Friday, July 20, 2018

Is That Cookies I Smell Burning Or Did Someone Say Fire?!

My sunflowers are becoming more captivating daily. Take for instance this one. It appears to have only bloomed half way. I have no idea why but it most certainly makes for an interesting photo. I have deemed it the Star Trek sunflower.


One of the group of three that bloomed two days ago. Apparently didn't want to let go of the vegetated string attaching the two sides.  If you look closely you can see a honeybee just above the VM string on the right.

Here is the whole family including five of the group in various stages of blooming and the one in the upper right corner going into the next stage. 
 Dinner last night. Rice pilaf with wild caught Soho salmon sauteed with fresh squash, mini sweet pepper, mushrooms and sweet red onions.

That was yesterday Thursday. On Wednesday I went over to the Tehama District fair. I was judging for the second year the open senior baked goods. I enjoy this aspect of the fair judging and was through 75% of the divisions having just finished the pie categories. And awarded Best Pie to an amazing out of the blue cranberry pie as "best pie." My thigh tingled. Well the pie was good I mean really good a dark horse in the pie race and not to look at and heft it was going to be "the pie, the best pie". But a thigh tingle? Oh tingle again Oh my iPhone. Slightly relieved I for some reason felt the need to answer the second tingle, er, call. 

"Terry this is Janet (that would be my neighbor at the cattle ranch ) I don't want to worry you but there is a fire on Ash Creek just down from your property."  Oh I think a fire where exactly how bad exactly? The low down was the flames were dancing 35 feet in the air above the pine and oak trees , there were already 4 (which ended in a total of 5) air drops of retardant and as she spoke trucks where arriving. I thanked her and went back to the table. 

I informed the ladies at the table clerking and the building superintendent of the situation. There were about four or five divisions with at least 3-6 classes each left. The super offered to finish the judging for me . But I said it won't take that long I will finish. I started to press on in the new division, the super very quietly and calmly said " I can do this for you". Oh that was a new idea and wonderful gesture I thought. Well then if she did that I would sign off on my finished judging sheets and leave. I starred at the half inch thick judging sheets waiting for my signature. Again the super spoke up "I can sigh them for you." "Oh  you can?" said I. I picked up my pen and began to sign the first sheet then looking up I asked her "could you do this?" To which she calmly replied "yes". 

Then the smoke cleared in my head. Oh my gosh what was I thinking. I was doing what many a client in the veterinary practices had done on hearing what your mind couldn't process. And that dear lady was doing what I had done before quietly , calmly kept repeating until I processed. I was out door after maybe three minutes even though it seemed more. I set a track record for driving home from the fairgrounds. And I took the back way over the mountain in case there were hard closures on more traveled roads to our area. I was worried about not being able to get past a closure leaving me on one side and Geoffrey and the farm on the other.

I need not of worried by the time I got home it was under control and mop up beginning. We were so blessed. The fire remained small, the crews hit it hard and heavy. The afternoon winds that had been blowing everyday for a week were still.Those winds would have whipped that fire to the west with my farm directly in the path. There would most likely have been not much left . Odd the winds picked up about an hour after mop up began. The response team was fast, efficient and through. We are blessed. 

7 Comments:

At July 20, 2018 at 4:51 PM , Blogger Mama Pea said...

Omigosh, my heart actually started beating faster as I was reading this! You had a close call, dear girl. So, so glad it turned out as it did. It is just the scariest situation to have raging fire near you. The response teams in these situations should be given all the credit possible. Good job!! Whew, whadda story.

 
At July 20, 2018 at 5:23 PM , Blogger Mama Pea said...

P.S. Your sunflowers are a little strange! ;o)

 
At July 21, 2018 at 12:03 PM , Blogger Goatldi said...

Yes Mama Pea our firefighters deserve the highest praise. Talk about a community service job.

I always try to make a point of thanking those I see when out and about. We would be in a heap of deep if it weren't for folks of their ilk.

Mama Pea are you implying that my sunflower are weird? 🙃
Not surprising considering who planted them and the seeds were from Azure Standard but at least two years old. Hate to see a weird seed go to waste lol

 
At July 22, 2018 at 2:37 AM , Blogger Leigh said...

Gosh Terry, that's scary. SOOO glad they got the fire under control, but so close! Alls well that ends well, eh?

Love your sunflowers! They are so, so cheerful. I haven't planted them for a couple of years because I'm always trying to grow them for the seed but the birds always get it before I do! You pictures remind me that beauty and pleasure are excellent reasons too and birds shouldn't deter me. I just read they're good in cover crop mixes, so maybe I'll try that next year. Not sure the goats will let them get tall enough to flower, but they'll be enjoyed either way!

 
At July 22, 2018 at 2:44 PM , Blogger Goatldi said...

Absolutely! But fire looms large in my mind each season. After the last six years of caregiver to Geoffrey and some serious goat issues each day I say "God and I know you seem to have a higher opinion of me than I do but no fire please. I don't think I could handle it."

So when all that came down it was a bit intense even with the positive ending.

Thanks I like the sunflowers also. I pulled two heads today to dry. The stalks and leaves went to the goats. In fact I have a great photo of Willie playing with the stalk. I will post it in my next post.

 
At July 23, 2018 at 11:23 AM , Blogger Susan said...

I think we react the same way to horrendous news. It's almost like, if you just carry on, the whole thing will go poof. Glad you had a cool-headed super willing to step in and ease you out the door. Also VERY GLAD that all turned out okay. There is not enough praise in the world to cover what firefighters do. What, er, interesting sunflowers you have there...

 
At July 23, 2018 at 9:15 PM , Blogger Goatldi said...

Yes firefighters do rock!

Excuse me but have you been talking to Mama Pea? Is there a conspiracy afoot re: my sunflowers?

These are non conformists. One can find run of the mill sunflowers any day. I think you too are jealous. 🌻🌻🌻

 

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