Now, our patio is party-ready. It's clean and enviromentally firendly again. Whether it's Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year's Day or even for good friends passing by our house tomorrow. Or specially for relatives coming for a long visit. You're always welcome. Be our guests. Relax your souls and bodies in entering our doors. We invite you.

...And Prties--Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Others

I Have Seen...

If one song can describe what I've experienced in almost a week in our small paradise here in San Diego, my all-time favorite of James Taylor certainly is the best one. It's titled: "Fire And Rain":

I've seen fire and I've seen rain
Ive seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've lonely time I could not find a friend
I won't make it another day.
But, I've always thought I'll see you again.

Just yesterday morning I know you were gone
And know when the cold wind blows
But, just look upon me Jesus to make it another day
Just this music coming down around this time now.
But, I've always know I'll see you all again.

Fire And Rain 2

This morning I woke up at 10 and this was what I saw outside our patio door. The patio was so dirty, the chairs are dirty and ashes all over--the covered garden set, the covered grill and the covered wheeled cart. And I know it was time to clean-up whether I like it or not. It must be done now, but, not the usual way--sweeping it and all. Ash dirt is better cleaned if hose down a little with water and swept with a broom and a dustpan and put in a garbage bag. I know it was going to be a messy job. So, I got my nose mask and a black Palos hat and started the task of cleaning from the top (trellis), to the tables and down to the floor.

And what do you know, it started to rain. Good! That made my job easier and cleaner. I dusted the surfaces and hosed down the patio and patio furnitures and front door and door mat and floor with water. After 2 hours I was done. Our ourside was a lot cleaner, it is still raining till now. I watered the flowers also and I had to take a picture of this rose. After that I was ready to eat lunch of crab torta, fried chicken and, of course, rice. It has been literally, fire and rain. Am I sounding like James Taylor. Well, I used to look like him when I was younger. Only, he's more balder than me. Yabang ano? Joke lang!

Fire And Rain

October 26, 2007; Friday:

Yesterday, our world here seems to be on fire, this morning looks like cold ice--a winter day, even, complete with fog and visibility was less than a mile. It was actually a marine layer, like you would see in San Francisco almost everyday. Less ash rain during the day and the afternoon was a lot colder. Funny things going around here these days. I was just glad it's TGIF (Thank God It's Friday) already. I went home looking forward to our chat and to Saturday a chance for me to clean up the mess the fire created around our house.

Carlsbad Sunrise

October 25, 2007; Thursday:

Yesterday, the fires were still burning, but, I was went to work and was busy cleaning up around our workplace the whole. I had to wear nose mask, though, while I'm outside for just don't want to feel the effect of ashes and debris raining, years from now. Nette stayed at home the whole day while northbound and southbound I-5 was closed. I told her to pack our valuables, some clothes and our van ready just in case. Nothing happened to us and the day passed while glued listening to the radio for updates.

This morning at about 7, this was how the sun look like and seems today wasn't going to be good. It's so strange the sun looks like this in Southern California. But, fortunately, it went without any more fires starting. Ash was still falling the temperature at the 88's in the afternoon. All conversations centered on the wildfires.

My Red Car's Turning Black

At about 9:30 a.m., this how my car looked like. You image may not show the white and black ash rain that have started collecting on it. But, it's already 1 p.m. and I'm sure I don't need the faded red color repainted caused it would turned in black by now. I'm sure you're not surprise, having experienced the Mt. Pinatubo eruption there. I'm still watching for more developments and I'll keep you informed. Pray for us and thanks to Christine Meneses for calling me from Houston this morning.

On my way back home at about 8:30 a.m., the sky suddenly turned slightly dark and was sun was like an orange moon in the morning. The wind was cold and there were ash rain already. It was so surreal, but, I know I was driving slowly down a city street. What's next?

Last night, we went to bed and pray that we would wake up next morning safe and out of danger inside our house. I pray also and hope for the best for those that were affected by the fires. One of them was Larry Himmel, a friendly long-time sports TV-Radio announcer for CBS Channel 8 who saw his house in Rancho Bernardo gutted to the ground for himself. And yet, he continued giving reports LIVE from his community. We were safe alright the next morning, 10-23-07 and we got ready to go to work. But this image was what I saw.

Ash rain has started overnight and as I drive until I got to my office. And the air was becoming unhealthly to breathe in and thank God I bought that nose mask! The cities and freeways look like a ghost towns. At 7:20 a.m., this would a rush hour traffic ride. Our dealership have no customers at the service department. The writers and the manager as I was changing into my uniform when they told me the store would be closed and we were to go home. Nobody would want to work, especially outside, in a atmosphere like this. Our lungs would collapse even if we wear masks the whole day.

My Mazda MPV (Most Pinoy Van) is ready to go.

And that's Gino trying to help by being a firefighter himself. As the night set in we didn't know what would happen for the next two that we have to endure. Ash rain wasn't visible set outside. And I still had time to trim and wet the grass and the flowers. I would go inside the house thinking what to do tomorrow or even this night. Watch TV all night or just trust God that we wake safe. But, the fires are not letting.

The whole day Nette and I did what the preparedness expert said on TV: To get these things ready: Important papers, valuables, radio, batteries, bottled water and some ready-to-eat food-just in case we have to evacuate Oceanside. And watch TV all day. Lucky for us, we didn't hear the announcement to do so. But, the fire continue to grow bigger because of the strong swirling Santa Ana winds in the mountains and was threatening to move west to the coast, where we live near. The Fallbrook fire got bigger and the sky became dark early at 5 pm and this was how it looked like. We were ready to move if needed. Nette has all her shoes, me with my portable PowerStation (jumper cable-tire inflator-lamp combination). And also Gino's laptop and silver watch. Hehehe.

Monday morning, we woke to the TV news that fires became 8 full blown firestorms spread along Ramona, Rancho Bernardo, Chula vista, near the Mexico border, Scripps Ranch, San Marcos and Fallbrook. And Fallbrook is the nearest to us, being 20 miles away only.

It was a work day, so, after I dropped off Gino at Ralph's, I passed by a nearby Lowe's Lumber and bought a 5-pack nose masks as I listened to my van's radio for the lastest news about the fire. The radio announcers and local officials were advising the people to stay home and off the road. Then, as I droved by Highway 76 west, I noticed the usually very light traffic at this 7 am morning was becoming heavier. I later learnt that the Interstate Highway 15 was closed from Freeway 78 up to Freeway 56 and motorists are taking 76 to I-5 North to downtown San Diego. After passing the Freeway 78 bridge, I decided to just drive back home after seeing several fire trucks from Los Angeles and that's when the traffic was started to back up. What more when noon and afternoon come, it would be a mess and I was right. After calling my office and calling Nette, who was still at home, I let them know I was heading home. Nette would later know hers too that she's not coming in.

By late Sunday evening as we were settling in for the night, watching the GMA's "Magpakailanman", the reversed 911 Emergency Notice sounded from the television, announcing mandatory evacuation from the whole of Ramona area This was what it looked like from that one single fire. At least six fires were raging around San Diego.

The Fire That Would Not Die

It started as a small fire in Santa Ysabel area, next to Julian, near the Pala Casino in northeast North County, to the east of I-15. That was Sunday afternoon at about noon, so, what I did, as I usually do, was just watch Pinoy TV's SOP and I was pretty much relaxed as there was nothing to do. And Nette had left that morning to go to work. This would change after she came home as we watched the local evening news.