Two counties around Sacramento, and one county a little farther east are beset with forest fires. This is the first time in my recollection that fires have come so close to this metropolitan area.
Yes, the sky was gray, overcast with smoke. The sun was an orange ball in the sky with clearly defined border, not usually apparent to the naked eye. I did make the mistake of looking directly at the sun, and clouded as it was, I still had an after-image for several minutes. Dumb thing to do because we're told not to look directly even at a total eclipse because of the chance of retinal damage.
But it was a gorgeous color. Like a brilliantly polished dark golden orb.
For awhile it was only smoke obscuring the sky, then later when I went out to the car, I noticed very fine ash falling all around.
So far about 50,000 acres have burned, but no homes or lives lost. Our firefighters are true heroes. The TV news this evening showed a firefighter standing on the roof of a house and spraying it with water in an effort to save the home.
Another shot showed a woman who had packed some belongings and her children in the family's SUV, and saying how grateful she was that her home had been saved.
The latest report says that the fires are about 10% contained, and firefighters say they hope they'll be fully contained by Saturday. As long as the wind doesn't come up, they probably will be. The weather reporter showed a weather map of the expanse of smoke from these fires. The smoke goes clear to the coast.
Oh, yes, and I probably should be inside with all the windows closed and the fans going. The air quality is very bad for people like me with pulmonary problems, but I'll be going out again tomorrow. Need some groceries. I won't starve if I don't go shopping, but I'd really like to have some more fruit in the house. Tch! I can't make do for a few more days until the air clears???
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I know there's a Black Hole in this apartment. Things keep disappearing. And reappearing in the oddest places.
I bought a book a couple weeks ago in anticipation of a class that started this evening. I started reading in it, then decided to put it aside until the class started. To get the full benefit of the text, the Rabbi's input and interpretation are needed.
But now I can't find the book.
I've checked my bookcases, and under the furniture. In my bedroom, although I seldom read there. I've looked everywhere except where the book is. I do hope the Black Hole spits it out before next Thursday.
Have you ever used scissors, put them down near at hand, then couldn't find them when you reached out for the instrument so you could finish the job? Then later, maybe an hour, maybe a day, there they are, right where you put them down????
Let me tell you that if you're afflicted with a Black Hole in your home, you are truly afflicted!
Oh, yes, and the ten pounds of Ghirardelli chocolate. I've managed to foist off some of it on a neighbor. Will hack of great chunks of it and take to my daughter when I return her daughter to her on Sunday. The Black Hole hasn't touched that. Yet. In the meantime, I think my chocoholism has been satisfied for the nonce.
Shalom