For anyone just tuning in, we live right in the middle of the Tubbs fire.  We evacuated Fountaingrove Lodge, Monday morning, around 12:30 am and I drove until about 6:30 am to Fort Bragg, where we are staying at the Holiday Inn Express.

I haven’t reported in safe, because the authorities don’t need to be bothered with us. I have let everyone I know know. This  blog, Facebook, my phone and my email are being updated non-stop.  That and taking care of Elvon, are all I do.

Nancy Nelson, in Montreal, wrote “If I were Elvon, I think I would be embarrassed at the public description of toilet issues, incontinence products and so on.”  I wish that could be the case.

Sadly, Elvon is too far gone to ever read my blog, nor anything else on the computer. Bear with me, folks,  I need an outlet. He’ll never know I wrote that.  And, for the record, he’s not even incontinent, he just can’t walk, so some times he doesn’t make it.

The Fountaingrove Lodge evacuation solution is to  Oakmont of Monticito in Concord. So nice to see some of the family again–Ted, Ralph, Andrew-standing, John Mullen and Bobbie. While it is not FGL (what is?) they all say that the residents at O of M are being very hospitable. Each of them are staying with one of the O of M residents in a spare room. Notice that they are most all wearing a change of clothing compliments of a clothing and sundries drive for evacuees throughout the fire zone. Tons of good quality cloths et al (new toothbrushes, shampoo…) being sorted and boxed up on their front lobby for distribution.FGLEvacuees

 

For a hundred residents, there are precious few of them here, with our Dining Room Manager,  Andrew.  The rest are in their city apartments, their campers, with relatives or friends, and in hotels, like us.  We need rain, and it’s coming, but it will be another week.

Once the fires are out, we’ll be able to pick up a few things at FGL, and will need to stay out for another couple of weeks.  Huge thanks to Candy and Ernie Scalberg, for the use of their wonderful flat house in the Carmel Highlands.  We will be forever in their debt.

Sharon Bobrow wrote:  Somewhat good news from Napa Valley Vintners:

Several fires continue to burn in and around the Napa Valley. We have preliminary reports that at least five physical wineries in Napa Valley have suffered total or very significant losses due to the fire. Another 11 have reported damage to their vineyards, to outbuildings on their property or to their operations.

Complicating matters is the fact that it is harvest season in Napa Valley. However, we estimate that 90 percent of the grapes were picked before the fires started on Sunday night. Of the grapes remaining on the vine, it is almost all Cabernet Sauvignon. Our winemakers report that this thick-skinned variety, fully-developed and ready to be picked for the 2017 harvest, is not expected to be impacted by the smoke from the fires. No matter the circumstances, our winemakers remain committed to upholding Napa Valley’s reputation for making some of the world’s finest wines.

And Francey Philipspn-Swim gave us a list of wineries lost in Napa and Sonoma:  (so far)

  1. James Cole Winery
  2. Signorello Estate
  3. William Hill Estate Winery
  4. Kenwood Winery
  5. Kunde Estatewineries
  6. R. Cohn
  7. Frey Winery
  8. Nicholson Ranch
  9. Chateau St. Jean
  10. Stag’s Leap Winery
  11. Paradise Ridge

There is more fire in Eureka, three hours north of us, and the Redwood fire is just an hour and a half to the east, just a bit south.  It looks like we have to stay put. There are only 2 ways out going North. So, the go/stay decision has been made for me and we stay.  Why we can’t leave here: http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo/display.php?page=us101 and I got Hwy 20 at http://www.dot.ca.gov/cgi-bin/roads.cgi?roadnumber=20&submit=Search

We could go South to the City, but the air is cleaner here and we have a good place to stay.  Pray for us.