THE UPRIGHT FUEL TYPE

I stole this picture from a friends face book last night. I wish I knew how to make it screen size. It is of the 1993 Malibu Fire and the picture was taken by a Boise BLM Smoke Jumper from Santa Monica Beach where they were bedded down. My friend was the Air Ops Branch Director on this fire. I was a field observer in Topanga Canyon. This picture is of the fire burning in and through Topanga Canyon. Many of you that have worked with me have heard me talk about the fire comin' to town and about the houses (I have called them the upright fuel type) just being totally involved in the fire in an instant---almost like they exploded. This is the fire that discussion comes from. I was in front of this fire watching about 100 homes per hour go up in the conflagration.

As I moved south and west I was just in awe at how each building was there and then it was totally engulfed in flames. I was also in awe that you could see the flames moving around inside the buildings through the walls. It was impressive, it was scary, it was the single greatest display of fire I have ever seen. During this night houses burned at the rate of about 100 structures per hour. Many of the homes were owned by movie stars (several million dollar value homes) and some were owned by just normal people (half a million dollar value homes). The fire didn't care it burned them all the same and involved them in the fire just as quickly. My job was to monitor and report on the advance of the fire to make sure the fire team in charge of it knew what was going on in the front so they could evauate the public and the firefighters in a timely manner.

Through the night the evacuation rate was about 1.5 miles per hour. Everyone inside that 1.5 miles had to be moved---it was a monstrous job---my hat is off to the Sheriff and his organization for being able to pull it off. Eventually I was on Malibu Beach and totally safe. I have joked a lot since then about having the best escape route and safety zone of my career on this fire. I was absolutely sure I was safe and that the escape route and safety zone would not burn. It would be pretty tough to ignite the PACIFIC OCEAN.

;=)

GOOD AS NEW???

Just got the car back from the shop. I had them replace every part related to spark on the car. Probably could have got by just replacing the cover for the coils as that turned out to be where the major short was. The computer would only read out random misfire. Don't cha just love these new cars where all you do is replace parts---no mechanic work. Just.Replace.The.Part. And keep replacing them until you find the one that isn't any good---pretty spendy experimentation if you ask me.

MECHANICAL CHALLENGES

Last night on the way home from Foster Parent classes in a town about 50 miles north I started to pass a pickup truck that was going pretty slow. I got even with the truck and then the car wouldn't gain any speep. Nope.No.Speed. There was a car coming and I struggled to get past the pickup and back on my side of the road in time to miss the oncoming traffic. It wasn't really close but it scared me that I couldn't get the car to go any faster.

When I got back in my lane the check engine light was flashing---FLASHING---I have never seen one do that before. I rolled the window down to listen to the car and it was having a really hard time running. It was like it was running on two cylinders or that the exhaust was plugged. Since we were only about 30 miles from home when it did this I decided to limp it on in to home if I could. The best I could get out of the car was 60 miles an hour and that only when we were going downhill. So much of our interstate time was at 45-55 m.p.h. There wasn't a lot of traffic so we didn't pose a serious lane impediment.

When we got off the freeway I ran the stop sign because I didn't dare stop, because I didn't think I could get the car started again. Shortly after that a police car pulled in behind me followed me a couple of blocks and then passed me. I told Inklings the reason he didn't stop us was because he could tell something was wrong with the car. I ran the stop sign at the turn to our house and barely got the car up the drive way and into the garage.

Hope I can get it to the shop here in a few minutes. I'm just killing time right now waiting for them to open. My bet the problem is a plugged catalytic converter or that one of the coils is blowing the spark out the side of the coil again. I hope one of the above is all it is!!!

WAITIN' ON THE DOC

I can't go anywhere today until after 2:00 p.m. because I have to get my stitches out. I can't get them out 'til after 2:00 because the Doc isn't in until 2:00 on Tuesday---if I had any guts at all I would take them out myself---nope no guts.

OUT TA' LUNCH

I asked Inklings if she wanted to go out to lunch today at about 10:30---she said that would be OK. I told her to get in the car we were leaving for lunch---at 10:36 we pulled out. We drove a couple of hours and had lunch and went shopping for some things. Then we drove home arriving about 5:15. Nice lunch---Nice drive---great company. Sure made the day pass quickly.

POLITICAL BICKERING---WHATEVER HAPPENED TO AMERICA?

OK t'day I am getting on my soap box. Some of you that read this will remember (and some won't) Mike Mansfield the great (AND I DO MEAN GREAT) Congressman (1943-1953) and Senator (1953-1977) from the GREAT STATE OF MONTANA. Before that he served in the Navy, the Army and the Marines---yes three branches of the service. After that he served 11 years as our ambassador to Japan. He also served as the Majority Leader of the Senate from 1953-1977. He is buried in Arlington in a remote corner with a stone that reads---Mike Mansfield PFC US Marines. You see he was humble too.

I remember once in a TV interview he was asked how the people of Montana wanted him to vote on an issue---he responded (and these aren't quotes just the way I remember them---you could probably google and get the exact wording): The people of Montana don't tell me how to vote---I vote my own concience every single time. I am a representative for America. If they or the party do not like my vote they can work to have me replaced in the next election. So this dude had a concience for America. I can't remember the issue but I distinctly remember him saying---THIS IS NOT A DEMOCRATIC PROBLEM---THIS IS NOT A REPUBLICAN PROBLEM---THIS IS AN AMERICAN PROBLEM AND WE HAD DAMN WELL BETTER GET TOGETHER AND SOLVE IT. (I think this was about inflation in the 70's but am not sure)

There have always been issues and public debate on lots of things but now there is ONLY particinship. And none of the elected officials care what the results are they only care about how it affects their re-election chances and the ammunition it gives them for their next campaign. I am to the point that I really wonder if Washington can solve a single problem---not pass a law but solve a problem. I don't think it is possible any more because I don't think enough of our elected officials are willing to SOLVE AMERICAS PROBLEMS---they are just happy to represent us and their party.

I, FOR ONE, MISS MIKE MANSFIELD---AND I MISS WHAT HE STOOD FOR. HE WAS ELECTED AS A DEMOCRAT BUT IN MY OPINION HE WAS A TRUE AMERICAN. THAT'S MY $0.02 FOR T'DAY!