We have been working in the midst of the wildfires that destroyed over 46 homes in Spicewood. You just cannot imagine the devastation. Nothing but ashes....and an occasional chimney---and maybe some tin from the roof. Many of these were nice, big, stone homes. You know what is strange---you never see a toilet or a bathtub--not ever---where did they go? And often you do not even see burnt appliances like freezers and fridges and washers--they are just gone. People needed sifters so Home Depot made a bunch of them to give away and it is amazing the things people have found sifting through the ashes. Our friend found a gold piece that had been in her family for generations---was kept hidden back when the government confiscated all the gold and passed down through the generations. How thrilled she was when she found that.
The land is nothing but ashes and sticks. Like a moonscape or something. I cannot even imagine how hot that fire must have been. It was a crazy fire being whipped about by tropical storms winds. It did not behave as most wildfires. One of the guys we talked to literally had to outrun it.....he was sound asleep with TV going when sheriff came around sounding the alarm to evacuate, woke up with a wall of fire coming towards him and he had no transportation so started running. Thankfully the last fire engine out---fire engines were running from the fire---that tells you how bad it was---they picked him up and had to drive through a wall of fire to get out. Lots of harrowing stories but miraculously no one lost their life.
We have met the greatest people--and are amazed at their resilience and good attitude. And so many volunteers out in force helping folks clean up their places and bringing food and water. Red Cross is not really needed because the community is doing an awesome job of caring for their own. It is heart warming. We hear so much negative stuff on the news but I have to tell you there are lots of really good people out there. And you cannot judge "a book by its cover". We have met the greatest people whose appearance might make you be wary but who have hearts of gold and a soul of integrity. I have been blessed doing casework on all these people. We have worked hard and combed the area not wanting to miss anyone who might need help. But I must say these people have their priorites in order----it is just stuff. Yes, they are sad to lose precious photos and jewels and money and documents but they realize that it is lives that are most important. And then there is the survivor guilt----some houses right in the midst of the fire were untouched---it was like a fickle tornado---destroy one, leave the one next door untouched and who knows why.
So back to my paranoia----top on my list after live things to grab if we had to evacuate suddenly is the photo album Jenny made me of our family. It is so precious to me. I keep it in a drawer as we have noticed in the many house fires we go to for Red Cross that stuff in a cabinet or drawer often is salvageable after a fire. But let me say----we have seen many,many house fires and they were no where near as devasting as these wildfires. A drawer will not save anything in a wildfire. So today I set the photo album on the hood of the car outside in daylight--a cloudy day---and took photographs of each page. At least I would have that as I plan to upload it to Shutterfly and back it up on my hard disk plus they are on my ipad which is always with me. I feel better now.
We had a Red Cross friend who lost her home in the Bastrop fire. Don is helping her to clean up with his Bobcat. Today he cut his arm on jagged piece of sheet metal and is at hospital in Smithville getting stitches as I write this. We have worked with Red Cross for the last 10 days but left the job yesterday because I just need a break. I am exhausted. We came straight off of the floods in NY for hurricane Irene to this wildfire. I have been in a car all day for over a month and I just need rest and family and order and time with my dogs. It is so good to have just been home all day today and clean house and get my life back into some semblance of order. I need that. But there is still so much work to do at Red Cross so I am sure we will go back and help out. But I struggle, I want to help out, but i yearn to just be home, back in my simple routine, to do chores, to cook meals, to go to Bible study and home group, to walk my dogs. Am I selfish to want these things? it is so hard to achieve balance sometimes.
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