My Tinderbox, My Home

Before I get too deep into today's post I want to share some exciting news with you.  Last week I was contacted by Amazon.  By Saturday of last week, they began publishing Twenty Four At Heart to their Kindle readers.  If you have a Kindle, or if you have a friend or family member who might be interested in subscribing to Twenty Four At Heart by Kindle you (or they) can go here to do so.  This also seems to be a very appropriate time to thank each and every one of you who take the time to come here and visit.  There are no words to express how much I appreciate you.  Smooches!

Yesterday The Torturer let me out of PT a little early.  I came home and before I'd even left my garage I knew there was a problem.  I could hear a helicopter and it was close.  It was very loud ... and a loud helicopter near my house means only one thing.  

Fire.

My backyard ends with a slope down to this lake.  The lake is surrounded by dry brush this time of the year.  I live in a canyon and the canyon is a tinderbox ready to ignite.

Yesterday it ignited, but fortunately the fire was deemed as a "spot fire" and within a couple hours the fire was "under control" although not extinguished.  At no time was the fire close enough to threaten my home.

The Orange County Fire Authority helicopters fill their water tanks directly from the lake when there are fires nearby.  Unfortunately, living where I do means I see these helicopters at least once a year, and during many years even more frequently.

The helicopters always approach from the north.

The helicopters used to have huge buckets hanging from them that they would fill.  Now they have water tanks on board and fill them instead.

It only takes a couple minutes to fill the water tanks.

Then they are back in the air and headed towards their destination to drop the water.

  

Yesterday was unusual.  The fire department was using multiple helicopters.  At some points one would be hovering as another filled its tank.  As soon as the first would leave, the next would take its spot.  My normally quiet canyon was very loud until it became too dark for the firefighters to fly.

I started tweeting fire events as soon as I got home.  The Orange County Register follows me and contacted me for a phone interview.  They also asked if I could email them some pictures which I did.  If you're interested you can read the newspaper article here.  I am quoted and they also gave me a photo credit.  It made me feel *special*.  (Except for the part where they outed my identity to all of Orange County and the entire rest of the world when this was supposed to be an anonymous blog!)

That part of it?  Not so special ....

Comments

[Sugee]

That last paragraph? Oh man. I'm speechless. I feel anxiety. Well.. I guess I'm not too worried, you make it through pretty much everything :)

[Dutch Donut Girl]

WOW! They outed your identity?!! That SUCKS!

Please don't answer your door when The Moaner comes knocking at your doors.

I can't believe they blew you anonymity.

[Lynn K.]

Holy cow! You're famous! But outed....that does suck. Be careful!

(BTW, I remember when you just started out and I was one of your first readers : )

[Joanne]

OMG! You are about as out as a drag queen!

[stoneskin]

Those pictures are incredible. And they fill me with anxiety and dread because I hate helicopters!

[Jan]

Oh, you can't be serious! Did you let them have it with both barrels? Well, that's what you get for being one of them thar internet phenomenons.

Oh, by the way, I'm so glad your house didn't burn down.

[Deidre]

I have family whose house was barely spared in Santa Barbara...it's just so terrifying.

Outed - oh no! That's a total bummer.

[Donna in VA]

Every single time those fires break out, my heart swells with fear for all the families in its path. I have an indescribable fear of fire.
As for you being outed - yeah, that's a fear of mine as well. While I don't really say anything on my blog (or at least I try) that would incriminate me in any way, I think about writing a lot of incriminating stuff all the time. Restraint is sometimes more difficult than others.

[Hallie]

Weren't you sort of outed already anyway? I mean a bunch of people know you write this, correct?

I don't think it makes a difference who knows. You are who you are and I suspect will always write what you want and how you want to. And that's why I love your blog so much.

Hallie

[Linda]

Outed! That could be a problem. Or a whole lotta fun! I mean it's not like you named names or anything. Might have to get a new secret blog just for us:) [email protected]?

[sometimessophia]

Scary Stuff. Heard there was an earthquake in Torrance, too. Glad you're okay!!

Huge congrats on the Kindle deal, too!! That's marvelous and you soooo deserve it!!

[Jenn in Tenn]

OH! how exciting for you with the Amazon/Kindle thing! Yay.
Great pictures of the helicopters..that had to be neat to watch. Glad your house didn't suffer. As far as the newspaper, guess you're gonna havta be Out and Proud now! Nothing here for you to be ashamed of, fark 'em if they can't take a joke! ;-)

[Alan]

I'm glad you and your home are safe! And you are sooooo outed. The Torturer is gonna be famous!

[Alan]

And so is your backside! LOL

[Kelly]

Those are AMAZING pictures. Wow! Glad the fire wasn't close enough to hurt your home. Outed? I think you should hold your head up high. Look what you've done with 24 ... all the people who love it. Screw the people who don't have a sense of humor and keep doing what you always have.
PS I want a kidndle SO bad! Congratulationss!

[nicki]

Wow those are a amazing pics. Sorry they outted you though :(

[Sandi]

Quakes and fires..... We live in paradise!

[Maureen at IslandRoar]

Outed? Uh-oh. Hope there's no big fallout. I live near the ocean, and when choppers fly overhead here, we know it's coast guard and someone, or their boat, is having some trouble at sea. A creepy feeling, so I know how you fee. Glad your house is safe.

[Pseudo]

They outed you AND connected directly to your blog. The shots are really goood ones though...

Congrats on the Amazon offer!!! Yea 24!

[LPC]

Congrats! I think. Hope the outing is too much of a pain. BTW, I quoted your term "Moneytown" today. With full attribution as a famous person deserves:).

[missy]

I read your quote and saw the photo in the Register yesterday afternoon. I was so excited for you and they used it in today's paper as well! Way to go. Maybe they thought they were giving your readership a boost by naming your blog...
Congrats on the Kindle deal.

[Renee Couturier]

BUSTED!!!
But a celebrity none the less!

[Sandra]

Cool on the Amazon thing!

How do you feel about being "outed"?

[LPC]

Wait. I meant I hope it's NOT too much of a pain. Aging. Not what it's cracked up to be...