling centers, but libraries, churches, and other spaces with air conditioning are stepping up. The town of Cloverdale, north of us was the only town in Sonoma County that still had a booth that sold so-called 'safe and sane' fireworks, but they finally saw the light and closed it down.  

Because of the high fire danger, I don't think there will even be any civic fireworks displays tomorrow and that is just fine with me. I was never a big fan of fireworks and this year I feel that
1) It would be really scary and
2) I'm not quite sure what we have to celebrate

The fire that was burning last weekend has been officially put out. A couple of wineries lost a few vines to fire and will probably have to drop their crops because of fire retardant dropped on them. Nobody is complaining. 

Now there is a fire burning in Calistoga near where several past fires started which burned over the hills behind us and into Sonoma County. Instead of turning into a firestorm these fires have had forward progress stopped before and contained within established fire lines. I can't imagine the hell those firefighters are experiencing in this heat and I really can't express how grateful I am to them. 

It was the volunteers of the Timber Cove fire department who made a stand at the top of our driveway and saved our house from the fate of the ones on either side of us. I sent them a check and a letter saying they should all go out for a steak dinner...on us!  I just read in the paper that the chief of this small department a hundred miles or so up the coast from here has just retired after 50 years on the job.

And putting out fires is only a small part of what firefighters do every day. They rescue people from cliffs or from the ocean. They treat victims of accidents or medical emergencies, they help elderly people who fall and can't get up. Every time I see a firefighter I get kind of choked up, even if they have just called by to see if we have sufficiently 'hardened' our property against fire.

So I think I will spend tomorrow celebrating firefighters and hoping that the elections in Britain go in a positive direction. It would give me hope for ours....