October 25, 2007

• Nuclear Winter

   Update: There’s a new interactive fire map below.  Drag & Click.

   

  OK, the title may be a bit extreme, but it’s pretty strange driving through L.A. when it’s 85 degrees and snowing…..ash.  I had to go down to Southern Orange County today, and it was like going to another planet.  I thought that the air in Hollywood was bad yesterday.  It was much much worse when I got past the Orange Curtain today.  I knew that driving down was a bad idea.  My cousins warned me first thing this morning:

  Smokey
  3 messages
  

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  From Jennifer	Wed, Oct 24, 2007 at 8:30 AM
  To: Carey
  Carey, it’s TERRIBLE at my house.  We walk the kids to school every morning (and have been all this week).  There was NO WAY I would let them walk today. I drove them to school.  When I got there, there were parents FREAKING out that teachers weren’t there with their classrooms open (so some kids were waiting outside for their teacher to show up to the class).  Our nanny) has been home all week, and I’m making her stay home again today.  She has degenerative lung disease and has been in and out of the ER for breathing treatments. I have 2 employees that live in SD County, and both can’t get to work today.  One of them has been home all week due to involuntary evacuations and fearing that it might be mandatory at any time.  Rob and I have good friends that have been evacuated from their home (2 families in San Diego county and one family in Santiago Canyon) – and don’t know when they can get back.  Carey – I’m surprised you’re coming down here.  With your asthma, you should stay clear of it down here!!!!! From: Lisa Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2007 8:31 AM To: Carey Subject: Smokey Carey, I’m not sure how it is at my mom’s house (I suspect the same) but it is extremely smoky here.  We woke up this morning to a nice layer of smoke in the house.  It’s just horrible outside.  If I had a mask, I would have made Tommy wear it this morning but instead I made him hold a wet paper towel over his face while walking to the bus.  The bus driver asked if we were going to be evacuated today (not sure where that came from??)?!?!  I’m volunteering at his school this morning (which is only blocks away from my mom’s house) so I’ll see how bad it is there.  Hopefully not this bad, but I have a feeling it will be.  I haven’t talked to Jenn yet this morning either, but I’m sure she has it bad too.  I just can’t believe how much worse it is today from yesterday.  Yesterday I could hardly smell it.  Call me on your way down.  I should be on my cell.  If I don’t answer, it just means I’m probably in Tommy’s class but they only need me for about 1/2 hour so I won’t be long.  Lisa

  
  

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  From: Jennifer Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2007 11:05 AM To: Carey Subject: Smokey   Carey – I realize that I’m south of your office by a bit (in San Juan Capistrano)…but I have to say that it is dark brown/orange outside and the smoke is VERY detectible inside my office (the air conditioning does not begin to mask it).  My building borders the 5 freeway, and it’s the air is same color as far as I can see to the north.  I’m sure your office can give you a better idea of what it’s like in Lake Forest than I can.  But honestly, the smoke is getting thicker as the day progresses.  I REALLY think you should stay home. Yesterday it was pretty clear – I guess the wind was blowing in a different direction and the fire wasn’t as bad.  Today is a whole different story.  My nanny was going to come to work today – but with her lung condition, we made her stay home.  I don’t want her (or you) having to go to the ER for breathing treatments again. All that aside, I’m glad I went because I got some great pictures.  The color of the sky was like nothing I’ve ever seen.  The ash was literally falling like snow as you can see in these photos I took this afternoon.  The kids didn’t seem to mind…their lungs are a lot better than mine.  I have to be down here again tomorrow so I’m staying with my cousin tonight.  The winds have died down a bit, so hopefully the fires will stop spreading so much.  Enjoy the photos! I took this from my sunroof driving south on I-5 near Irvine One thing about the fires, the create the most amazing sunsets I came outside after a few hours and there was this much ash on my car My message to the fire These 2 ASSHOLES were smoking!  As if there wasn’t enough smoke in the air!  They gave me the finger after I took their pic. FUCK YOU, FILTHY DISGUSTING SMOKERS!! See how red and puffy my eyes are?  It’s SO dry here too. I think this picture looks like the surface of Mars All of the splotches in these pictures are ash falling from the sky This tree was completely charred This cactus barely survived These are actually burnt cacti, not piles of wood This snail didn’t make it Nearly full moon rising Tommy didn’t seem to mind the smoke Nor did Andy Carey & Andy The moon This almost looks like a movie set…the color was just surreal Andy laughing in the sand He was imitating me Just another day in Southern California Jennifer sent this one from by her office today.  It’s the parking lot of the Oakley Sunglasses Corporate Headquarters.

  
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