Well the fires closed down school today.
There was no school on Friday either.
This is because the particulate matter in the air is too great, or so says the Air Quality Control people. Yes it is smokey. Some days worse than others… today wasn’t nearly as bad as yesterday.
They say no school until maybe Thursday. This means no work for Russel, of course.
Just more of waiting is…. 🙁
‘Waiting Is…’ a coined phrase by an old friend. He taught me a lot about patience, although I still have a lot to learn.
Waiting for the fires to finally burn themselves out. The smoke fills the sky and it is hard to breathe today, as it was on Thursday. We (here in Garberville) did have less smoke on Friday and Saturday, but that just means some one else had it… it all depends on the wind flow.
Waiting for the phone to ring. Still waiting for the appointment for the chest clinic for Russel, who is hurting lots more and coughing more too. I am most concerned about the ‘pain’. It doesn’t hurt for him to do deep breathing (as in yoga breaths), but the pain pressure is always there and at times much stronger. He has been using Vicodin and that is not good as he is not one to use painkillers willy-nilly.
Stress is hurting me. And not being able to walk, (it’s too smokey to even go outside unless you have too), isn’t helping my body much. Waking up with more aches and pains than I went to bed with.
Our mortality is showing. It becomes apparent that one should embrace each day and each interaction with a friend or acquaintance as if it were the last time you may see them. It is sometimes hard to do, in our busy lives. But it is the most fulfilling way to be.
Russel was commenting on this yesterday as we ran into someone we don’t see often. He is feeling his mortality for sure, and that in a way, scares me because it shows me that he is too really worried and that it’s not just me being a worry-wart.
So, as TR used to tell me, ‘Waiting Is..’
Garberville and all of Southern Humboldt is covered in smoke from the Canoe fire burning on the north coast/King Range/Honeydew area. This is from CDF’s web site:
“Inaccessibility continues to hamper containment efforts along with hot dry weather on the Canoe fire. Fire intensity increased in the late afternoon and evening yesterday expanding the fire to 1,993 acres. The fire crossed the southern containment line along with numerous spots. Additionally, the fire was very active in the northeast portion of the fire. Containment is a concern as the fire expands toward the indirect line under current weather conditions.”
There is now also fear that the fire may start to encroach on human habitats namely – the northern most part of the Salmon Creek area. Voluntary evacuation is now in effect for the folks way up that hill.
I have only lived in So Hum for 12 years, and since then we have not had a fire of this size this close to us. So far we have been lucky in that no buildings have been lost, or lives for that matter.
My heart goes out to those in so many other areas that haven’t been so lucky, to lose all you have worked so hard for in a heartbeat…whether it is fire or water or wind, it just hurts.
By the way..
Autumn Equinox blessings to us one and all.
My favorite read has left!!
Help… I miss you already.
Please come back or tell me where you went!
In my life there is still no news 🙁
We are being smoked to death by the Canoe Fires on the north coast of California.
I am not sleeping well.
But my hip pain is almost gone… good thing.
Sorry for such crummy posts, but they are hurried because I need to stay OFF-LINE waiting for the doctor who doesn’t call with any news.
[remember these are the dial-up days]
We are just staying busy doing all the little things that seem to pile up, and trying to prepare the way in case we have to leave for any length of time.
My hip still hurts, but today I actually left the house for the first time.
Russel starts at another school tomorrow, up the mountain into Casterlin. He taught Aikido to kids there last year as well, so he’s glad to be going back.
I made a ‘My Favorite Movies’ page to keep my mind off things. It will be growing no doubt as I remember ones I left off.
I also put the little search script that is included in the original MT templates back in place, and figured out how to make it look better. I may add a more through search script later, but this should do for now.
I may just find an hour or 2 tomorrow that i can work up some photos for here, or if not that, start the process of figuring out which photo-blogging system i really want to use.
Stress is ruling my life at the moment. The kind of not-knowing what is gonna happen kind of stress. I mentioned here that we had to go to SF. That was so my husband could get a CT scan of his chest. We still (one week later) don’t know what the CT scan found. I am not going to go into any more detail until we know what is really going on.
The trip to SF alone was grueling enough. It was a sunny bright day for the 5 hours down, then a motel, and wouldn’t ya know it? the pay-per-view was down!! Then 5 hours back into the light rain. I did get some photos on the way home of the Golden Gate and the bay, but haven’t even had time to upload them yet. I didn’t have the camera with me when we were waiting at Fort Miley – VA hospital, too bad as there is a beautiful view of the bay and Marin Headlands from there. I am sure there will be a next time. 🙁
Then we spent all day Thursday (the 11th- my birthday) in Eureka. We didn’t catch a movie but i did little shopping. We met with friends and had a wonderful Sushi dinner at Tomo’s in Arcata.
Friday i took more photos of the Catching Cactus display at the Farmers Market, again it will be awhile before these photos are uploaded, sorry.
Saturday was a Virgo-potluck at Benbow State Park, a nice gathering of folks. I only knew a handful of people there, but it was a good distraction.
Sunday found us once again at Benbow, this time at the Inn for a brunch with Russel’s Mateel Aikido school. The Benbow Inn is the ritsy-titsy place in these parts, as far as the brunch was concerned, i was not impressed. Again, lots of pics, to be posted later.
I think it was fortunate that there was so much going on last week, it helped to take the mind off all the ‘what ifs’ that are cropping up. Saturday somehow??? i strained the left hip muscle that rides over the top of the hip (I know i should look it up but hey, it hurts to just sit here and type this!). I am still in much pain. Pain killers don’t seem to have much effect, and they give me incredible indigestion which is almost worse than the pain.
I attempted to get in the truck today to go out to the land, but it hurts to sit more than to stand. 🙁
Russel isn’t sleeping well, had ‘pressure like a chest cold’ in his chest and a light cough (that is getting worse as time goes on). His doctor called yesterday to just say that the ‘ct report’ hasn’t been uploaded to the site, and he doesn’t know when it will be. He did say we may need to go down again, this time to see a chest specialist, if the CT scan doesn’t diagnois something.
Any way, I may not be here as much as I would like, for many reasons. There are still so many MT tweaks I want to do. And I want to get either Gallery or Mt photoblog going so there is some where to put all these pictures i am taking.
I find that when i haven’t visited the MT forums in 12 hours that I have pages and pages of threads to wade through! It is so busy over there! I like to keep up, it helps me learn, but I just don’t have the time right now. Just keeping the Cockburn Project caught up is about all I can muster at the moment.
Steve Lucas who has played with Bruce Cockburn on many of his tours, has his own cd out.
Gamma Jazz
And so does Julie Wolf, keyboardist on the latest Bruce Cockburn tour,
Walk The Worn Out Floor.
Take a minute and give them a listen. Wonderful people and great musicians.
Last year I turned 50. It was a liberating birthday, although a bit subdued because of the first anniversary of 911. I had had higher hopes for this one. I am not one who makes a big deal out of birthdays or holidays, but do like a small token of rememberence.
The week started off with a hurried trip to San Fransisco, for a medical test for my Russel. We don’t know anything yet, so stress is a bit high to say the least. And that pall over shadows everything right now. Until we know what we are dealing with i am not going to divulge any more details.
But today was a good day. Last night i took some Ativan (sleep aid my husband got last week from his doctor)… and lo and behold I SLEPT all night. I feel rested for the first time in months.
I walked with Helen, my 75 year old neighbor and close friend. Then I went out and finally bought a pair of boots to replace my 15 year HiTecs… I got black New Balance..pic coming.
Time will tell if they fit well with my funny feet.(NOT)
I decided to make southwestern sytle corn bread and a minnestroni stew for dinner. Not one of R’s favorites but i like it, and i was the one cooking. It turned out good.
Then a knock on the door.. and my neighbor Ian has brought over a blueberry/strawberry pie and whipped cream! yummmmm!! , from his mother Linda … And what a surprise! An early birthday remembering… warms the heart, ya know?
Tomorrow we go to Eureka for the day, hope to catch a good movie. Then we meet up with friends Charlie & Cristin for sushi dinner at Tomo’s in Arcata. That will be way fun. More about that tomorrow.
And last night a cyber-friend, Suzanne, called to wish us well. That was really special and made me feel loved. Thanks Suzanne.