Our reverse 911 Evac call came thru at 10am. We got out by 11. We are staying with friends in Del Mar and their 80 year old english granny was screaming her head off about "the Blitz" as soon as we got here. We'll probably go sleep on the beach if she keeps it up, she's all like "emergency? you don't know the meaning of the word, when I was a girl...." - real walking to school thru the snow uphill bothways barefoot kind of thing. I am full of dread that our rural abode will not be there by Wednesday. I got some great video of me saying good bye to our lovely home in Olivenhain. My husband had to go back to rescue the Drambuie! My hero.

Wendy, we'd love to see that video when the flames subside.

wendy hope you are ok; wonder if you could do a podcast with the granny!

O that fucking granny! Mrs Danvers had nothing on her. She hated us being there so much poor love and unfortunately we were all very cooped up, we were "saved" at 7pm by our second call to evacuate, and that silenced anymore choruses of "Roll Out The Barrels". We came to friends in La Mesa and heartbreakingly kind hospitality, there are a few other evacuees in the house, more coming tonight, the mood is happy, spirits are high, the air is fresher and we are trying to be as Zen as we can. The dear neighbors are bringing tortilla casseroles and bottles of Don Julio. Can you believe it? This kindness of strangers really brings a tear to my eye. We couldn't be in a nicer friendlier more comforting place right now. We haven't slept for 2 nights, and tonight we are expecting the fire to pass through our neighborhood. We have an embarrassingly flammable half acre on a ridge overlooking Rancho Santa Fe, right next to an 8 acre canyon full of dead wood. The fire is at the north east of our suburb with the wind blowing towards us at the south east. Tonight's the night I reckon and we shall see what's there in the morning. There's this funny adrenaline response that just keeps you awake and jittery, with cyclical highs and lows. Alternating optimism and catatonia. Arnold looked very heroic on the telly I must say. It will be a long night! I would LOVE to hear when people think this will be over.