Two simple heartfelt words...

We are almost back to normal. A few more bins to put back where they belong and life is just settling down to status quo. The air is clearing and there is only the occasional whiff of acrid smoky smell..... Now and then a 'copter goes over the house, which gives us pause, and then we get back to what we were doing.

For so many people, life will never be the same. A lifetime of momentos, tangible evidences of cherished memories, gone! I cannot imagine their loss. I know Mr. B and I joked as we were packing the car, that if we were burned out, we'd just take the insurance money and move on to our forever/ retirement home.... we probably would not take the time or energy to rebuild. We joked, but there was a sad finality to our words. Yes, it was all just "stuff". As I moved through the house, picking up random things my eyes landed on...... a set of bookends my dad made as a young boy, two embroiderred towels my mother stitched for her hope chest probably 55 years ago at least, I was fully aware that it was just "stuff" but it was My Stuff. And I really didn't want to lose it. What a heartbreaking event for so many people to go through.

There have been so many pictures over the past few days. Here are a few that really caught my eye. These were NOT taken by me.

(in Yorba Linda, I think)

(some of the flying we saw in Anaheim Hills was amazing!)

(palm trees in Yorba Linda!)

(Huntington Beach, with the smoke from our fires headed out over the ocean!)

And here are a few pix that Karen and I took. We happened across a staging/debriefing meeting between about a hundred different fire trucks at the Staples parking lot in Savi Ranch. It was overwhelming! I was an emotional puddle anyway, just from the stress of the whole fire experience (and the always present in the background, mind-numbing, Big Sad going on at our house) and I felt like an idiot, but I got pretty soggy while watching all these trucks file into the lot, and line up.

(tail end of the parade headed down to the parking lot)

The men (and a few women) were tired, grubby, and I expect they were about to be reassigned to the west of me....

I wasn't alone. There were other people in front of Staples who were cheering and waving as they left the store and saw the trucks lining up.

They came from all over. The names on the trucks as they rolled by were being chanted by the crowd in front of the Staples store. I was a ways down from that, and I just stood there, feeling inadequate as I said "thank you" to the trucks as they rolled by. Some of the guys waved, some said "you're welcome!", some just grinned.

Two simple, heartfelt words. Thank you.

It's not enough, but I'm glad I had the chance to say it a few times to a few of the crews. I told Mr. B. we needed to make extra cookies this year, and I will take some to the two stations within a mile or so of our home. It's a small gesture, but maybe it will mean something.

I will start a new post, with two humorous fire picture to share... Blogger is getting cranky with me - probably too many pix!

:)