Welcome to Santa Barbara, California... home to sunshine, beaches, fancy pants celebrities, mountains, flowers growing year round and wildfires. This shot (unknown photographer) is one particular angle of those fires currently raging about five miles from my home. It's a pretty good indicator of exactly what we are dealing with. And , depending on the mood of the wind, the fires can switch direction at the drop of a hat and head down the mountain to our downtown area, up over the canyons away from populated areas, or (as it is right now) spread toward both neighboring areas of Goleta and Montecito. It's already claimed up to 50 homes (this, in addition to the fires just 6 months ago that took 250 more.) .I wonder why it never occurred to me that I would be in the midst of something like this when I decided to up and move 3000 miles across country from a wildfire free, earthquake free, fake boob free area in New England.
So far, my husband and I are lucky. Though we have had a mandatory evacuation, we still have our home- which holds safe our dog, every sentimental object I've collected over my life, art work, our studio where I make my living, and a comfy bed- and my husband's tattoo shop with his livelihood ,and that of two other guys, secured inside its walls. Our friends' homes are, so far, out of harm's way, but so many people and animals are left without homes and many wondering if they will be able to return to theirs still standing.
This is just so screwy. And it better damn well be that it began of a natural cause and not of human error. 'Cause I'd really freaking hate to be that human.
I promised a feature on Jennifer for this posting, but I double promise I will have her here for you to meet this very next time. Meantime, cross those fingers, send good thoughts, or say your prayers for this town. It would be a real awful shame to see anything but the flowers in bloom on the hillsides, sparkling ocean at dawn, and homes continuing to fill with treasures and memories.
