I ask your good thoughts and prayers . . .

For those who have lost everything in the new wave of Southern California wild fires. The Crown Fire that has destroyed four homes in Leona Valley, CA began just a couple of miles from our home and it was scary to watch it perched high on one of our mountain ridges -- sort of poised and waiting for the wind to move it one way or the other. As it turned out, it moved northwest of us and while we breathed a sigh of relief, it meant that the danger for other communities was greater.

The greatest loss has occurred in Tehachipee, about 50 miles north/northwest of my home where nearly forty (40) homes have been completely destroyed. Thankfully we think all the animals were rescued -- lots of horses and other livestock in this area -- but the wind has been the chief factor in both these fires. Thankfully, also, the nights have been in the upper 60's and the humidity has increased with far less wind. That is really when progress is achieved against these terrible wind-driven fires.

So, I respectfully ask that you pause and send good thoughts toward all these families that are virtually having to start over. So many homes are under-insured. In the fires in San Diego several years ago, only about 35% of those homes were ever re-built. Everyone else is still living in "temporary" housing, waiting still for some insurance settlements, or just so far under insured that rebuilding is out of the question. And we aren't talking about log cabins here, either.

For all the rest of us, my hope and prayer is that we will be wise in how we use our resources, that we are truly appreciative of all that we have in our lives -- our families, our homes, our jobs, our friends, our books, and our wider circles of influence. And please, please, please, make provision for the unexpected -- so many who lose their homes in these fires have been living in the illusion that it will never happen to us. In both this Crown Fire and last summer's Station Fire, our little community was right in the thick of things.

Until next time . . .