8/17/08 Captain Jack's Repossession Repo Cruise to PC thru TPC

[windermerejudy]

Capt. Crash---you are so calm about it. I would be an insane idiot. Kind of how I act when we get 24 hour hurricane coverage. It can be far off and something possesses you to keep that news on constantly. I don't think I could watch Star Wars. How do you know when/if they want you to evacuate? Sirens, door to door, news..........Please keep us updated.

 

[captaincrash]

I don't know how much I would chance that! Maybe go out for a bit at least?

The sherrifs are restricting traffic to local residents only... and getting about is not too good. Lots of people clogging the streets (in cars) and my spouse is taking inventory of little things we would run with if the need should arise. Going out is actually NOT what we want to do - just yet. They will tell us if we have to run. And I am sort of keeping tabs on it - but NOT while I'm posting here (one has to have their priorities straight, eh?). Remember... I'm the one who falls asleep at the keyboard while posting late nite... as that's the only time I get when the kids are asleep... AND at that I'm no where NEAR caught up. The frenzy of posts has exceeded my capacity to follow (fully).

At any rate, thanks for the defensive thoughts. Believe me... if I saw the winds were higher - or g=began to gust IN our direction... Im positive we would have already been evacuated. One of the parents picking up at my daughters' pre-school mentioned that they had already been evacuated. So.. some of the road traffic may be folks coming home to find they have a sherrif checking to restrict residents and some may be folks evacuating or otherwise. My street has never been so busy in my memory.

At any rate... I will now go across the street to see if the flames made it over the ridge - and if they did then it's not 150 yards away anymore but more like 125 yeards... and then I might set aside or discuss a "what to grab as we run" list with my spouse. Until then ... I am gonna be waiting for supper as I try to get a little bit caught up here ... an exercise in futility with my availability to read AND post. <chuckles>

Oh ... and that fire photo I posted is precisely what I can see of the fire out here on the far ridge... the near ridge is just a huge orange glow.

 

[arlenesp]

I redceived a DCL mailing today about the Magic going to the West Coast in 2008, did anyone else receive one in the mail?

It only talks about the west coast cruises, doesn't mention anything about the PC repo sailings.

Andy, I got that on Saturday.I'm still trying to catch up. Started on 75.

 

[captaincrash]

Well...

... the fire is moving closer and ther are more fire engines racing down our strret to get into postiton - I think we will start thinking about packing some things to run with now... from directly across the street from my home and shooting my home you can see the ridge line aglow in flames with these photos I shot below:

The triangular thing that you can see in the foreground is the left side of my home... and the lit window in the foreground to the right is my home office. The Escalade on the left in the lower photo is my neighbors. And the flames above are about 125-100 yards away. There is one street or cul de-sac between our homw and the ridge line. The flames have definately spread towards us even though the winds are blowing sort of to the left of this image. IE - it has spread to the right of the photo.

I am going to stand outside and watch this since we don't have TV news coverage. This fire sweeps to my left about 45 degrees of view according to the last helicopter news coverage we saw about 45 minutes ago. If I shoot this from the hill behind where I shot this I can get a panoramic shot and ... more importantly .. I can personally access whether this is really spreading much further. I already know it has spread significantly.

 

[wheelerkidz3]

wow...this thread has really grown! i've been trying to keep up with it, but i'm afraid i've missed out on some stuff. we are getting excited about next week. i'm nervous and excited at the same time! really hoping that we are on this sailing!!!!!

 

[windermerejudy]

Crash--my prayers are with you.
I am so sad for you. I know you feel so helpless. I feel bad knowing what your family is going through and wanting to help.

 

[Stinasmom]

Well...

... the fire is moving closer and ther are more fire engines racing down our strret to get into postiton - I think we will start thinking about packing some things to run with now...

Ahh .... sending prayers and pixie dust your way!
Oh, and a few extra
Hope to hear from you after this is over as you type from your untouched, untorched home office!

Marcy

 

[wheelerkidz3]

wow crash...please take care!!

 

[atakaratemom]

Well...

... the fire is moving closer and ther are more fire engines racing down our strret to get into postiton - I think we will start thinking about packing some things to run with now... from directly across the street from my home and shooting my home you can see the ridge line aglow in flames with these photos I shot below:

Hope things are improving. I live in Oxnard and just noticed the update about this on the local news. Keep us posted!

 

[atakaratemom]

Hazel and two of her sisters went to visit their cousin in the hospital yesterday in North Jersey, by the time they arrived home last evening their cousin had taken a turn for the worse. Hazel just received a call letting her know her cousin just passed away.

Hazel was very close with this cousin, she is so glad she went up to see her one last time.

Signing off for the night. See everyone tomorrow morning.

So very sorry Andy.

 

[atakaratemom]

Actually you had it right the first time. Summering (is that a word) in Alaska ON DCL is "the ticket". I know it seems sometimes more like a fantasy than a reality, but one day we will be able to Summer in Alaska and we will be on that ship.

I just couldn't wait for DCL because Alaska has been calling to me for years, but if DCL ever does get there I'm in!

 

[arlenesp]

Crash, I have butterflies in my stomach thinking of your experience
I'm sending my prayers for you and your family.
I remember how scared we were during the hurricanes of 04.

 

[justmestace]

Now I know why I don't live in Arizona ! That thing in your backyard is not a cute little dog.........That would freak me out and the scorpion thing does that replace spiders that would drop from the ceiling? We get them every October trying to get in to stay warm. I will take a spider ( even though I hate them ) over a scorpion any day.

Unfortunately, we still get spiders too....black widows and tarantulas...
That creature is a javelina and he's eating a cactus just off our back patio.

 

[justmestace]

Boy Television must be good tonight ----noone is here and I get to talk to myself. I better go check out whats on.

By the way I saw this cutie pie in my backyard (below) I have lots of snakes in my yard does that count on the creep index?

Had company for dinner and then watched Prison Break. My Monday Good Looking Guy fix has been handled.

The other Moms are pretty quiet. Not much for chatting on here.
Who am I kidding? They have LIVES!

 

[captaincrash]

Crash, I have butterflies in my stomach thinking of your experience
I'm sending my prayers for you and your family.
I remember how scared we were during the hurricanes of 04.

Well...

... the views from several elevated vantage points tells me the fire is covering an area about 2 miles distant from us to within about 125 yards of our home. I was able to drive up to within 35 yards of the fire from a different angle - and right in front of us were several fire engines and dozens of fire fighters who were running folks sprinklers on the hillsides and cutting the brush back to improve fire-breaks. Plus we saw about a dozen helicopter water drops right in front of us. I did not take any photos as I left the memory card in this computer and my DSLR batteries are all worn out and one is recharging now. But - for now the risk to our home seems .... diminished. However.... the firemen and helicopters will probably work through the nite. From what I can see it is actually pretty dramatic from some vantage points - and the resources they've mobilized here reminds me what some of our taxes pay for.

On another note... I came in the door just as Obi Wan chopped off Vaders' arm and legs... leaving him to burn at the edge of the lava. I was just in time to pause the DVR then change the channel. Now we are monitoring an 8PM local news cast to see if there is any footage or updates.

So far I must confess I was feeling slightly tense over this as I drove around looking at the size of the thing at one point - but now I am sure we are OK. Others were evacuated and no structures were destroyied. The winds are definately down now IMHO...

This photo was taken by Los Angeles Times news from the freeway that passes our area. To the left edge of this photo out of view slightly if your minds' eye draws an imaginary line out about 1.5-2 miles is where we are. The Fire extends most of he way that way.

Thank you for your prayers and supportive considerations. Ohhh... they're showing some news coverage now... it looks pretty big as I know how lare an area it is - and it is technically right in my backyard (symbolically).

Oh well... time to have my dinner. And once again thanks for your supportive thoughts...

 

[justmestace]

Captaincrash....I know how horrible that is, we've been there with the wildfires in the desert. Good luck...Pixie Dust to turn that wind and to the to get it under control! Be safe!!

 

[wheelerkidz3]

i would be flipping out if the fire were that close to my house!!! stay safe!!

 

[captaincrash]

Captaincrash....I know how horrible that is, we've been there with the wildfires in the desert. Good luck...Pixie Dust to turn that wind and to the to get it under control! Be safe!!

Capt. Crash---you are so calm about it. I would be an insane idiot. Kind of how I act when we get 24 hour hurricane coverage. It can be far off and something possesses you to keep that news on constantly. I don't think I could watch Star Wars. How do you know when/if they want you to evacuate? Sirens, door to door, news..........Please keep us updated.

Thanks for your supportive thoughts. I was in mild shock at one point when I took the photos I posted earlier... plus I DID have butterflys as I drove to some elevated vantage points to evaluate what was going on.

Some of what I wrote may sound "brave" - but am I so brave if I am silently running down a what to escape with list?

Well... dinner is yummy at least. My spouse sure can cook up a storm.

 

[Buddy Bear]

My Monday Good Looking Guy fix has been handled.

I guess there must be a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday Good Looking Guy fix too that is needed.

Do tell...how do you get that?

 

[captaincrash]

i would be flipping out if the fire were that close to my house!!! stay safe!!

Captaincrash....I know how horrible that is, we've been there with the wildfires in the desert. Good luck...Pixie Dust to turn that wind and to the to get it under control! Be safe!!

Here is a link to two larger articles on the fire...

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-fire23jan23,0,1994750.story?coll=la-home-headlines

http://venturacountystar.com/vcs/news/article/0,1375,VCS_121_5297713,00.html

The helicopters seem to be gone for now... as the sound from them has died down considerably. Maybe I can run outside to try and check on it again now. Probably the fire has passed from being threatening to a clean up stage???

Well... just looked outside and there are a lot of cars now (again). I think the sky was a lot darker now but tons of smoke in the sky - and earlier when I was driving there were huge flurries of hot embers in the air about 25 yards away as the helicopters dropped their loads. It seems as if the chopper passes stirred up a lot of embers - as much as they dampened the flames. Sort of made me wonder if it was better to drop the water from higher up to reduce the embers being kicked up. And sure enough some of the choppers started dropping from significantly higher up.