The fires are still going in full force. I had hoped to get to exercising on a regular basis this week but the air quality is so very bad, even in the tiny casa I am having trouble breathing. My thoughts and heart go out to all the displaced persons here in California. It is a scary, scary thing this fire season here. When I was young, the fires were always a little off my radar or very exciting but now, now I know the damage that can happen and the aftermath when the rains come and how it takes seasons and seasons for the earth to heal.
I hope that everyone who lives in any type of area that is prone to scary elements has an emergency plan. You and your family members should know what objects are most important to rescue and you should have an out of state contact to call to let them know you are safe and where you are so that they can relay the message to your family. You should have an overnight bag packed with clothes, shoes and prescriptions in your car at all times and it would be a good idea to start stashing away cash for emergencies. Don't forget the important documents and if you store all your work on the computer make sure you back it up. Keep favorite photos in an internet account like flickr, or burn to a cd. Transfer important documents to a flash drive on a regular basis just to be safe. And, as always, make sure you have water. I know bottled water isn't the trend when we are all trying to be environmentally sound but if a disaster such as a tornado or earthquake hits, chances are there won't be available drinking water on hand. We make sure to have at least 5 gallons of water in the casa and another 2 liters in the car. Most importantly play it safe and keep cool. People do stupid things when they panic. People are people folks and we need to help each other whenever we can. Stay safe.
