A visit back to the ranch at 411 Martin Rd.

Our area is still officially evacuated, but we were able to hike in today.

We are feeling immense gratitude to the people who worked to control the fire. I can't tell you how many times I heard someone say, "If this one thing hadn't happened exactly as it did, everything from the Moon Rocks to Davenport would have been toast."

It was a combination of the weather, especially the wind, and the tremendous efforts of every person who fought the fire, that changed the outcome. It came about 500 feet from our ranch.

Right up the road from us, this is what the forest looks like. It's not the worst of it, just the closest burned area to our house.


Mooka couldn't resist "care-bearing" the driver of a water tanker. We can really tell how grateful she is. She went up to every single firefighter she saw and personally thanked them in her own way. She made a lot of friends today.







This photo is especially significant to us. This is the fire break that saved our ranch.




'Dozer work to save structures.


This is Tony Akin, Cal Fire captain and division group supervisor, who directed fire crews directly above our house. We got to meet him and shake his hand.


Andrew said, "How can we ever thank you enough?" and he said "You can't...don't worry about it."

We ate dinner tonight at the taqueria with BD volunteer firefighter Ted Fairbanks, a.k.a. "Firefighter MacGyver". He was one of the first firefighters on the scene at the Martin Rd. firestation, just as the fire crossed the road from the Reserve. He described some of his experiences that night to us, and we are profoundly thankful to have him as a neighbor. We'd also like to sign off for now by thanking our other neighbors who stayed and risked their own lives to protect our mountain.