Barbara Sparhawk

I just spent the day, about 6 hours, in Cachagua helping friends clear the land around their houses. Big gasoline weed whacker strapped to a harness around my chest (NOT designed for anyone with boobs). I wore sunglasses but refused the helmet goggle combo as too sissy. We cleared hillsides and embankments and the sides of the dirt road up, and everything we could near the house. It’s in pretty good shape (unlike me!) Lord but it’s dry land. I hosed down everything within about fifty feet of the house. The sky’s red, but there’s not really smoke in the air, you just know something’s going on.
We were losing sight of one low gentle mountain range after another to smoke out there. You can normally see about five or six in a row. The fire is definitely closing in, you could see plumes of black smoke on top of the most distant ridge.
My friend’s husband is a musician, he’s off playing a gig in Big Sur today! OMG don’t get me started about husbands. There were three of us girls there, and said in folklore to come stories will be told and songs written about the pioneer women who saved California! We were drinking ice tea an gin.
It all felt like the first time I was suited up and putting out a barn fire in Virginia, part of the Volunteer Blue Ridge Firefighters, and tearing off all the sweaty suit and helmet and dropping the oxygen and WAHOOOO!! I was screaming oh my God this is fantastic! I want to get laid and drink beer!!! I know exactly how you guys feel! Fortunately none of the muffin baking wives were within range. Nobody’s ever known what the hell to do with me.
Well, it was an odd experience. I packed up two antique fiddles that hadn’t fitted in the first run, all of my friend’s cashmere sweaters and clothes, a neighbor’s weed whacker and my shovels and rakes. Finally home and showered.
You just don’t know, is it an emergency or will it pass you by. Will you still have a house on Monday and feel foolish for moving all you love out of range. We’ll see. I’ll listen for updates.
Pray for heavy rain! Looks like the thunder storms are passing. No lightning, but no water either. The closest fire’s only 3 percent contained. Less than 5 miles from the Cachagua country store.
My neighborhood’s still a good distance, no sense of danger here at all it’s all burning inland and south, I’m close to the Carmel River.
Will keep posting updates.
My love to you all for your good wishes and prayers.
Barbara