Bastrop County Fires ~ Part 2

These are photos from the end of the day on Monday, 9/5/2011. Monday was a real challenge because we had only a couple of hours sleep Sunday night. We were too amped up and just could not stop our minds from running through all the scenarios.

We went into Bastrop to see if there was anyway we could get to our house. A few of our friends had gotten in about 7 AM, but when we arrived later the roads were blocked and manned by police. We saw friends and found out a few other friends had gotten in prior to the road block. We could not do anything at that point and decided to return to our friend's home.

On the way back we could see another enormous fire to the west of Bastrop. I called my friend to tell her we could see smoke in the distance. She went out to check and talk to neighbors who were watering their surroundings and packing their cars in case of the need for an evacuation in that part of the county.  It was named the Union Chapel Road fire and of course my friend lives on Union Chapel Road. Luckily for her (and us) the fire was just slightly to the south of her road and the winds were coming from the north.

The winds on Monday were gusting to 40 miles/hour, the temperatures were more moderate in the upper 80s, the humidity at 6 % because of a northerly front that came through during the night on Sunday. These conditions caused huge problems for the fire fighters. Air support was about the only thing that could be used to the east of the county because the fire was so fast moving.

This fire caused an evacuation and eventually consumed 800 acres and (I think) about 30 homes. Because planes and helicopters were already here fighting the fire on the east side of the county they were diverted to fight this fire. I think that is why it was contained in a little over a day. As of Wednesday evening people in the Union Chapel Road area were being allowed back to their homes or in some cases to view the damage.

 On Monday the information is that 300 homes were destroyed. As of Thursday night 1386 homes are destroyed and 34,000 acres with 2 deaths (not firefighters).



This photo was taken Monday evening on the hill west of Bastrop.

  We returned to our friend's home after a roller coaster day of worrying about two fires. We were all exhausted and slept soundly for 7 hours Monday night. I took no chances and took a Tylenol PM capsule to ensure that I would sleep.

The town of Bastrop is in the valley of the Colorado River.

These photos do not begin to express the horror of what these fires caused. What looks like clouds is smoke that extends as far as one can see from north to south.

Sunset from the same hilltop.

People on the hill gathering to watch the fire.

The hills on the east side of Bastrop is where I live.

Today is Friday and things are very different now. It got worse before it got better which I will explain later.

Wildfires in Eastern Bastrop County - Part 1

Sunday evening around 6 PM from Schlotsky's in Bastrop

 At 2 PM on Sunday I decided to mop my kitchen floor (you know sticky stuff) and then swept some dry grass from our garage that had blown in because of the high winds kicked up from the north as a result of the backlash of Hurricane Lee that was 500 miles east in Louisiana. I walked outside and saw dark clouds to the south of us over the river. Wow! That looks like serious rain clouds.

Hmmm, I thought, it's either going to rain (highly unlikely) or smoke is coming from somewhere. As I panned from south to north I could see where smoke was originating. My neighbors were outside & on the phone. I checked with them but we were still uncertain as to where it was.

I immediately went inside and emailed the person who alerts our "Village" of happenings.

Hi Jeffery,
Do you know where and in what direction the fire north of Hwy 71 is headed? Will there be a notice sent out on Tahitian email keeping us informed? The wind today is horrendous. Please let us know if you know anything.

 Immediate response at 4:01:14 PM:

The fire is at HWY 21 and 1441.
It is bad.
No evacuation for Tahitian yet.
But we are packing bags. I advise you to be ready in case we have to evacuate.

Inside I tell the G-man who is watching an exciting golf match that we may have to evacuate.



At 4:05:37 PM another email from Jeffery:

FROM TVPOA - EVACUATE TAHITIAN VILLAGE NOW!

On the way into Bastrop I called my friend Betty with whom I taught school for 10 years and we retired the same year. She lives just west of Bastrop in the Cedar Creek area. I called just to let her know what is going on, but she immediately offered for us to stay with her. I thanked her and said I'd call back if it appeared we needed to do that.

By 5 PM we were on our way into Bastrop to wait word on when we could return home.

We had a sandwich at Schlotskey's, shared a coke, gave Gertie her dinner and by 7 PM the G-man said, "Let's go back home." 

 

Oddly enough the sheriff's department representatives let us into the area. We drove through to our street. An officer was there at the entrance to Alele & said we could go on down to the house which is about 1/4 mile to our home. As we drove down two houses on the right and two on the left were intact, but the house across the street from one was fully engulfed in flames and to the right another neighbor's home was an inferno. All the trees (tall pines, old oaks, and underbrush) was on fire. Just around the curve is a cul de sac on which our house and three others sit. 

We turned around to leave, told the officer what was happening and the number of our house. We drove up the hill & down the street behind our house. Five homes were still standing but just to the right of the fifth house the woods directly behind our house were completely on fire and we could see our neighbor's home at the top of the cul de sac was fully engulfed in flames. Again we turned around to leave and met another neighbor who is a Park Ranger. He said his house and our house were the only ones still standing. 

All that was at 7:30 PM on Sunday. 

From what we saw behind our house and the inferno on Monday I sincerely doubt we have anything left. The G-man said if it is still there it will be partly due to the fact that a neighbor's son and I cleared the underbrush from the pines last spring. 

 

Truthfully, even if our house survived it will no longer be home. We would have no neighbors, no beautiful tall pines, no birds. There would only be charred woods and ruins of our neighbors' houses. We now have begun to think of where we would like to live and have gotten into the groove of thinking about reinventing our lives. 

This is my first installment. Today we may get in to see what is left. 25,000 acres have burned, 5000 people displaces, and 500+ homes lost plus many ranches in the area and the beautiful Bastrop State Park. We are fine and are planning on surviving this and moving on to a somewhat different life. We have each other and our sweet Gertie Girl. Not only do we have each other, but we have had incredible support from friends in blog land, FaceBook, family, friends (especially Betty for opening her home to us), and all the people from the school where I taught in Austin (Josephine Houston Elementary).

More tomorrow or later tonight...

Abandoned America ~ Road to Mora

On the curve...

Used up...

I took this photo just before I spotted the horses!

Isn't that truck amazing & in the perfect

proximity to the hut.

Horse home...

This is my favorite photo.

I love the light shining on the horses.

Abandoned America ~ New Mexico

Mill in valley at Pendaries.

 

Amongst the beautiful scenery of New Mexico

one finds many examples of abandonment.

Perhaps because it is New Mexico

much of these sights add to the charm

of this beautiful land.

The sky in this photo is glorious.

 Tess at Life at Willow Manor began a series of 

photographs entitled "Abandoned America".

In my travels across the country I come across many 

abandoned buildings, homes, and even towns.

I decided to follow Tess' lead in photographing

and sharing some of these sights.

Adobe building.

 These photographs are from the drive from Rociada to Mora, N.M.

Most of these need no explanation.

They are just abandoned structures that were 

sheds or homes or barns in a previous life.

One wonders what happened.

Did the people move on or die?

Did the structure outlive it's usefulness?

Travels are over...

Collapsing.

Remains of an adobe structure.

Barn

Yosemite in July

Think cool thoughts

Beautiful day ~ July 1st, 2011

It is hard to believe that in nearby Tahoe & Mammoth Lakes

people were snow skiing on the 4th of July

while in Texas we baked.

Beautiful scenery.

Watch out: He's coming and it's not going to be pretty!

For more up to date information on the shape of things to come go to the

Letters from Texas blog written by Harold Cook. 

You'll find it at www.lettersfromtexas.com

If I'm going to write about this distressing mess we're about to get into

I need to start another blog not related to this one.

Here I want happy thoughts and there is nothing "happy" about 

Rick Perry running for U. S. President.

Happy Days in Uncertain Times

Fellow kayaking in Santa Barbara Harbor

 In these disturbing and uncertain times

I am posting happy memories from a month ago.

Boats in the S. B. harbor

Strolling along the breakfront

 Is "breakfront" the right term?

This really isn't a pier but it is a fun place

to walk and people watch.

Discussing the day's events

Just ridin' along on his bike.

Gathering for kickball on the beach!

Family out for a little ride along the beach!

Run, run, run!

High 5s!

Just me & my puppy... life is good!

I love spinnakers.

Now if we didn't have all these kids we could play kickball too.

Early morning family outing. Wish I could do that.

Giraffe float from the Solstice Day Parade in downtown Santa Barbara.

Folks enjoying a Saturday afternoon downtown.

Balloon man.

Gathering along the beach.