San Diego: A Parable

Sorry for spamming my flist, but I'm sitting around bored with nothing to do but watch news reporters panic.

This will probably be offensive to some people who have lost their homes, and some people who, like me, are still in danger, but if you can't laugh about this, what can you do?

( San Diego: A Parable )

Next time: Something Worth Reading.

And It's Over

Just like that, it's over. Nobody says anything, but the wind has shifted early - it no longer smells like ashes, which means that the Santa Ana is beginning to break up. The fire is still progressing, but more slowly now, by feet and yards instead of miles. The roaring monster that leapt over a 10-lane freeway full of traffic is now a confused kitten, inching forward. A lot of homes will probably still be destroyed tomorrow, but the threat to the heavily populated coast region appears to have receeded.

A lot of homes did get destroyed, but civilian fatalities are very low (either one or two depending on who you read). And in some way, home destruction is expected. It's like buying a house in coastal Florida, or in the Mississippi flood plains, or on the San Francisco marina. It's a gamble - in the next big one, whatever that big one is, you could stand a chance of losing your house. A lot of people got unlucky this time, but they'll rebuild, and next time the fire comes to burn it down, they'll be ready - hopefully alongside the fire department.

A sudden change in wind could still drive the fire into Carmel Valley, but it looks like things have settled down and I can stop worrying. School, however, is still closed for the week.

Now back to your regularly scheduled LJ.