Hi All,

Many thanks for your concern and kind thoughts......this experience has been so sad and tragic, and yet...it is also a part of Nature and.....global warming???

Anyway, we had our first restful sleep last night after we evacuated Tely from San Marcos to a stable in Vista.  Up until this trip, he'd been hunkered in his stable; we did everything we could keep him peaceful and quiet (so he wouldn't inhale the horrible smoke) ...now that he was at a place where I could feel some ocean air (it seemed refreshing by comparison), I turned him out and he ripped around like a retard.  Then I had to walk him for over an hour to cool off!  I think he's actually enjoying the trip and change of scene.  A kind and generous woman and daughter picked him up and refused to accept anything for her efforts.  True kindness, to the core.  An angel and her apprentice.

The main roads to Tely's stable didn't open till yesterday...when that happened John and I took this opportunity to check on him....when we got to the barn it was eery and ominous....there were many trucks, horse trailers, herds of new horses with their phone numbers written on their trunks, and... a lot of men (a rarity at the barn).  The sky was black and intimidating.  Amid all this activity, it was strangely quiet.  My eyes and nose were irritated.  Most of the fancy (i.e. expensive) horses were gone.  Many horses, in this fire were literally left in the fire areas by their owners!  I just can't imagine.  I have one friend whose mother is hunkered at a high school with her: 2 llamas, 2 goats, 3 budgies, a cockatoo, and a cat.  At least she got them all out....amazingly used a van to transport them all!!!  What a scene.  I can't imagine the horror of leaving my horse behind.

Anyway, knowing that T is in a safe spot (for now) gave me one of the best sleeps I've had in years.  It is not, however, over.  The winds are less gruesome, but the country is so dry, and so full of perfect kindling that even without strong winds it is difficult to control.

The evacuation orders have been given to over 900,000 people at this point.  When I went to bed last night, over 1000 homes had been destroyed.  I have been pleased with the work of the city and state in helping the evacuees.  It was a joke to see Chertoff  and Bush on the boobtube.....took them another 2-3 days of disaster to make a public statement and get around to visiting.  What joke!  Thankfully, San Diego and California can seem to rely on itself rather than depend on a federal agency packed with brown nosers.

Anyway, hope all is well with you and your loved ones.  We are fine and counting our blessings.

S