Thursday, December 28, 2017

Day 24-The End

91% containment

Nothing will make you feel like more of an adult than dealing with an insurance adjuster. 
The saga has ended now...no more fire helicopters or sirens.
This transition has left me feeling like
I tripped and landed hard into this new reality, suddenly it is all over.

It felt similar when we realized that parenthood was not in our future or lives.
It was a bumpy transition and left me grumpy and relieved and confused.

We have a home, for that I am deeply grateful...and confused still as to how or why our home was spared...but it is time to remove the plastic from all the doors and windows.
The air purifiers are still running, I think now as a security blanket for us.

I finally put the items away that we had taken after coming back on the day after evacuation.
The forgotten precious things:
My wedding ring, a family painting from the 1800's...a photo of our wedding.
This whole process has been scary, humbling and enlightening.  

the hillside across the street as we were evacuating, left and right side obscured by trees
(taken while driving away from our home)
across the street-two days ago

Not only have we been dealing with constant fire and evacuation dreams (I figure this is happening because I was woken from slumber when we got the call to leave immediately)
but The Barren has gotten chest illnesses.
The Barren has been to the walk-in clinic two weekends in a row after since the fire started.
The first visit confirmed walking pneumonia and the second confirmed a secondary bronchial irritation from the smoke and particulates.
We had both been coughing and got stuffy noses after we left...and have been wearing particle masks by day three, but that was not enough to protect us from the constant rain of ash, dust and smoke...
so much smoke.

Now we are to adjust to this new reality.
700 homes lost in our town
so many people have been touched by this fire.
Everyone has a story of the night they had to leave.

I am most touched by the stories that keep coming to light, the good in this town...
the stuff that makes you cry from being so deeply touched in the heart:

* A call went out from a family who lost their home, that they wanted to bring their dog home from the animal evacuation shelter but the fence in the home they were staying in was a little wonky and they didn't have a hammer to fix it. There was someone at their door within ten minutes.

* The fact that donations and volunteers were asked to be halted as there was too much! They had all they could use and then some.

* The firefighters asking to stop giving them food and donations, they had too much

* The local man who didn't know what to do, so he made sifters for people who lost their homes...to help them find precious items that survived

My favorite quote from a local evacuation site for livestock: 
" Don't let that emu out, he is a real asshole and super hard to catch "

Everyone has been gentle with everyone...I see more hugging and listening.

I am finally able to get back to my practice too.
I found that not only had the stress taken a toll on me mentally, but physically.
I was not able to practice as the air quality was horrible for breathing 
and unsafe for teachers to get to the studio.
I was also unable to travel to the town to practice because of the fire activity.
I missed my quiet community of toe touchers.
Home practice is not the same, at least for me...

So here I am trying to adjust, working on readjusting...feeling quiet still
and watching The Barren like a hawk.
I think I will peel a window open today....I am feeling hopeful.

3 comments:

Mali said...

I am so so happy that you are home, and it is okay. (And hoping the Barren will recover as the smoke leaves the air.) I got a shiver up my spine as I read this - wondering what it is like to lose everything, or not to lose everything when so many people did.

And thanks for the laugh about the emu quote.

I was thinking of you every time I saw mention of the fires.

May 2018 be much less eventful (in a good way) for you!

Stacie said...

I am in this area, too, although we are just out of the area that needed to evacuate (more south beach area). I agree that the way the community has come together has been nothing less than amazing.

I am sending love and light to you and your husband.

loribeth said...

That's scary! :( I hope things settle down & you can breathe easier (literally & figuratively!) very soon! (((hugs)))