Re-entry sucks......

I'm always talking about how much re-entry sucks coming back from the coast. Even being gone for just a weekend it takes me a couple days to play catch-up. Well, today re-entry really sucks. Two hours from home we could see a new huge smoke plume. I couldn't get online with my Mifi because we went into the canyon, so an hour later I got on and only found one new fire mentioned on Onion Mountain - near our house - ack.

Here's the view heading from town where we dropped my mother off at home - that's looking out toward where we live - ack again.

This is what it looked like when I stepped out of the van up at our house - the sun is partially hidden in all that smoke.

We decided to walk up our hill for a better view to scare me to death. We were just starting up the hill and I heard a copter - there it is right over our house. It didn't have a bucket but a snorkel for sucking up the water to dump. A tanker had flown over a few minutes earlier heading back to the airport to load up... at least I hope he was coming back with another load of retardant.

Here we are at the top of our hill where it meets up to Carol & Merle's property - this is way too close for comfort. Merle has been working other fires in the area this summer - he and his friend have not been called to work this one yet - they've got a fire truck, water tender and bulldozer. The word he got was that they didn't want the big equipment up there, as in the Dept of Agriculture.....are they protecting endangered species of plants???  Who knows, but if so they'll be burnt to a crisp rather than run over by equipment.....and there are roads up there, we've been up there often.

A view of the smoke off our deck - while I took this ash was falling on me. Tomorrow morning Sam is going up on the roof to blow off the dead pine needles. I'm thinking maybe he should put the sprinklers he put onto boards to sit on the peak at either end up there too so we're ready.

Yvonne sent this picture taken from her place - she's around 6 miles north of me so that much further from the fire to get a good picture - it gives some perspective as to it's size already.

I have a bad feeling about this fire, it started yesterday morning at 10 acres and is growing leaps and bounds.....and there aren't enough resources being dumped on it yet. And it was around 100 degrees out today, definitely doesn't help.......and it's windy now. Oh good, just heard on the news that dry thunderstorms are expected tomorrow......more chances for fires to start........although this one is being reported as being human caused.

Sounds like a war zone here.  Another copter with a bucket just went over only it was heading away from the fire......hmm, what's with that? I was yelling wrong way, wrong way but he didn't pay attention.  I hope that doesn't mean that the smoke is so bad they can't fly anymore this evening.

So, this is the start to my week, how about yours?

Newly added photo from friend Yvonne - she has a good camera to catch those flames from her place.