Arson

(A corner of our jacuzzi, filled with leaves, twigs and soil. Our pool guy, Bill, will have a very busy week ahead of him.)

I'm wondering if catching the arsonist who set this fire closest to us and hanging him is cruel enough. Someone else suggested a public hanging. That's still not enough. Torture would be good. I don't understand the mentality of arson. This person set the fire in three places. One wasn't enough. He had to set three, to make sure, I suppose. Sigh. I think I've read that arsonists are often successful at eluding arrest. This guy chose a good time, right at dusk last night, when his escape would be mostly hidden.

We're lucky. Very lucky that no homes, so far, have been lost in our closest fire. But Malibu is another story. The winds, these hot gusty Santa Ana winds that blow in from the desert and plague our part of the world in the winter (mostly), love to whip up and down through gulleys and valleys. Malibu is particularly hard hit by the gusty winds, stronger there, always, than they are where we live. Many, many homes are nothing but ash. People live in Malibu, up in those canyons because they can be private, anonymous, behind gates, away from paparazzi, neighbors. But, those same assets become huge liabilities when the wind blows. Mother Nature can wreak havoc so quickly. But we love our mild seasons here. We suffer earthquakes and winds and fires, so we can live in this part of God's paradise.

Another fire has started in Lake Arrowhead. For any of you who don't know it, Arrowhead and Big Bear are resorts in the mid-high mountains close by. They're beautiful villages with lots of mountainous pine and cedar trees. The air is clean, clear, and the climate ideal for skiing in the winter and cooler in the summer than it is down at sea level. Watching tv newscasts of the thousands of acres of beautiful pine trees burning in a big whoosh just makes me cry. I pray for all the people and animals who have lost their homes or habitat because of these fires. I pray that God will see fit to send us rain. Soon.