Fire Season

Living in Southern California provides us a "season" that is unique to us. It is a time when the Santa Ana winds blow with fury. They are very dry, hot winds that come in from the deserts. The sky is gloriously blue and the air is crystal clear. However.....it also brings the terrible fires for which we are well known. This has been our week of fires. There has been fire "activity" all around us and we are all acutely aware of the extreme care that we must take in preparing our homes and neighborhoods for the times when we are threatened. It is a sad moment for all of the folks who have lost so much. Our hearts and prayers go out to them.

The helicopters have been flying back and forth with their scooper baskets loaded with water. They fly low and the deep "woof, woof, woof" of the aircraft can easily be heard all day.

We have firefighters from all over the West fighting these fires. I was glad to see that perhaps they were able to get a little sleep and a shower after their heroic efforts.

One big project that we do is to have our eucalyptus and palm trees trimmed. For some reason the tree trimmers showed up to do their work with howling winds. I would think only a crazy person would climb a sixty foot tree and dangle from it's branches during weather like that. I guess I must be wrong. Check out this job.

See the little man high up in the tree? See the wind as the cut sections blow away? Oh dear....not a job for the faint of heart.

Our son was down to meet the new baby with his little guy over the weekend. He looks so big compared to the new baby and he is so much fun.

He loved a few bubbles in the whirlpool tub.

As promised...a glimpse of him in his snail outfit. I will post a better one from his parents (once they stop laughing each time they dress him in the costume).

Yesterday was our monthly quilt guild meeting. We had a wonderful guest speaker who had flown in from Hawaii. Sylvia Pippen brought many of her quilts in which she works magic with applique and Japanese Sashiko. You can check out more of her designs at www.sylviapippendesigns.com/ . These are a couple of her pieces that she brought with her. All of the Sashiko - a running stitch of thick white cotton thread - is done by hand. Note also the details in her applique. It was amazing.



Thank you all for the wonderful birthday greetings. I had a fabulous day as I am so blessed.