The House is Gone

Monday September 13th

Orianne and I get our special fire passes that allow us to visit the house.  There are roadblocks set up by police to check our credentials; they are very friendly.

We get there and the house is totally gone - just a pile of ashes and twisted metal roofing.  The fire must have been extraordinarily hot: the aluminum engine casing from the two cars have run out and formed strange fluid sculptures; the concrete foundations are cracked and fallen.  We find a couple of ceramic bowls that are relatively unscathed.

It is strange and a little sad but not so devastating as I expected.  I explore my garden and the greenhouse are almost totally intact!  I harvest about 12 pounds of tomatoes.  The greenhouse I was working on the day before the fire looks almost perfect - the raised bed ready to be planted.

 

Best of all, the forest itself is not badly burned and our stunning view is almost the same as ever.

It looks like home and it feels like home.  I know we will rebuild.