For all who have emailed me asking about my safety, thank you so much for your concern. I’m sorry I haven’t blogged sooner, but we’ve had several power outages and my battery back-up died. But these are minor inconveniences compared to what the residents of Mariposa are going through. Again. This is the second big fire in as many months. It’s truly awful and all prayers are most welcome.

Here’s what a know. The town of Mariposa is covered in smoke and ash. We are 15-20 miles from the blazes but wake up each morning to a thick gray muck that makes your eyes water and burn. It’s unhealthy to walk or be outside for long, but as the day heats up and the wind shifts, the smoke will dissipate (at least it did yesterday). This gives one a false sense that the fire is under control, but the news report this morning said only 2% containment at the moment.

We have several friends who have been evacuated from the Midpines area. They don’t know if they will have a home to return to. Many others are packed up on stand-by, ready to leave at a moment’s notice. Here is a link to friend Beth Pratt’s blog. She has some amazing photos of the fire and you’ll hear first-hand about what it’s like to be told you have to flee to safety. FIRE

The area where the fire started is the Merced River canyon. Steep walls with difficult terrain. Although the highway leading into Yosemite is still open, the town of El Portal and the Yosemite Valley floor are without power to protect firefighters doing their jobs. I heard on the news that the major hotels are using generators to stay open.

One of my worries is that the Bear Creek Bison Ranch is right in the fire’s path. I interviewed Jerry, the owner, this spring and “met” his herd. Here’s a shot of the group. His beautiful log homes were certainly “defendable” if the firefighters could reach them in time. Please include these wonderful beasts in your prayers. (The buffalo are part of DADDY BY SURPRISE.)

On another–happier–note, I found a gorgeous dress for the Harlequin party. Will try to post a photo if the power stays on.

DEb