Just need to talk to my friends (202)

CNN is interviewing people about the LA fires and is getting a wide spectrum of responses. One climate scientist in North Carolina moved there from LA because he knew it was about to burn. Another man, living in a hotel with his family in LA, is already on the phone with contractors and architects to rebuild his house.

That smoke has to be ghastly. We dealt with the burning of a huge pile of downed trees a few miles north of our home after the ice storm of 2007, and my wife had to increase her allergy meds for weeks. And that was just wood smoke, no insulation, plastic, etc.

Dunno, your art is amazing! There is someone on here who shared paintings they had done - was that you also?

It's very windy here today. I'll get ready and go to church, then this afternoon I have a visitation for a h.s. classmate's husband who passed away.

I go to the dentist tomorrow, and for a haircut Tuesday. Not much else planned for the week.

Iris, I am so, so sorry about California's wildfires and all the impacts they are having. Take care of yourself. One day at a time; try not to stress too much about the future and about things you have no control over.

Beth

@Dunno That's quite a range of projects and materials. Thanks for sharing them here.

It's a quiet day here. A bit less bitter than it's been. I think there's a trip to Costco in my immediate future. I haven't been since before New Years and seem to be out of everything.

HB

Goodmorning everyone it's 34 here snow is melting.

Had a nice visit with my son Andrew and his wife Mary.

Thank you all for your kind comments.

Mint, I don’t have an online market. I did sell a few of the glass pumpkins on Etsy a few years ago.

JJ, like most of us, I didn’t have time for this until I retired. I’ve always looked forward to having the time…and am very grateful for it!

Jfkoc, I’ve always favored watercolors and their style. I’ve heard that it’s a good idea for beginners to start with acrylics. I’ve been watching tutorials on YouTube 👍

David, it’s always good to visit with family. Glad you enjoyed it!!

How do you like these little guys 😊

borosilicate glass and mahogany wood.

Hi Carl46

You kinda nailed it. Energy. I’ve got plenty of time since my DW entered MC but getting off my duff seems harder to do now daize 🤷‍♂️

Same here. I've had depression most of my life and take meds for it, but the cold, the dark, and the stress of caretaking has got me down. I'm not even shaving every day. I need regular exercise, regular grooming, etc. Which means I need a drill instructor with a whistle to get me off the couch.

My SIL moved into a rental house without a fenced yard after a tornado destroyed her home and had to walk her dog a couple of times a day instead of just letting him out in the yard. It helped her health and mood a lot. When I no longer have DW in the home, I may have to get a dog.

good morning

Lorita I hope you got a good nights rest. Hope you get to see the full moon . It was beautiful yesterday morning here but this morning is kind of covered by the clouds, but I can still see it. It is the full wolf moon.

thank you Iris for the news, and I hope with you, that the winds will be less.

Carl, several of my family members have suffered from depression. I know it’s not an easy thing. From observation, they seem to do better you’re right when they can get the motivation to do things.

Morning, or rather happy mid-morning!

Iris I appreciate your reports on the fires, etc. It seems more informative than trying to watch the news.

Dunno you are a 'coat of many colors' as my mother used to say. That's the highest praise she ever gave out, so many talents in various fields. Keep it up. She also said 'off one and on two' you can imagine what that meant!

Carl depression and winter aren't a good combo. If the sun is shining, get your chair in that sunbeam. Remember we are all on the porch supporting one another.

Lorita it looks like this week its going to be cool but fine. Then next week another artic blue northern is coming our way. Much colder than this last blast. Ugh is my answer to that. Just giving you a heads up so you'll be prepared.

On to the formal dining room tree today. For a teeny tiny second I thought of either leaving it naked (that wouldn't work) or getting rid of it. Then I realized I enjoy them as much as DH, not the mess, but after the mess! Off to the dining room. More later.

I am looking to se if /where I can send Dick's clothing. Iris…any ideas?

Carl, I had depression in winter snd actually it was on these board that I was reminded about seasonal affective disorder SAD. The main treatment is getting LOTS of sunlight in the morning. Use a 10,000 lux light box if you cannot get outside. Every morning I let my cats out so I am able to stare off into the light (not directly into the sun of course). Amazingly, this winter, I dont seem to be covered by SAD. With the fires I am anxious but not depressed.

I posted too soon about the looting. All the authorities just held a press conference and relayed quite a lot of information which I will relay here. If you have friends or family in the area, I have contact information.

Over 8,000 firefighters are working, most from this area, but also from other localities in CA and other states and Canada.

Weather reports predict high winds from Tuesday until Wednesday, with winds up to 70 mph. The firefighters call this a PDS, a particularly dangerous situation. Everyone is warned to be diligent. 70% of wildfires are due to human causes, not only arson but from out of control campfires, cigarette butter, sparks from a muffler, sparks from power lines, etc. Do not use leaf blowers. All of LA county is in danger.

They do not know the causes of these fires yet.

The firefighters are addressing flare-up and hot spots, not big fires now. The are doing grid searches, assessing each house for damage and for remains. If a body is found, this might become a crime scene and require more investigation. They have inspected 26% of the structures. There is a website that has maps of the area with color codes as to which house has been inspected and if it is destroyed or damaged or still standing.

The damaged water scooper airplane has been repaired, must be inspected by FAA, it is expected to be back in service tomorrow.

About 200,000 residents are still under evacuation orders or warning and cannot return to the affected areas. There had been escort services for evacuees to pick up their pets or to get medications, but these have mostly stopped because of lack of personnel. The Pasadena Humane Society has been allowed to get into some areas to feed pets. The Palisade fire started at 10 am after people had gone to work, leaving their pets at home, then they were not able to return. There is no timeline yet for repopulation of areas.

Power may still be shut off in areas prophylactally to avoid power line sparks.

34 people had been arrested, one dressed in firefighter costume. Not all arrests were for looting, but for DUI, narcotics, or having burglar tools.

The DA warned people again not to loot or even to be in evacuation areas. Also, don't take advantage of evacuees by price-gouging. It is illegal to raise prices by more than 10% during an emergency. Anyone caught price gouging or otherwise tsking advsntage will be arrested and prosecuted according to the laws.

21 deaths have been confirmed, there are 23 missing persons. A missing person report can be made in person or by telephone.

Beware of scanners. Beware of fake go fund me accounts. The official Go Fund Me site is said to vet people who apply for help. Only work with legitimate people or groups for help with resources or with donations. FEMA is here in several locations and city and county and state services are in libraries and other areas.

Here are a few government websites (which I checked) with information about resources.

Recovery.lacounty.gov

LAcity.gov

Disasterassistance.gov. This is a federal site.

Fire.lacounty.gov This is about Ready Set Go, Your Personal Wildfire Action Plan.

Enla.org Emergency Network Los Angeles is a non-profit for resources.

I must say, I am impressed by how government, private and church snd other organizations have all come together over the past few days to respond to this devastation. I am feeling a bit better.

Iris

One of the radio hosts who hosts a home maintenance program had some good information about house fire prevention. He had an hour show on Sunday which I missed. But today he had a couple of tips. Make sure your gutters are ember proof. You do not need a HEPA filter on a newer air conditioner to clear smoke particles, check your instruction manual for what they can handle.

Instead of trying to prevent a fire with a garden hose and tap water, he recommends using fire gel. This comes in one or five gallon containers and is non toxic and non-flammable. It is designed to be used in a small reservoir attached to a hose, similar to one used to spray fertilizer. Use fire gel to spray the sides of the house, the roof, eaves, patio furniture. This should provide protection for twelve to twenty-four hours. Of course, this is if you have enough time before needing to evacuate, if you get a warning.

Apparently fire codes were amended in 2006 but obviously many homes were not upgraded to the newer standards.

Why don't CA homes use brick construction? Unreinforced masonry collapses easily in an earthquake. Concrete is suggested as a building material.

The Palisades fire covers 26,000 acres. For comparison, the island of Manhattan is 14,000 acres.

Iris