By now if you haven't heard...

Dry Mountain, originally uploaded by foodchronicles.

Southern Cal is under a firestorm, you've been under a rock! The mountain pictured above is an example of the type of fuel we've grown in SoCal for two years without rain. It is ripe for a spark. This mountain separates us from Banning/Beaumont and the road that leads up it was closed for three days because of high winds and no visibility.

Yet, our valley is a little hamlet of no fire in the midst of the storm. We did suffer some damage in the valley from the Santa Anas on Sunday night. Monday, I drove around and found trees felled everywhere. (still looking for the four feet of dirt and soot some have alluded to) Here are some of the pictures:











My first memory of a Santa Ana wind was when I was about six or seven. The entire back fence of our yard blew down during one such storm. This fence was found in the same condition Monday.



Then there was the smoke. The first pic is from yesterday afternoon as the fires in Southern Temecula, Rainbow areas continued to burn. These fires are a good 40 miles from us yet loom ominously overhead reminding all of us it is only a heartbeat away.

This morning: