Clayton Fire / Part 2

clayton-fire “I’d rather fight

100 structure fires than a wildfire. With a structure fire you know where your flames are, but in the woods it can move anywhere; it can come right up behind you.” – Tom Watson

(Above pic from Google Images of Clayton Fire LL)

On August 14th, 2016, we thought in the early morning hours that the worst was behind us with the Clayton Fire. Over night it had laid down some and crews had begun to make great progress in the hopes of containment on some flanks. This is what I heard. But it didn’t last.

I was confident enough in the fact that the fire had passed us on the day before, that when my youngest daughter asked me if it was safe enough to unpack her car and bring her items back into the house, I said to go ahead.

We unpacked our cars of the bathroom items and clothing, and I brought in my computer, laptop, and camera, to keep them from getting too hot out in the car. I left everything else out there, just in case. One more day, I’d told myself, would be sufficient to secure our reassurance that fire would NOT reach our home.

Exhausted from not sleeping but 3 hours the night before, I told Emma that I was going to lie down for a nap. She took a walk to her Uncle Bill and Aunt Kari’s house down our driveway, just to check on them and visit awhile. I was hot and sweaty in the house with no electricity to run the air, and drank a cold water from the ice chest, where we’d stored all our items salvaged from the refrigerator. Too jittery to sleep, I laid back in my chaise in front of the non-operating television and closed my eyes.

Strange visions come when you are rummy from no sleep, and when my cell phone started ringing, I imagined reaching to turn off my alarm. It kept going until I realized it was my phone and I was dozing.

As I answered somewhat dazed, my daughter was trying to stay calm on the other end.

“Mom! What are you doing?” she barked. Of course I told her I was trying to nap when she continued, “The fire is back and is right behind our garage! We are on our way back! Uncle Bill spotted it from his hill!”

I bolted up and caused the dogs to go ape-shit, barking. Sure enough, the fire had rekindled somewhere near, winds had picked up, and a fire storm had emerged behind our property. It sent flying embers throughout our neighborhood. It was like a dust devil had moved along the ridge top and flung red hot coals as it went.

THIS WAS IT!

I called my husband, even though I knew he was up to his eyeballs busy, I thought he should know his own family was in trouble and fixing to evacuate. FOR SURE THIS TIME! My exact words on the phone were, “It’s real this time! It’s going down and we are out of here!” All he could say was he’d be here as soon as he could………… we just didn’t know when that could be. I had to act fast.

The kids and I were packing four cars and my brother-in-law Bill, my nephew Reed (who’d already been up a day and a half fighting the fire), and an engine from Cal Fire, all arrived within minutes of each other. It made me feel better but not secure. I continued to walk around frantically, looking to do more that would save my home.

I asked Bub, (daughter’s boyfriend), to run to the hillside near the garage and put out the sprinkler again. I ran to the back of the guest house and drug a hose with a sprinkler to turn on there. The front yard had water going and I was using a hose to spray my gutters all along the main house. The engine crew was just getting out and evaluating the situation when I decided I’d done all I could.

WE HAD TO LEAVE.

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(Picture I took from my yard)

After taking some pictures of what was happening around my property, (I didn’t know if I was going to see it again), I told my nephew we were going to leave and thanked him for staying with the Cal Fire crew as long as he did. I told him to go down to his house and help his mom, because I could see the fire was making a horseshoe around us and headed to his place. His dad, Bill, was already headed that way.

NOW……. we had a predicament! There were four vehicles and only three of us. It was decided that ultimately, I was driving my car, Bub would drive Emma’s, she was going to drive out my husband’s one ton-HOSS, and that left Bub’s car without a driver! Quickly, I told him to drive his car to the bottom of our driveway and park it at the end, near Bill and Kari’s place. It was right at Morgan Valley Road. Our driveway is about 200 yards up a hill from there to our house. He drove it down, sprinted back up, and helped me load our dogs into Emma’s car that he would be driving. Then we set out.

Before I got into the car, I stood on our lawn, looked back behind me at our house and the flames licking the property, and nearly threw up right there. I felt a rolling in my stomach that can only be described as a sickening eel, greasy inside of me. I’d never felt like that before and hope to never again.

Jumping into our vehicles, we convoyed out. Bub in the lead, Emma in the middle, and me taking up the rear. We all stopped at the bottom of the driveway to discuss options with Bill and Kari and Reed. But there was a new problem. Their house was about to burn up!

Kari had taken great pains to pack up three of their vehicles with all their prized possessions. She had their little dog, Hurley with her on a leash outside of her Suburban, and Bill’s and Reed’s trucks were at the bottom of their hill, waiting for drivers. Totally out of nowhere, a relentless fire blazed behind their house and Reed joined the Cal Fire crew that was appointed to their structure, Bill was in a T-shirt, shorts, and tennis shoes, helping where ever he could. It became very apparent that we’d all have to leave and soon.

My husband was in and out quickly, just giving orders to engine crews and leaving again. While he was occupied for a moment, I talked with a member of Cal Fire that was waiting on Morgan Valley Road for his orders and he told Kari and I that Lower Lake was on fire. Main Street was gone and we couldn’t leave out that way.

We waited too long!

Meanwhile, the fire had made a huge horseshoe around our area that blocked us from leaving out towards town, and we could only drive about a quarter of a mile in the other direction on Morgan Valley Road.

We were trapped.

As Charlie was leaving he rolled his window down on his rig. I ran to it and saw tears in his eyes. He was visibly shaken and confirmed that much had burned and was still burning. He was working his ass off, trying to put engines at every structure he could and only told me what little information was necessary.

“Go out Morgan Valley Road to the little ranch before the bridge! Pull over there and see if they have their gates open and wait there. If not, stay parked on the side of the road there. You guys will be safe if you stay there. I will come for you when I can. Just stay there!”

And he left.

Our dogs were going nuts. The fire was getting closer and we had to leave. I pulled Kari aside and told her to put Hurley in the truck and follow us out. Bill and Reed would not leave. We couldn’t wait anymore.

Doing what my husband told me to do was all I could focus on. It was my job now to lead my family. I had to do it without him and I was terrified, but like in any other crisis of my life, I became a rock during the actual event. Falling apart was for later.

I instructed Bub to go where Charlie told us and said we’d all pull over on Morgan Valley Road there. He was in the lead, then Emma, then me, and Kari in the rear. It wasn’t far. Maybe a quarter mile. We all pulled over and before my engine was off, Bubba was leaving Emma’s car, windows down with my dogs in the back and running back to our driveway.

“WHERE ARE YOU GOING?” I yelled, trying to keep my dogs from jumping out.

“TO GET MY CAR!” he hollered back.

He threw the keys to Emma so I could roll up the windows of her car and keep my dogs from jumping out. She then walked back to her dad’s truck and I stood there, trying to calm our dogs while hoping we could find the property owners of that ranch and have them let us in their gates off the road.

The little ranch had a huge pasture in front that is at least the size of a football field. It is cut very short, and the helicopters were using it to change their baskets. If there was a safe place to be, this was it.

Moments later, Bub came barreling up the road in his car. He parked in front of Emma’s car and quickly came back to where I was standing. His face was red, he was coughing terribly, spitting, and later Charlie would tell me that Bub came inches from being burned! He’d gotten smoke inhalation from breathing hard and inhaling the smoke when he rescued his car, which nearly caught fire. Charlie told me when he saw him as he was coming back by, that Bub was almost IN the fire, trying to get into his car.

“Patti, I’m not sure Bill and Reed are ok!” Bub said in private. “The cars are on fire, and I looked up on the hill and I couldn’t see them anymore. The carport and cars and the field are all on fire. I think something happened to Bill and Reed.”

My sick eel came back and I pulled Bubba’s shirt and got his face close to mine, looking him right in the eyes.

“You don’t know that!” I said. “Now, those boys are experienced and at the very least, they’d jump into the engine and get out. Don’t you say a word out loud about it again, because I don’t think Kari can bare it!”

He nodded and agreed to let it go for now. We had to decide what to do. And then, just like that, the owner came along on an ATV and hollered at us to all drive in and he was unlocking the gate! It took Bub two trips to move Emma’s car with the dogs and then his own, but we managed to get all 5 cars and all 4 of us into their property.

As it is in small towns, the owner works at Lower Lake High School and knew both Kari and me. I admit, I didn’t remember her since we work at different sites, but Barbara and Mike were so kind and I can never repay them for saving us.

The only thing we could do for them was work like hell to save their property! The fire came that way and sure enough, the embers started falling in the tree line surrounding their property. Emma had our dogs on the leashes and Kari had her dog. Bubba and I ran to start stomping out the embers. I was in tennis shoes and he was in shorts and Vans. We were stomping, yelling for Mike, running from hot spot to hot spot. Emma gave our dogs to Kari to hold and she ran to help. Once she was there and Mike handed out shovels to her and Bub, I ran to the other side of the property where the barn was now in danger.

emma-clayton-fireThis picture

was taken by Tenaya Fleckenstien, who put it on social media, and it’s of my daughter Emma, the property owner Mike, and the other person’s side is Bub.

I tried to use the hose on the side of the barn where the fire was creeping around from the creek, but there was no pressure. Surely there must be a huge kink in the hose somewhere, I thought………. but no. That wasn’t the problem.

Lower Lake was running out of water!

So there we stood. And some guy, who I think was Mike and Barbara’s neighbor, started shoveling dirt on the fire from behind the barn. Meanwhile, a goat escaped and ran right towards Emma. She scooped it up and saved it. After putting it in the pen again, our own dog, Bailey escaped from her collar and ran to her as well. She again had to save her from the flames and I was screaming to her over the noise of the fire to stop Bailey!! It was a fiasco for sure!

The fire seemed to move on and only little embers remained. We kept taking turns, Kari and I, on holding all the leashes and putting out fires. Luckily, I had the sense to have the kids put our ice chests in the back of Hoss before we left and we had plenty of waters and ice to sustain us.

Hours passed. It grew late, and all I wanted to do was get to our ranch up on Diener Drive. We’d be safe there and the dogs could run, and we could rest. If only we could get through town!

Finally, Charlie was driving passed on Morgan Valley Road and I spotted him from across the field. He was talking with some guys near the bridge and a man on a tractor in the field by it. I have one helluva whistle! I got his attention and he turned around and came through the gate.

I asked if he could give us an escort to the intersection so we could leave and get the hell out of there. He said he’d be back for us when he could do that. It was a few more hours but he finally came back and when he did, we left Bub’s car with Barbara and Mike, followed Charlie and  drove our convoy through the smoke and haze of a torn up town, to find it was a terrible loss. Not nearly as bad as the rumors we were first hearing from the firemen that didn’t know better though. Nonetheless, it was all surreal.

At the intersection of Hwy’s 53 and 29, we had Highway Patrol take it from there and he followed us up the hill towards Diener Drive, leaving us when we turned off the highway. Charlie went back to continue the fight, and from his peers, and our community folks, we later were told how hard he tried and how much he fought to save Lower Lake. It is the town he was born and raised in.

As for Bill and Reed, I am forever grateful they are both safe and sound. My nephew was my great hero that day! He not only was greatly responsible for saving my house, but he fought and succeeded in saving his as well. Unfortunately, with this crazy ass fire, when they turned their back to save the house, the carport, shed, and three cars, (one a newly restored 1979 Trans Am) burned up with all the things they packed to try and save! But still, they have a home.

Tomorrow I will blog on what we later found out about that day, and how we lived at the ranch for awhile, one bedroom and four people, three dogs, and exhaustion. We lived in a haze for awhile and I didn’t even remember some of the conversations I’d had with people on my phone and texts.

All I can say for now is we are so very blessed. I love my family, I love my town, and together, we are Lower Lake Strong.

 

 

The Clayton Fire / Part 1

dsc05043  When I hear the rumble

of an air tanker or the whop- whop-whop of a helicopter outside my house now, my stomach rolls and I feel my heart in my throat. Don’t get me wrong, I am eternally grateful for all the air attack we had during the Clayton Fire, but all it reminds me of is how very vulnerable we are in California to FIRE!

Something to think about that comes to mind when I ask myself, what the Hell is going on with all the fires! Then I remember when my dad was a volunteer firefighter when I was a kid, and I remember the early years of my husband as a young fireman all that time ago, and I know what the difference is. It’s not California’s landscape that has changed or even the crazy ass population of people here. It’s merely the fact that we don’t do control burns anymore.

I guess it’s some environmentalist reason, but hey folks let’s get real. If something use to catch fire, it would eventually burn into the burn area that had been control burned off by the fire departments to create a break. NOW…… with no break anywhere to be found, if something catches fire……… IT BURNS FOREVER!!! On and on it goes, taking out everyone’s homes, ranches, animals, and lives along with it!

dsc05029 Let me start over.

I was with my friends Dina and Theresa, at Maynard’s in Lower Lake on August 13, 2016. We hadn’t hooked up all summer and it seemed it was already gone. Since we all had busy lives we took that Saturday to meet at 4:00pm and share some beers, laughs, and company before we all dove into the new school year.

I work for the school district, Dina’s youngest is now a senior at Lower Lake High School, and Theresa’s grandson, (hard to believe) is starting Kindergarten at Lower Lake Elementary. Me, my kids are grown and in college but you never stop worrying. Luckily, my oldest lives close by and works and goes to community college, while my youngest has chosen, (thank God) to live at home a while and work, and attend community college. So this is what we were discussing when it happened.

Just before we went outside to have our second beers, we all saw out the front window, my husband Charlie, who was on duty, fly by in his battalion rig going to a call. I simply said I thought he must be headed to an auto accident or something. We all said we hoped it was minor and went outside to the back patio.

A few minutes later, Nicki, the bartender, came out and said that there was a big fire somewhere. We all thought, shit, not again! As we discussed the problems of late, with all the obvious sets going on in our area, Dina’s son Johnny came outside to see us. He let us know it was just outside Lower Lake, and on Clayton Creek Road.

WELL SHIT!

If you are not familiar with our area, Clayton Creek Road is just over the hill from downtown Lower Lake and if it was out much farther, just over the hill from my house! I was nervous!

Immediately, I texted my husband and asked if I should be worried. I waited, I waited, then finally I got a message back that simply said, “GO HOME!”

My heart was in my throat. I left a half full beer on the outside table and told my comrades to help themselves. I informed them of what I was told, threw some money at the bartender, and left to go home just as I was instructed.

Once there, I found my youngest and her boyfriend at our house. I told her to start packing stuff to evacuate, just in case. Now what you need to know is, my daughter never takes me very seriously. She rolled her eyes at me and, (as 18 year olds do), told me to relax and said it would be, “just fine!”

I got my mom attitude then and told her, “DAD IS THE ONE WHO TOLD ME.” Well now, that made her change her tune.  I suppose in the eyes of a teenager, dads usually are the ones to listen to and moms are just nags. But then her boyfriend came to my rescue and told her it looked pretty serious……….. so she packed.

We gathered what we thought was important. I basically ripped out our PC computer tower from our home office, grabbed the box of backup thumb drives and CD’s and looked for any other business stuff we’d require for Diener Ranch. Got my laptop, camera, then I went to our safe for other items I wasn’t sure would survive if left behind. I took pictures off walls, photo albums, and jewelry. Since my husband was on the fire, I packed clothes for him and myself, all the while, pushing sickening feelings down deep into my core, trying to keep control of myself.

We three were walking around in circles throughout the house and trying to stay as calm as possible, and while doing so, the scanner was blaring out loudly so we could monitor what was happening. I was very glad Emma and Bubba were here with me. I wouldn’t have done well alone. They helped me pack, water down the yard, calmed the dogs, and took turns watching for spot fires. We were all exhausted.

And then the power went out.

My windows rattled and my dogs barked. Air tankers and helicopters were right on top of us. I tried not to cry as I saw outside my windows the column of smoke was building ever so close to my house. I prayed it would sweep around us.

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Grateful and praying for a miracle, I thanked the air attack, out loud, for being here with us. I even waved up to them from my front yard. With so many fires that were burning in California, having these resources was a blessing. I just hoped we had enough. I prayed for containment quickly.

To my utter surprise and complete relief, the fire DID burn around us and out towards Lakeridge Road. I hoped it would get picked up before it got to anyone’s homes and began to relax a little. I really thought it was going to be alright.

It wasn’t.

That first night of Saturday August 13th, 2016, four families lost their homes. The firefighters fought like Hell to get a handle on it and keep it from spreading further, but it was a terrible loss, nonetheless.

night-fire  Afraid to sleep,

I set the alarm on my cell phone for 1 hour before I laid down around midnight, just so I would wake to check and see if we were still safe to stay. I had no TV, no phone, and few battery operated lights so I laid in my bed, both dogs with me for comfort, and looked out my window every few minutes. The crappy photo above is the night sky outside my window around 10:00pm that night and even though my husband said we personally were in the clear, I didn’t dare count on it. It was all too close.

By 3:00am, I finally let myself really fall asleep. There was no more glowing red in the night and I barely smelled smoke. Maybe it would all be over soon, I thought. And by 6:00am, my husband called me to say he thought his crew made great strides in containing their flank of the fire. He wasn’t sure what the front was doing but his area was looking good. I was relieved.

The sun rose on August 14th, and we decided to go get ice for our ice chests and start putting all the refrigerator items in them to save what we could. I was sure it would be quite awhile before power was restored.

On my way home, I found my worn out husband on the side of the road, parked outside the Lower Lake Feed Store. I hugged him and we talked a minute. Then he told me our friend David, who owns the feed store, had been one of the folks who lost their home the night before. My heart broke! When Charlie left to go back and get his orders for the day, I walked through the gate to the yard of the feed store and found David. I cried and hugged both him and his wife. They are such kind people. What a terrible tragedy! But they said as long as they got all their animals out, which they did, they said they would be fine. They were strong in faith that everything would work out. I left them feeling drained and overwhelmingly concerned.

The day seemed to be calm in the beginning and I thought it would all be over soon, with the fire turned over to the Cal Fire Crews and mostly out in BLM land. I was sure Charlie would come home to rest, and it would be fully contained by nightfall.

I was wrong.

What I will write about tomorrow is what happened later that day. Sunday, August 14th, would prove to be the Clayton Fire rearing it’s ugly head again when nobody expected it to. The behavior of the fire was as unpredictable as a pissed off dragon, and Lower Lake was it’s victim.

  • All photos from this post were taken by me, Patti Diener.

 

 

Sometimes you have to UNPLUG!

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Too much technology

can distract a person from the things in life that really matter. My first born and I just returned from a spectacular trip to the Mendocino Coast. It was all about relaxing, reconnecting, and indulgence. We accomplished it all!

The birth of this book I’m writing, Out Of The Ashes, actually started from a writing trip I took last November to Fort Bragg, California. I was intending to write a short story for a writing competition and while getting inspired without distractions from my daily life, the character Gabriel Hart, surfaced. The story was to be called, Solitary Hart.

But then………an epiphany!

I started writing about the Valley Fire and my short story for the writing competition ended up being about WWII, and my grandfather. To answer the question you are all wondering, no. I didn’t win the competition. My novel ended up pulling all my energy and attention so maybe the short story piece wasn’t what it could have been.

Moving forward to this summer’s trip with my daughter, Fallon, we were going to let our creative juices flow in the fabulous coastal house. Seahorse Cottage in Albion is a wonderful place with great energy! Fallon is an artist and we were hoping she’d get inspired to sketch something to paint, while I was going to continue to write my novel.

155167 WE GOT DISTRACTED!

From the moment we left, all we could talk about was sight seeing, wine tasting, great restaurants, the beach, botanical gardens, and shopping! We did it all! Of course we relaxed too, but in the little hours of evening spent in our sanctuary house, we both realized that I’d forgotten my laptop power cord, and Fallon forgot her art supply bag, because her fur-baby dog didn’t want her to leave and she was sneaking out quickly!

More time to talk!

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Walking through the gardens in Fort Bragg, we had ample time to reflect on life. Creativity comes from inspiration. Surrounding oneself with the beauty of nature is not only inspiring, but rebuilds your spirit. It can breathe new life into you when you are feeling stumped, stagnant, or are just in a plain old rut! It was exactly what we both needed.

Being exactly 50 degrees cooler than home helped too! Ha!

I highly recommend everyone take time to UNPLUG from your daily life! Sharing time with my sweet girl, (who is now 22 years old……..where did the time go?), and in an environment that we could both be at ease, made all the difference in my life upon returning to the daily grind.

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Eating well is never a problem for me on vacation! Fallon and I both love to cook too, so one night we made a beautiful Ahi Tuna salad with asparagus, (pictured above). I love Bloodymarys but can’t make a good one to save my soul! Fortunately, a little place in Mendocino makes one of the best! Fully loaded, it’s spicy, comes with celery, green olives, bacon, and a full size prawn! It’s a meal in itself,(yes, it’s me, above right).

It’s a very different relationship you end up with once your children are grown. If you are lucky, they become your friends. Oh, make no mistake, you are still their parent, and I offer my advice more then they probably would like, (Sorry Fallon & Emma),  but it’s also heartwarming to be in the company of these people that you’ve created, and brought into the world…………. and you actually LIKE THEM! Ha!

The blessing is that they like me too.

I’ve fallen behind in my self-made deadline, for Out Of The Ashes, to be ready to submit to an agent. But I truly believe taking time to live and enjoy my life, with the people I so love, will only make my writing better, and after all, isn’t it more important to have a great product in the end, then rush a job for the sake of getting it done?

Anything worth doing, is worth doing well………. who said that?

Today, I read a great blog post from my sweet friend Jamey Gill. Go to her site at  jagcagdesign.com to read her experiences with the Valley Fire. It is also the site for her amazing art that she creates and sells. Give it a look! She’s one of many Lake County gems! We really have so many talented people in our community.

This weekend should prove to be beautiful in Lake County, with the temps only in the high 80’s. So get out there and enjoy nature! I started my day off today walking my two dogs. Find your way of unplugging, and reconnect with your friends and family! Or do one of my favorite things ever!…………. find a shady place outdoors, and grab something cool to drink, and read a book,( preferably NOT from a kindle, or other techno-device! A REAL BOOK). You will be happy you did.

136  Enjoy everyone! Happy Friday!

Where There’s Smoke There’s Fire!

Face   That face you get

when you are worried about, “just how close is that fire behind my house?” The fire season of 2015 is still very fresh in my mind and my reactive response now is, should I or shouldn’t I start packing things up?

I was just making a quick dinner for myself of a small baked potato and some broccoli, (the family is out), and I heard sirens in the distance. Now, the problem is, I don’t usually even give that a second thought, because sadly enough, it’s usually police or sheriff sirens. Living in Lake County has jaded me a bit I’m afraid. But when an air tanker flew over my house close enough to rattle my windows and freak my dogs out, I took notice!

Being the wife of a battalion chief has it’s perks. We have multiple sources of scanning devices in our house to monitor the airwaves and get reports on conditions. I immediately turned up the scanner and found my husband’s pager, turning it up also, as it scans different channels.

Walking outside, the smoke plume was pretty high but not black, just a light brown, indicating that it wasn’t a structure. It was also not moving much. I looked at the tree line and noted there wasn’t any wind to speak of. Now my nerves are starting to settle a bit. ………… but only a bit.

Acid reflux is sure to find me, as I ate my dinner standing at the kitchen window, watching the smoke and talking to my dad on the phone. He called me right when I was trying to listen to how many acres it was and what all resources they were sending. I’m afraid I was abrupt in telling him I’d have to call him back.

I called my daughter’s friend Amanda, who lives down the street from us out Morgan Valley Road, in Lower Lake. The fire seemed past her and she also has a scanner, because her boyfriend is a firefighter. I was hoping maybe she heard what I missed on the report of conditions. Luckily, she knew the road and it was out Lakeridge Road, some two miles past her and about 2 1/2 from me. That is not very far! We agreed to keep each other posted if we heard of any changes.

When I hung up, I decided to call my husband, even though I knew he was out on the road, driving back to me with our youngest and her boyfriend. He is allowed as an emergency personnel to use his cell phone, and after all, this was official fire business.

Charlie informed me that it was in fact, very close. He said that it wasn’t a very good place to be burning either, but if there wasn’t any wind they would probably pick it up pretty quick. He promised to call me in a few hours when they stopped to eat and he’d check in on me. Being the brave girl I am, I assured him it looked like they were getting a handle on it………even though I wasn’t sure.

Dinner eaten and I cannot even remember if it tasted good, I put my plate into the sink and went outside again to look at the smoke more closely. To my surprise, the smoke was much less and the air tanker was still flying, but farther away. This is when I took the picture of my worried face. HA!(pic from Google images)

More relief came when I walked into the house to hear them say, “fire contained at a half acre.” DO YOU KNOW HOW GOOD THAT MADE ME FEEL?!!

So now, I’ve called my father back to inform him all is right with the world, and I was also hearing them release people from the fire. That in itself is a great indicator of success! WHEW! What a relief!

I thought the fear was past me, as I didn’t really experience near the emotional trauma as so many folks did last season, from losing their home. But being on the alert for months and keeping our belongings packed, ready to evacuate, it took it’s toll. Worried about my husband going out to fight the fires, worried about all the friends we have in emergency services, and plain old worrying about safety in general, not sleeping………. it was rough! Tonight, it flooded back into me. I’m glad it was short lived.

I have so much gratitude for living in this small community, where I have people, like Amanda, who I can call with my worried questions. I’m grateful to be here knowing so many emergency personnel, who would do anything for the people who are living here. I am thankful I’m married to a great guy who has taught me ways of keeping myself, our family, and our property safe. Lastly, I am happy to know so many kind people who live near me that I know, in a heart beat, would help me if I ever needed it, because they know, I’d do the same for them.

Tonight, brought back some scary memories, but it’s all good. My dogs and I are relaxing with the air on, and in a few short hours, my husband will be returning home with the kids, (grown as they are). Life is good.

These feelings of bonding with community are what propels me forward in writing my book, Out Of The Ashes. The characters and the story are portraying the small-town-America, that we all desire. Our county may have it’s problems, but I can honestly say, it has far more blessings then my eyes were willing to see, before the fires happened. Now, I see what was there all along.

Good night my friends.

Life Goes On

DSC00722  Let me tell you,

I am far from the Pollyanna, everything will be A-OK, optimist, but for all of my life, I’ve been looking for that silver lining. In my adult life, I’ve always practiced gratitude, and looking back, I know perseverance has been my motto. But the one thing I know, (and bare with me, it’s cliché), is that LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED.

The research I’ve done for my book, and the people I’ve talked to, have given me so much hope for the future. Through everything people have been through, through all the devastation and loss, there has been one common denominator and that is, LOVE.

Call it what you want, compassion, empathy, faith, help, giving back,……. it’s all love. Without love, you cannot possess any of the previous feelings or actions. When I bore witness to the human aspect of the aftermath of our community’s ordeal, I felt the love in every stranger. It’s hard to put into words!

Today, it’s still there. After a while, you have to look harder for it. Some folks are having more than a hard time moving forward. Let’s be honest, it’s down right paralyzing for some. But if you dig deeper, (like I have), the love it out there.

A group called, “Camp Noah,” I hear, is coming to Lake County for the children. It’s an organization that helps kids deal after a disaster. They are based out of Minnesota, but have been to places such as the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, because children feel stress too. With all our adult problems of having to relocate, find a way to make our family’s lives as normal as possible, kids are in the background, stressing in their own way. Go to lssmn.org/camp_noah  for more information. I believe it’s a great idea.

I’ve talked to so many folks, and recently, I’ve found that some people almost feel abandoned. Like, “the world is moving on without them.” Once things are no longer in the forefront of the media, and others that have not experienced the first hand trauma, have gone on with normal life, the ones that went through terrible loss are feeling forsaken. How can everyone just move on?

Well, rest assured, that some that appear to have moved forward are just now feeling the stress. Everyone deals with these things at their own pace, and I believe, just like any kind of mourning, we need to allow folks to come around to it in their own time. And if you are one of the people out there feeling forsaken, try looking for support through friends and neighbors. They are out there believe me!

My friend April, put it more eloquently than I think she even knew. We were at lunch and she told me about running into friends that were her neighbors up on Cobb Mountain. She’s since moved her and her daughter into a home in Hidden Valley because they had lost their family home, something that was passed on from generations. She recollected how it struck her, seeing these people, after all these months that they would never be her neighbors again! How she’d always assumed they’d be right next door and they’d share a friendship of family memories forever! But that was robbed of her the day the Valley Fire relocated her! They weren’t given a choice! These kinds of things are still very fresh and raw.

I was told of a website from a local Middletown woman. She runs a coffee house on Main Street in Middletown, and has a fun and upbeat blog called, Coffee Keeps Me Grounded. Please, look it up and read of Stephanie Diehl’s local life. Her recent blog will let you know, that even those who seem perfectly great on the surface, can be working like a mad dog underneath. She and her family were affected by this fire as well. It’s a good read.

We are all needing love. Not just right now, but try to let these unthinkable circumstances remind us of the fact that, at any given time, someone we know, or don’t know but come in contact with, can be fighting an uphill battle. I know that just lending a hand, giving a smile, or a kind word, can mean all the difference to someone in need. The way we behave in tragic times can show character of who we really are. But even months, or years later, let it be a reminder to us to always show love.

I am leaving you with one last piece of recommendation of a girl who has put together a picture book. Now, I warn you, the photos are of the fire! But as my beautiful friend April told me, she purchased it not for herself, but for her future grandkids, because it occurred to her, that she no longer had anything to hand down from the family. This book was proof to her future grandchildren, of hers and their mother’s stoic, perseverance, that they did in fact, lose everything, but love moved them forward to build a great life anyway! You can find it by Googling the photographer, Tenaya Fleckenstein. She did a great job!

In closing, listen to Martina McBride’s song, Anyway!

It will lift you up! Good night, and God Bless!

 

Talking with Lake County Fire’s Chief, Willie Sapeta

021  024

It was my pleasure

today to sit down in the office of Willie Sapeta, Chief of Lake County Fire Protection District, in Clearlake California. Although always busy with an endless list of responsibilities, he cordially accepted my request at an interview.

Upon sitting down, we discussed family, which if you know Willie, is his heart and soul next to public service. Of his wife, Rachelle, (pictured above), he simply said, “She’s just amazing.” His four children are his pride and joy, and with his eldest, Shelby,(also above), in high school sports, Willie gushed about her success thus far and how he couldn’t be more proud.

I explained the reason I was there to talk was not only to get his point of view of the Valley Fire, but also to ask him about any community involvement he may have witnessed during, and after the horrific inferno. What kind of contributions did he personally see come from citizens in our county.

Before I go any further, I’d like to tell you all, that I’m paraphrasing what Willie told me, as I didn’t bring a recorder. I am also not a professional journalist, however I DO hate it when they get things wrong! Ha! So Willie, if you read this and find I misspoke for you, please leave a comment in this blog, and within 24 hours it will be posted to correct me.

To begin with, 2015’s fire season really set off with a bang! The date of July 26th, being the most obvious point of reference because of the Dam Fire. Following that were several others, but the media started taking notice with the Rocky Fire, and then the Jerusalem Fire.

The mother of all fires was of course, The Valley Fire. It ate up 35% of Lake County’s landmass, and to date, Willie said it is California’s #1 worst fire for losing as many structures as it did, in as short a period of time as it did. This beating out even the Oakland Hills Fire, in that aspect.

To tell Willie’s story from the beginning, September 12, 2015, he was setting out to go to his son Logan’s, football game. He had stopped by the station for ice for their trip and ultimately, never left for the game. His wife retrieved their son, who was riding with Willie, from the fire station, and Willie was gone for days.

The fire started near High Valley off of Bottlerock Road. Willie heard over the radio from Middletown’s Division Chief, Linda Green, that a helitack crew was over run twice and then had to deploy their fire shelters due to entrapment. She initially called for 20 engines, 20 crews, 20 dozers, and would augment that with 40 additional engines in the next 10.

Everyone later learned that the helitack crew had all survived, but were sent to a burn center where they all stayed for days, receiving treatment for the burns they sustained. Niko Matteoli, Richard Reiff, and  Logan Pridemore, all made a full recovery. Their Captain Pat Ward, has recovered well, although he sustained far worse injuries, losing some fingers, due to the fact he was last to take shelter, risking himself to be certain his crew were all in theirs first.

So off Willie went, getting together a strike team and his department, like others,was stripped of resources, sending everything they could spare, including medic units. Eventually, becoming a Division Group Supervisor, Willie was sent to Hoberg’s Resort area.

Of the fire, Willie said, “The ominous, cyclonic smoke cloud was nothing short of amazing. It was truly Armageddon!”

The fire wasn’t the worst of the matter, it was more about saving lives. They worked with entities such as Highway Patrol, State Parks, and Fish and Game, initially, to evacuate the Cobb area in which he was working. All along, trying to get a handle on attacking the fire with the resources they had available.

Radio traffic was horrendous! There was so much going on at once, and the fire was taking on an unpredictable life of it’s own, that everyone was talking over the other, jamming the frequencies. Some confusion about what was happening with your crew could happen at times, because there was so much communication loss, and they couldn’t hear one another. Also, the cell towers were down, there was no PG&E, phone lines were down, so it was a mess.

Some of the engines sent got trapped with evacuees for a short period of time. With winds at 55-60 mph, and the fire storm so immense, there was spontaneous ignition of some homes! Truly a scene from right out of a movie.

From Hoberg’s to Evergreen, Willie worked in the first few hours, then going back towards the Cobb Station, it was just crazy! Things just were blowing up so fast, and the sound of exploding propane tanks made it sound like a warzone!

The evacuations went better than you would think, under such grisly circumstance. However, when he drove the Highway 29 from Middletown to Lower Lake corridor, there were burned out cars everywhere, just left on the highway. “I wondered, where were the people that were driving these cars?” Willie asked. Some vehicles were abandoned right in the middle of the highway. One could only imagine what those people went through, and probably are still going through today with PTSD.

“As a fireman,” Willie said, “I can tell you, that going through my mind, as I saw all those homes lost, I felt that every single home was the loss of someone’s life! Just like a doctor or medic would feel in losing a patient, as firemen, we feel the same thing if we lose a home. It contains someone’s life. In that, I can say, I still carry some amount of PTSD, with me today.”

As we both were tearing up, we talked of the next day.  He said, really, night fall came quickly because time was flying by and there was so much to do. By 5:00am the next day, it was 58 degrees and a light rain started, but it was all still burning. It did slow things down a bit though, allowing for assessments of the fire conditions. However, this fire was still unpredictable. What they do, he told me, is they have air attack assessments and reports on conditions, Cal Fire has their meteorologist assess the weather and then they make predictions based on humidity, fuel modeling, and years of drought.

But their plans for how to fight the fire went past, during the next day! The fire was already beyond the point where they had predicted it would be! It was amazingly unpredictable, and some temperatures were from 2500 to 4000 degrees. Where most fires leave foundations and chimneys in tact, in some places, this fire, if you touched the concrete foundations, it crumbled and turned to dust!

The fire went on and on, with Willie assigned up until October 6th before he was released. During this time he witnessed some disgusting people that would even put themselves in harms way, just to loot evacuee’s homes. He stopped what he saw, the best he could, but there were other amazing people he encountered.

Because of the erratic behavior of the fire, some homes survived right next to some that burned, and during the fire, one home was burning, and the firemen working that area, opened a coop that held chickens and turkeys. These birds ran from their cage to the neighbor’s house that survived, and still reside there today!

Others that were going door to door, like the Sherriff’s Department, Police, CHP, and Fish & Wildlife, including fire personnel, rescued animals whenever possible. Dogs, cats, one guy had a mule and sheep in the bed of his truck! And the veterinary offices! They were simply amazing, helping these animals however they could.

In that retrospect, truck loads of UC Davis pharmaceuticals, hay, grain, alfalfa, and all kinds of pet food were flooding our community, to help feed and care for these animals in need.

PG&E worked at record speed, as did AT&T, to restore poles starting the next day! The mobile command posts were helpful! POD’s, (point of distributions) were put up all over, as well as a local assistant center at Cal Pine. These were along side the many other areas that helped house people!

One place that stood out in Willie’s mind was the Lion’s Club Little Red School House. They set up with items to donate to evacuees for everything they could possibly need to camp outside. Tents, sleeping bags, lanterns, and tools. There were clothing items, food, toiletries, and more!

This was just the beginning! People who were probably on their last $5.00 came to donate to the firefighters. Waters, food, homemade cookies, it was very heartfelt and amazing. Others were local venders such as Walmart, who when the evacuees camped in their parking lot, gave them waters and food items. The local McDonalds, both Clearlake and Lakeport donated food items as well to both evacuees, and firefighters.

And it goes on! One entire football team from a Sonoma County high school came to sift through people’s rubble of their lost homes, to help look for anything that might have survived. In Fort Bragg, the city housed many people and fed them for free. And Cactus Grill in Clearlake, she made 100 burritos and brought them to Lake County Fire.  Cecil’s brought over 20 pizzas. An anonymous woman, dropped off 20 Tupperware containers of spaghetti, and Claudine Graf made an entire dinner for the department one night! These people all were looking for a way to give back and help.

Twin Pines Casino went all out! They housed in their hotel a ton of evacuees and fed them all. Hidden Valley Lake also fed people that were evacuated.

The thing that also happened, that most people may not think of, was the fact that the call volume for Lake County Fire and 911 calls were reduced by 25% during the fire. People in the community, that normally wouldn’t think twice about calling 911 for assistance of some sort, didn’t place calls, and reduced the number of calls the fire and medic personnel had to make. That was huge!

As his family walked in, and I had errands to run, we wrapped up our conversation. The way Willie lights up at seeing his family is touching. I have known Willie about 30 years from just living in the same community, and my husband Charlie, has worked with him for a really long time. He’s a very dedicated man, Willie, and I was honored to interview him and hear his story. I want to thank him for taking the time out of his dreadfully busy schedule, to humor this writing fanatic!

Willie, your information was essential, and much appreciated. It gives me joy to be reminded of the heroic and also humble people of our community here in Lake County.

Next Blog: Some things I’ve learned about the rebuilding process for some of our fire victims. Also, future interviews to be posted in upcoming blogs.

Conclusion of Sneak Peak

This concludes the first scene

in my book, Out Of The Ashes. If you haven’t read the first two entries that I blogged depicting this opening scene, you can scroll down to find them, beginning with Out Of The Ashes (sneak peak), then Sneak Peak Continues. This is the third and final blog of this opening scene, where Gabriel Hart first sees the object of his desire, Sarah McKinney. Read on and enjoy!

The bartender returned to say,

“Sorry to disappear on you like that, but things are hummin’ in here tonight. Let me know if I can get you anything else.”

“Huh? Oh, I’m good thanks,” Gabe replied without turning his barstool back. He was watching the girls settle into a corner table in the back of the room.

“You uh, ………Ok there my friend?” the bartender asked.

Gabriel realized he was rude and momentarily lost concentration. He had to almost shake his head in order to look away from the green-eyed girl.

“Sorry, man. No, I’m just fine, thanks,” Gabe smiled somewhat embarrassed.

“It’s understandable. I’m guilty of the same distractions,” the bartender said while staring in the girl’s direction himself. Suddenly, Gabriel looked at the guy and saw a dark shadow fall over the face of the otherwise cheerful bartender. “If you will excuse me, I need to grab some stuff, but I will be back.” and the bartender disappeared down the hallway.

When Gabriel turned his attention back to the girls, he saw a waitress over taking their orders. He didn’t want to seem too obvious with his intrigue, so Gabriel turned his barstool sideways to watch the TV screen and pretend to be interested in the game. Gabe hadn’t dated or even thought of dating anyone since Shelly. He just didn’t have the heart to let go of the past yet, despite all Shelly’s and his friends trying to set him up. He insisted it was too soon and he wasn’t ready to even think about it. They respected his wishes and left it alone. So that’s exactly what Gabe was getting use to. Being alone.

A strange feeling came over him though, sitting in that bar, and her quiet solitary mood, drew Gabe to look at her again. She looked like he felt, when HE was with is friends. Distracted, and uncomfortable, but trying to go along with the façade of the evening, she sipped her wine and looked around the room.

Suddenly, the girl locked eyes with Gabe and he felt a rush of heat flush is chest and face! She’d caught him looking with fixated eyes on her. Gabe tried to slowly, casually turn his barstool back towards the TV.

“Be careful with that one,” it was the bartender. He was back.

“What are you talking about?” Gabe pretended. He wasn’t ready to admit to himself that he felt interested in a woman, much less admit it to anyone else.

“She’s fragile. Don’t give it a thought unless you can respect that about her.”

Gabe looked into the bartender’s eyes. He was dead serious and had a somewhat cautionary look on his face.

“Not that I’m interested, but I take it you know her.”

“Everyone does,” he said. “She’s as local as it gets. But she’s had her fair share of hard knocks so, that’s why the warning.”

“Broken heart or?…….” Gabe’s question was left hanging in the air as the bartender stared at her pondering a response.

“Let’s just say it was shattered. She’s not recovered. Oh, she puts on a brave face, but her soul itself was battered. It will take a very special guy for her to ever trust or love again,” and the bartender turned and started washing dishes.

Gabe drank more of his beer and turned his stool back to look towards the girl’s table. The green eyed girl was shyly glancing towards Gabe periodically but then turned her chair to face her friends more directly. Gabe got the hint.

“Must have been some stupid guy to hurt a girl like that,” Gabe said in the bartender’s direction. “I know heart break man, and I can tell you, I have never been the player some guys are. I know something real when I have it. That’s just not something to mess around with. Don’t have time for it, ya know?” and he finished off the last of his fries.

The friendly bartender turned and gave a small smile to Gabe, as he took the empty plate away and wiped the counter. “If everyone had that same outlook on relationships, the world wouldn’t be so full of despair, and hate. Truth is my friend, that most folks are always looking for the next best thing. Nobody is ever quite satisfied with what they have. Especially if things get rough, that’s when the weak give up.”

“So that’s what happened? Some guy left her in hard times?” Gabe asked.

The face of the bartender seemed pained at the question and soon Gabriel was sorry he asked. It was beginning to look like there was more to this story than the bartender had first let on and Gabe immediately felt like he should retract any further questioning.

“Hey, I don’t mean to pry, you don’t need to answer that. It’s really none of my business,” Gabe offered.

The bartender gave a forced laugh, “No, no! It’s quite alright. It’s just that they were kind of local royalty, ya know. Everyone knew them. And the story has a crazy turn. The guy ended up dying in an accident too. So she was slammed twice!” the bartender waved his arms as if to brush away smoke and memories from right in front of him. “Anyway, what are ya gonna do, right? We all move on and so will she, but everyone here kind of watches out for her. Just so you know,” and he winked at Gabriel then walked back into the kitchen with the plate.

He knew he shouldn’t be, but Gabe was now more intrigued than ever about this green eyed beauty. It seemed so unfair that something as gentle as she could have gone through such trauma. And even though he was always missing Shelly, Gabriel had a yearning to get to know this girl. Approaching her in a bar was NOT the thing to do though, and Gabe knew it! She’d only think he was some slime ball trying to get her into bed. Some, out-of-towner looking for a one night stand. That couldn’t be further from the truth, so he dismissed the idea entirely.

Terrible timing! In the three years since Shelly was gone, nobody and nothing had pulled his heartstrings. Now here he was, just yards away from a fragile bird of a girl that he’d love to meet, and he couldn’t even go say hello for fear of her misunderstanding his intentions.

Gabe thought to order one last beer, just for a reason to stick around, but he was truly full to his eyeballs and there wasn’t going to be an opportunity to speak with this girl tonight without seeming forward anyway. Defeated, he decided to ask for the bill.

When the bartender came back he was carrying one more tray of clean glasses and set them behind the counter.

“Hey man, I think I’m ready to settle up,” Gabe said.

“Sure thing. Gonna turn in already?” he asked as he pulled the bill from his apron.

Gabe smirked and shrugged his shoulders. “Yea, I know it’s Friday night, but the week has been long and I think I will just fall asleep to the TV.”

“Big partier huh?” the bartender laughed. “I know, I’m pretty much the same. I can’t remember the last time I really tore it up. But I suppose we will be running into each other periodically since you are here awhile.”

“Yea, that would be great. I’m Gabe, by the way,” and he extended a hand to the bartender.

“Wiping his hand off on his apron, he reached to shake Gabe’s hand, “Max, and it’s great you guys are here to clean up so folks can rebuild.”

As he stood to go, Gabriel leaned in to ask one last question of Max, even though he wasn’t sure what he’d do with the information.

“Hey, Max? I don’t know why I’m asking, but………..what’s her name?”

Max eyes sparkled as he smiled at Gabe, letting him know it was ok that he asked. “Sarah. Her name is Sarah,” and he winked and disappeared back into the kitchen.

Thanks for following along! Keep looking for more to come in future blog posts.

Boosting Traffic

148  Hey There Friends!

I have been researching ways to bring more traffic to my site and just downloaded a program to help with that. Today, I am testing it out.

If you are new to my blog site, the sidebars have categories to choose from, but if you’d like to start at the beginning, (as I know I usually do), choose the archives and start in April, where it all began.

The main reason for starting this blog was to bring interest and get information, comments, and unity for a book I’m writing. It’s a romance novel revolving around the Lake County, Valley Fire of September, 2015. If you read some of the earlier posts, you can get a better idea of what I’m talking about, because it’s all there.

Thank you to those of you who have helped me in this process. I am very enthusiastic, and your support has been most appreciated.

Have a great day, and I will get back to regular postings. This one was only a test! Haaaa!

The Sneak Peak Continues……

  In the last entry,

I shared the beginning of Out Of The Ashes, with you. This blog entry will continue where we left off. If you haven’t read the actual BEGINNING, then I recommend you scroll down to read my previous blog post before reading this one. It has been my pleasure to share the start of my book with you. I hope you enjoy it.

   The woman bartender

appeared quickly in front of Gabe, placing his plated burger in front of him along with a bottle of ketchup. She gave a brief smile and quickly walked away to grab a chilled wine glass and a bottle of chardonnay to pour for another customer.

Just as his dimpled bartender promised, the burger was just what Gabe needed. The crisp, salty fries were cooked to perfection and he washed it all down with the beer. Before he could even ask for another, the guy just appeared in front of Gabe with a knowing look.

“Ready for another cold one?” The bartender leaned over to grab Gabriel’s empty bottle.

“Yea, you have great timing,” Gabe said.

As the bartender reached into a refrigerator under the counter, Gabe took a better look at him. The guy was a little older than he was with slightly weathered good looks. His light brown hair was a little long, and he was around Gabe’s height. When he set the beer down, Gabe could see he had deep-set, dark eyes that smiled just like his dimples. Although he was tanned, somehow, Gabe knew it wasn’t from being on the lake a lot. This guy seemed more like the outdoorsy, working kind of guy, like Gabe himself. That and his hands looked rough like Gabe’s. This guy didn’t spend his time inside bartending for his main living, that was for sure.

“So what do you do?” Gabriel asked as he took a swig of beer.

“Well right now, I’m your friendly neighborhood bartender. But I dabble in many fields. How about you?” the bartender asked.

“I’m here with the contractors for the fire clean-up. I’m staying at the hotel.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t head out this evening like the others then. Don’t feel like going home for the weekend?” he asked.

“Let’s just say, I can be just as occupied here as there,” Gabe replied, having another pull on his bottle.

“Well, it’s a pleasure having you here. I know there are a lot of folks really grateful for any help speeding up the recovery process. That fire really kicked this community’s ass! Folks need hope, ya know?” The bartender looked behind Gabriel, through the glass window into the atrium area at some women heading into the bar.

Gabe turned his barstool to look at what the guy saw.

The woman behind the bar asked if someone could bring in more clean glasses from the kitchen. Gabe’s bartender asked if he’d excuse him for a minute and left through the doors into the kitchen.

As Gabe turned his attention back into the direction of the three women heading into the bar, the glass door swung open, and they entered. The first was a lovely blonde with typically over-highlighted hair, jeans and heels. The next was a brunette in a long-sleeved dress and high heeled boots. Finally, somewhat behind and entering more slowly, was a thin, honey haired girl with her head down. She wore simple jeans, tennis shoes, and an open flannel shirt with a tank-top under it. When she looked up in the direction of her friends, her light green eyes were piercing, and something caught in Gabriel’s chest.

Next Blog: The conclusion of the first scene in which Gabriel first laid eyes on Sarah McKinney.

Interviews on the horizon still, and some information shared with me from friends on moving forward. How is everyone doing out there? It’s all pretty unique to the survivors.

Don’t forget to comment on the book, your personal experiences with the Valley Fire, or any words you wish to share. Feedback is great!

Out Of The Ashes (sneak peak)

I’m posting the first couple of pages

of the book instead of the interviews, which are not ready. Thought instead of putting off a blog post any longer, I’d throw y’all a bone and give you a sneak peak of how OUT OF THE ASHES, begins. Hope you enjoy it.

Gabriel was in a foul mood.

The excavating company he worked for brought him to this rural community in northern California, to clean up after the big Valley Fire swept through and destroyed over 1,000 homes. It wasn’t the work that was upsetting. It was the fact that it was the holidays now, and that time of year always left him blue. He thought being in a strange place would distract him. The truth was, it made him feel more alone than ever.

He was staying in the only hotel chain in the area. The Best Western was the tallest building in the small town of Clearlake, reaching 4 stories high. At least he didn’t have to share a room with one of the guys. Being a foreman, he got a room paid for by the company all to himself. That way he could sulk alone.

Three years earlier, just before Christmas, he was traveling on Interstate 680 outside of Fremont with his girlfriend Shelly. They were on their way to her parent’s house to stay for the holidays. Gabe had been living with Shelly in the Bay Area city of San Ramon for over a year, and since his family was back in Oklahoma, Shelly’s family was who they were celebrating with.

It was raining that Christmas Eve, and it was all over before Gabriel even knew what hit them. The papers said the multi-car pileup on the freeway was caused by poor weather conditions, limited visibility, and high speeds. Gabe suffered his share of injuries, a fractured arm, clavicle, ribs, and punctured lung, but Shelly’s side of the car was what took most of the hit. The doctors said she died instantly.

With little reason to move back to Oklahoma, Gabe stayed in California, and continued to work for the excavating company as a heavy equipment operator. It was decent pay and moving to a neighboring city of Danville, he tried to keep his mind off of Shelly.

Coming to Lake County, to help rebuild the lives of so many that lost everything in the Valley Fire, he thought would lift his spirits. Being lonely around the holidays was just something he couldn’t shake. This particular Friday, he thought of driving the 3 hours back to his apartment in Danville, but going to an empty place just didn’t sound like it would help. Maybe if he had a dog or something. But alone was still alone. He decided to just stay on at the hotel and go grab a drink in the lobby bar.

After showering and shaving, Gabe decided to head downstairs and grab a burger at the bar and a few beers. Maybe watch some football on the TV if it was on. He knew most of the guys would probably be headed back to the city by now but that suited him just fine. He’d seen them all week, and he wasn’t particularly close friends with any of them. Gabriel was somewhat of a loner, not trusting his heart to rely on a single soul.

To his surprise, the small town bar was slammed and lively. There were loads of people shooting pool, watching the game, and talking loudly over the jukebox. Behind the bar they had three bartenders, one woman and two men.

As Gabe walked in, several of the women stopped and gave him a second look. Not drop dead gorgeous, but Gabe was a substantially good looking guy. His 5’10” stature was muscular and it showed, through his t-shirt and jeans. His thick, dark hair was cut short, and his blue eyes were always a show stopper. That was what Shelly had told him she noticed first about him. That they were beautiful, but sort of sad looking. That intrigued her, she’d said.

Walking up to the bar, Gabriel waited to make eye contact with one of the bartenders to place his order. There was one lone seat at the far left of the bar, furthest away from the television, but closest to the kitchen entry. He could smell the aroma of cooking onions and sizzling beef. Suddenly he was famished.

“What’s your pleasure my man?” the gentleman taking Gabe’s order had deep dimples that accompanied a kind smile.

“Oh, a Coors Light please, and can I order food?”

“Of course. Do you need a menu or can I make a suggestion?” the bartender asked.

“Um…..well, sure. What do you recommend?”

“Well, the chicken fried steak is always good, but my personal Friday Night fav is a thick, juicy burger with sauted onions. We have shoestring fries that go great with it too.”

Gabriel thought the guy read his mind and quickly agreed to the burger and fries. The cheery bartender winked at him and said he’d place the order right away. The long-neck bottle of Coors Light was placed in front of Gabe as the bartender disappeared into the kitchen.

The Stanford game was on the TV but the sound of Bruno Mars was blaring out from the jukebox. Gabe swiveled his barstool around to survey the room while taking a long swig off his beer. The group was mostly his age or younger.

At 33, Gabe was an old soul. He never was a big partier and preferred more intimate gatherings. But somehow, being swallowed up in a crowd right now seemed more comforting. It was easier than being back in the city, with Shelly’s and his friends feeling sorry for him. Nobody knew him here, or his story, and that’s the way he liked it.

Next blog: The next few pages of the book, and how Gabriel Hart first saw Sarah McKinney.

Once I complete the interviews, they will be posted. Now that I have my summer off, I will be better at blog entries closer together, and still have time to write the book.

Thanks to those of you loyal readers and know your comments are always welcome and encouraged! Hope your weekend is full of peace, joy, and a little excitement!