Monday, July 30, 2018

Well,Well,Well This Has Been A Hell Of A Week Or Two


This is a photo of the sky at my house in the week since the Carr Fire began. Yes that ball up top is the sun and yes it is not altered in anyway. It is what we see with our eyes. And please forgive me if I do go on with little diversion about this monstrous fire. This fire that after a week has grown to just shy of 100,000 acres , taken 6 lives including two preschool age children and their great grandmother. And the fire that is now heading into Trinity county just to our west with as much unpredictability and insanity as it began with.


This is the map of the fire a day or two ago . The major change would be that the area to the left has crossed the dotted line in front of it entering the next county. Otherwise it is finally somewhat stabilizing and some folks are even repopulating their neighborhoods. Of course in a mountainous terrain such as Shasta county we in general aren't meaning urban type neighborhood. But several of those were involved too and lost in the fight.


This is what it looked like driving home from the valley floor on Saturday. It was the same day we had a visit from this sight for sore eyes.

I was under this in a cool spot by the river visiting with my sister by phone when it came out of the smoke and I can tell you it takes your breath away. 


As far the critters are doing well as can be expected. Yarrow has been doing some heavy working with Sherman at night. How do I know ? Well that is the other side of the story. I have slept on the deck literally for over a week now. Why? Because we have such an unpleasant inversion layer locked in place above the house cannot cool off because we can't use our cooler. Why? Because we have been having issues with our almost 18 year old solar unit. Part of it is wear and tear , part due to extreme temperatures, part to batteries and panels that need replacing. Even though it wasn't used a lot during its first 12 years of service and we have been here going on seven years , it is an older system. 


So what are we doing? Besides praying for cooler weather? Preparing for our upgraded unit. Geoffrey has been taking down trees for the new panels that will go on the East side of the pump/solar house. 

We will be replacing all six of the original units panels.  You can see the unit below in the center to the left of the buck pen. Of course that is a stock photo from last winter.  We will also be getting two batteries that will weigh in at about 1200 pounds each and will replace the entire bank of 15 smaller units we have now that are on the way out. We also have a few smaller items on the list. We are working with the small local business that put this unit in originally the owner is a super guy well educated in solar as he has been in business since 1971. Yes he is 75 years and still logging 16 hour days in the field. In the end we will an updated unit that will serve us well, push the propane to a backseat (this has been my dream carbon footprint and all you know) and give us a leg up if and when it comes time for us to downsize a bit. I am very excited!  Hopeful this will all come together in the next two to three weeks and the apparent cool down headed our way means we can nurse this system along as Geoffrey has already and we can get back our trusty swamp cooler and stop feeling like we live in one. I have managed to drop 6 pounds in the last 12 days between the heat and chores. 

  

I will take photos and keep you updated with the progress. Until then once again I will close with please pray for us in California. I have lived in three counties in this great state and two of them have major blazes in them and other parts of the state. 

11 Comments:

At July 30, 2018 at 11:39 PM , Blogger The Wykeham Observer said...

I'm praying for you and all your neighbors. I wish I could send some rain from Minnesota. I'm confident that you all will come out of this stronger on the other side. Sure do understand your worry, I've never been in a wildfire, but have been in a tornado in MN and Hurricane Andrew when I lived in FL. Just try to keep up your strength , eat well, and look forward. I know that's hard, but you will be a dynamo of a person when this is over. Take care and blessings and all good wishes. Peace be with you. Phil/Minnesota

 
At July 31, 2018 at 1:31 AM , Blogger Theresa said...

A little further north of you and also in the smoke area in the Cascade Siskiyou Monument. Honestly, this has become the normal for summers. Prayers for all, and especially RAIN with out the drama of thunder and lightening please.

 
At July 31, 2018 at 3:14 AM , Blogger Myrna said...

How sad it for the rest of us to watch California burn up. As we lived there when we were kids and still have relatives there we are a little more invested maybe, but know that people do care and worry about all of you and the animals. Stay as safe as you can.

 
At July 31, 2018 at 5:28 AM , Blogger Mama Pea said...

Oh, the devastation of your area. So, so very sad to see. I feel very humble (and inadequate) saying that. My sympathies and heart-felt thoughts of help and recovery go out to all those affected.

I can feel your anxiousness and weariness in your words.

Fingers crossed that you stay safe and get your new solar energy system up and running soon.

 
At July 31, 2018 at 8:20 AM , Blogger Susan said...

What an amazing plane! And how wonderful they repurposed it to such a good cause. I have been thinking about you a lot, hoping that the fires don't reach you, hoping the weather cools, winds subside and rains come down. That's a helluva way to lose weight...

I'd love to go totally solar and plan on it the next (and final) time I move.

 
At July 31, 2018 at 2:08 PM , Blogger Goatldi said...

Phil
Thank you for all your support and suggestions. I like to think that I am able to triage life and stay together until there is time to fall apart. Glad to know that I will as many become a better person for this. Looking forward to that rain!:-)

Theresa
Hi neighbor! You all have had more than your share over the years. I have to agree these crazy unpredictable fires are becoming more and more frequent and common. It will mean a new chapter in the fire science book for sure.
Be safe!

Myrna
A lot of folks have roots and or family in California. Your support is invaluable ! Looking forward to a rainy season this winter.

Mama Pea
You are magic! The office staff for the solar business called this afternoon with the estimate. They were waylaid by getting much needed generators to those in the fire areas that were or are evacuated and still have no power but have wells, lights and other power consuming equipment. Meagan the contact person said it has been just crazy busy in the last week! I got to sleep in my own bed last night and finally got a good long restorative sleep. That is so helpful. It goes a long way in keeping me from feeling like a cranky two year in constant need of a nap.

Susan,
Isn't that super tanker just the bomb? And the sound when it is above you dropping down for a landing with the flaps down. Oh my gosh!!
I am a plan junkie as my Daddy used to take me to the airport when I was growing up in Fresno and we watched the plans land together. So did my husband and I years later.
Yup it is a yucky way to loose weight. I love the time in the evening when I have hit the shower and am fairly cool and it isn't hot hot hot.

Thank you all so much!!<3

 
At August 5, 2018 at 8:39 AM , Blogger wisps of words said...

Thank you, for commenting on my blog post, about "Why do you blog?" Since you did, I am able to find you.

First of all, I am so sorry that you are near the California fires! -sigh- No words can do justice, to your situation.

Also I appreciate your saying, that you are old enough, to remember when your state really was the Golden State. Guess I could say similar... Old enough, to remember when my state, was a normal place to live.

 
At August 5, 2018 at 8:46 AM , Blogger wisps of words said...

Whoopsies!!!! I _had_ to Publish that comment. There was nothing else I could do.

I could not read it completely, in Preview. So I could not know, if it was, as I wanted it to be. I could not even delete it, and write another one.

From other experiences commenting.... I think your width setting is too narrow. It does _not_ allow the _Comment Box_, to _fully_ show.

It's hard to explain... But the result is.... I can not do anything, after I try to Preview my comment.

With a Preview, one is supposed to be able to read, proof read, Edit again, or Publish. I couldn't do anything, but Publish.

And I really, really, really want to Read and Comment here!!!!!!!!!!!

 
At August 5, 2018 at 9:00 PM , Blogger Goatldi said...

wisp of words I am very sorry that you had issues with the comment format. I have no issue with it but I have had the same thing you speak of on other blogs. The comment box is very long and one has to scroll along with it.

Mama Pea , Susan and Leigh plus others have commented with no issue. Perhaps they could chime in here. This all happened when I was trying to update the blog look and it went three sheets to the wind. I hope to be able to go back at some point but have yet to get an answer from Google blogger. Thanks for sticking it out!

 
At August 5, 2018 at 11:11 PM , Anonymous Cary said...

I have been thinking of you as I watch the fires on the news, and yes I will continue to pray! Thank you for keeping us posted

 
At August 6, 2018 at 1:31 PM , Blogger Goatldi said...

Hey Cary I have had you walking through my mind lately. I hope all is well on your farm. Thanks one can never have too many prayers. :-)

 

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