Tuesday, July 15, 2008

No news is......

So......the humidity is sort of good, and sort of not good. The damp air causes the fire to lay down at night.....there are no new hotspots on the MODUS images. The bad part is that it is not possible to complete backburns.

The Anastasia Canyon line was completed just below Lambert Flats on down to Carmel Valley Road at the Cahoon Ranch end of the canyon. This line was cut in case the spot fire below MIRA decided to get frisky. A giant back burn was planned for the entire area between Tassajara Road and Carmel Valley Road basically. This will probably required a mandatory evacuation of everybody from Tassajara Road to Piney Creek on Carmel Valley Road: Hastings, Hardesty Ranch, the Cahoon Ranch, etc.

This will undoubtedly ruffle more feathers since the folks will be evacuated or penned up in their homes while nothing happens. The nothing that is happening is the backfire experts are waiting for the humidity to drop so that they can get a good burn.

Picture a cigarette, lit and smouldering on the lip of an ashtray.....this is a bad burn. The stuff is kind of burning, but all it needs is a little oxygen and off we go. A good burn would be someone actively smoking the thing and burning up the fuel in a controlled manner.

Meanwhile, since the fire has laid down....the boys were able to cut a second line down from the Nason Ranch along the lines that Lyle predicted: an old '77 Marble Cone cut that has grown out. This line cuts the burnout area in half. It runs to the south of the big line, on a beeline for Mrs. Cahoon's gravesite. I will post up a Google Earth image when I get away from the Store in a few hours.

Rod McMahan of the Volunteers has been up the Hennickson Highway and checked out the dozer line. Like all of us, he was afraid that it was a clear cut......sad but necessary. On the contrary..... Terry Bishop, Callie, Deano and the others have left islands, protected the gorgeous madrones and the big heritage oaks in the White Oaks area. Hats off, once again. Skill, courage, hard work, humor and sensitivity........And not all these guys are married!

Associated Looters and Scumbags is doing another run soon....with luck. The CHP yesterday attempted to stop the Cachagua Volunteer Rescue truck from taking medical supplies in to a patient. Unfortunately for the CHP chick, Bear was driving the Rescue......and Bear don't play.

SPCA has donated a big pile of dog and kitty food, and Toddie is doing a run for a bunch of hay they have donated as well. The road closure is sure to continue into the near future, so these supplies are both essential and greatly appreciated. Yay SPCA!

The strict enforcement of the road closure seems strictly punitive.......punishing people for not leaving their homes and animals. Meanwhile, the fire is nowhere near 90% of the affected area. Yesterday, even at Grandpa Fred Nason's......with the fire across the road, there was a sense of calm and serenity: "I am too old to be afraid of a little fire......"

Or even a lot of fire.

5 Comments:

Blogger IBMissinCachagua2 said...

thanks for the update!!

ALS, too friggin funny!!

12:27 PM  
Blogger semi-savant said...

hey you tootin lootin son O bitch,
thanks for the apt analogy of fire, we call it skunking but perhaps a change in the lexicon is in order: "ash-traying" or "cig-dangler"??

12:34 PM  
Blogger pendoodles said...

First thanks for the wonderful updates Michael! }}}HUG{{{ I had noticed on GeoMax thermal mapping that there are fewer and fewer red circles. I hope that means they are getting the fire under control?

Also I hope you won't mind me leaving this note below for ibmissincachagua2. She is like one of my kids & I haven't seen her in decades. Thanks :)

"OH YES!!! DEBBIE!!! I remember you and 'cocopuff' I mean my 'Dani' riding your horse around the trailer park.

At least one of you remembers me. LOL

How the heck have you been gurl? I've missed you and your folks & all our old friends.

Carl never got over our teasing of him. LOL He and I have been divorced over 25yrs.

I remember you visiting at the place Rob, I and the girls moved too in Seaside. I was surprised like you that Toddie is still up in the valley. Is Wiskey Joe still around? I know Mona's up there I think over at the Nason's. I also wonder if my artist friend Rick the one that did beautiful sculptures of the hawks is still in the park?

Dani met a wonderful guy, moved up near Clear Lake & had a baby on June 24th. The baby's name is Elijah River.

OK OK I know this isn't exactly the place for reunions, but Debbie email me & I will send my phone number. pendoodles@gmail.com "

1:41 PM  
Blogger kathy said...

Meanwhile, since the fire has laid down....the boys AND GIRLS were able to cut a second line down from the Nason Ranch....

1:56 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Okay, Sheriff Kocksucker (remember I don't spell Greek) did not learn a thing from the incidences in Big Sur???

409.5 PC, the authority for arresting people ordered out, but who refuse, or for trying to run roadblocks has NEVER in its entire history seen a published case re its enforcement -- and as far as I know, Curtis was not charged w/ that -- too damn hard to prove.! That's what I do for fun -- represent indigent criminals on appeal. OH, Yeah. I LOVE to f*** with governmental agencies. Ex named me Howitzer Kate when I took on the USFS many moons ago.

Hmmm. is this happening in Paradise, or other less outlaw-like places?? I doubt it. Probably sheep in some of the places -- yes, officer, whatever you say officer.

Boy, are we learning a LOT post 911?

3:44 PM  

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