The Hills, They Are Burning

 

Ok so what we said about the hills, don't take to the hills right now. They are either on fire, about to be on fire or filling with smoke. We woke to the sound of our UPS beeping as it kicked in during a power outage while we were sleeping a week ago. The house was otherwise silent and of course pitch black but I had a bad feeling the outage was due to the storm we'd heard was on the way. Dry lightning is the enemy of anyone who lives on the West coast of Canada or the US. Late summer heat and dryness in the forests makes for a dangerous place for a strike to land. In 2008 we were here for the last dry lightning event in California and it was pretty catastrophic. 

I looked out over the valley saw in in distance some flashes of  lightening and when I stepped outside the dry hot wind kicked up and started to pull on our awning over the deck. The air smelled like sulfur. Joel got up and began manually cranking in the awning which is very difficult without the electric motor. The storm rolled closer and some drops of rain started and I had to run outside to cover the generator with tarps and huge rocks to hold them down dodging flying branches. Our phones lit up with alerts about fires from the storm that had started in Mill Valley, Pt Reyes, Forest Knolls/San Geronimo (very close to us) and I believe there were a few other strikes spots around the Muir Woods side of Mt Tam. Even with the rain starting we knew there was enough build up of dry tinder, these fires were not going to be easy to attack. I sat up with my phone and our wireless hotspot (the only way to get a signal in an outage here because we are just out of regular cell phone company range).  Our local firefighters heroically put out all the fires overnight except for the one in the Pt Reyes National Park which they could not reach. That is the one that is now nearly 3,000 acres and now drawing resources from Montana. 

 A week went by with over 650 fires raging across the state from the lightning event and then we had advance warning of ANOTHER lightning complex coming our way and were advised to be ready to evacuate if a strike were to land near us. So, along with all our friends in the area, we began to organize the plan for evacuation and pack up essentials in the car. A massive Red Flag warning covering most of Northern California was declared. Extra resources started to pour into the state. Luckily when the storm hit it has mostly dispersed at sea and there were just a couple of strikes near existing fires. Our Red Flag was lifted and life returned to our strange normal.  

Fairfax with unhealthy smoke levels still had a concert in the parking lot and diners sitting on patios

It's hazy out there but the sun makes it through. We usually have clear air in the afternoon & evening.

We're so fortunate to have central air conditioning (powered by our solar array) which pulls in fresh air from outside, cools it and then filters it before sending it around the house. Very little smoke gets inside. We had the system updated just a couple of years ago and are very glad we did. It has saved our lungs and sanity the last few years. 

Taking to the Hills

 As we watch the historic exodus out of San Francisco we see the highest rents in North America plunge and the city's real estate market flood. It's something I never thought I'd see living here. With everyone working from home for five months with likely another year of this on the horizon, people with means are making choices to head for the hills. 

In our circle alone we know folks buying rural properties in Northern California, Washington, Oregon and either building a house or working with what's there. Others are building up tiny homes on truck chassis and driving them off into the sunset. Expats are biding their time debating repatriation or a new country. It's not like kids are physically in school this year. It's not like we're likely to see any of the friends we might miss. We're living in one of the most desireable spots to retreat to but that also means we could name the rent price (likely 6,000+ a month) and head further out for a while. It's definitely crossed my mind. 

We miss you California

We're missing so many places, people and happenings while we wait in lockdown. This is a time of year we often make our way down the Pacific Coast Highway through Carmel and Big Sur to Santa Monica and LA seeing friends all the way. I miss those palm treed boulevards, sparkling beaches and long sunsets. Evenings outside under a canopy of grape vines, enjoying feasts with dear friends and so much champagne. We took one last trip into wine country just before the lockdown which I am very grateful for. We'll miss the fall wine tasting and stocking up the cellar too.