Arrowhead Fires

I've been asked a lot if we were affected by the fires in Lake Arrowhead. The answer is yes, but not as much as others.

My Grandma passed away at home in Arrowhead on the 17th. The next few days were a blur, but the fires started on Monday morning.

Our old house on Amador Lane above the golf course was burned to the ground. It was essentially ground zero for one of the fires.

I stayed in Grandma's house, on the other side of the lake, despite the mandatory evacuation order. I made sure to stay off the roads, deferring to the emergency personnel, I had plenty of supplies and kept the house hosed down. Since we had just worked 7 months to completely reconstruct it after the "Great Christmas Flood of 2006" I wasn't going to let it go without a fight. It was and is my childhood home, and where all my kids mountain memories are based.

Again, next few days are blurry, but the fires stayed mostly west and north. It was smoky and a little eerie to be alone, and at times I felt unsafe thinking about looters and bad men. I was also really sad to be there in Grandma's house, without Grandma to even talk to.

I flew home to Padre Island on Saturday the 27th. I'm back in the swing of real life - volleyball, of course, Island Life, the girl's school, their alma mater charter school, and, business. We thought about Thanksgiving there, but I think I'm just (pardon the pun) cooked. I've mandated the Holidaze at home this year.