The Santa Barbara Fire

I've received SO many thoughtful emails from people concerned about my home's proximity to the fire in Montecito/Santa Barbara. Thank you for your concern and your well wishes. Yes, I did evacuate - the fire was very close. I was only in the "Evacuation Warning" area - but only one street away from the "Mandatory Evacuation" area. There was so much smoke, ash, intense heat, and helicopters continuously flying over my house (thank goodness for them) that I decided it would be better if I went somewhere else - somewhere where I could breathe and sleep. It's nice that those fire-fighting helicopters can fly at night now - and they sure can fly low. I felt like I was in some sort of movie - the type of movie I would never ordinarily go to. I'm very grateful that I had the choice to go somewhere wonderful.

A friend very generously offered her beach house to me - so I stayed there for the past three days. My friend and her husband had a houseful of evacuees with them at their other home, so I won the jackpot by getting to use their beach house. (Thank you Peggy! You're amazing!) Staying at their beach house was on my list of things I wanted to do - interesting way to manifest that one, huh? It was wonderful there - peaceful and smoke-free (until the smoke from the Los Angeles fires found its way up to the beach house.) Oh well, I consider myself lucky to have had the luxury. The smoke eventually cleared. (Ah, the power of strong intention. I wasn't going to tolerate smoke following me around like that. I had just left that "party.") 

Some of my friends lost their homes in this fire, many of my friends' homes came close but were spared. I feel blessed to have a home to come home to - smoke-filled but still standing. My heart goes out to all the people who have lost their homes, and to those who have gone through the ordeal of having to evacuate. It's quite an adventure. I've been one of the fortunate ones. I hope (know) that good comes from all of it - for everyone touched in any way by the experience. I know how resilient people can be.

Thank you again for all the prayers and good visions you sent my way. And thanks for envisioning some rain for these areas! Wouldn't it be fun to create some "magic"?

Smiles,

Pam