WILDFIRES ... QUAKES ... AUTOCRACY

This was supposed to be about scrambled eggs but that will have to wait until next week ‘cause we had an earthquake, but first.....

Strong wind gusts have been picking up fanning the fires still raging east and west of where I live in Southern California, Los Angeles County.  Wildfires have expanded into some new areas resulting in more families and animals having to evacuate, homes lost.  

Think of all the wildlife including birds and other living creatures that are able, some much too slow moving,  those living below ground, all fleeing for their lives.  Smoke at higher altitudes cloud level has been moving  east across our entire country.  Lower altitude skies allow the sun’s rays to filter through here with air pollution lessening somewhat now.  

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes – Ray Conniff – a calming instrumental version.

Mount Wilson west of where I live sees the continued Bobcat Wildfire ebb and flow as more than 93,000 acres has burned in just the last thirteen days as of Saturday 9/19, fluctuating from 0% to 6%, then back down to 3% for several days and up to only 13% containment as I write this.   Fire moving northeast through the mountains toward new populated areas is causing evacuations, more homes lost. 

Fire has threatened the historic 116 year old astronomical Mount Wilson Observatory noted for the telescopes providing photographic plates Edwin Hubble used to discover the Andromeda Galaxy.  Flames came on two occasions, the last time within 100 feet of that area.  Additionally, Los Angeles broadcast towers for television, radio and government agencies are located on that mountain which are critical for enabling signal transmission throughout So Cal L.A. area including to my house.  

The Eldorado wildfire east of my town rages on, burning over 22,000 acres endangering new areas there, started originally by that gender reveal celebration which has now resulted in a firefighter’s death.  Palm Springs has also had a wildfire emerge causing evacuations. 

As if wildfires aren’t enough, at 11:38 p.m. Friday 9/18 as I was writing part of this, we had a 4.5 earthquake with an epicenter west of my town near El Monte – the first quake I’ve felt in several years.  Newscasters closer in toward L.A. reported feeling two large jolts.  

What I felt at a greater distance east were slight jolts with a slow rolling motion, for about 10 seconds that made me wonder if a truck was going by on my street or Route 66 a block away, but I quickly realized it was an earthquake.  I was given pause to wonder, as usual,  if this was a foreshock with an even bigger quake to come.  

As soon as quake shakes stop I usually immediately turn on the all-news L.A. radio station, KNX.  Tonight since my television was on I found KABC-TV was broadcasting live quake coverage as they continued to do until 1 a.m.   

They interviewed Dr Lucy Jones, Seismologist and public voice for earthquake science and safety in California whose reliable information and commentary is reassuring.  Dr. Jones providing the factual truthful data even with unknown elements, including the possibility of a worsening situation does not incite panic in our cities.  

Our actual non-panic experience contradicts the flimsy excuse our illustrious leader in the White House promotes trying to justify his lies and failure to tell us the truth about the corona virus beginning months ago when our having such knowledge could have allowed action to prevent thousands of deaths.  

There’s a 1 in 20 or 5% chance a foreshock is preceding a bigger quake to come, but with each passing minute the likelihood of that lessens over the following 24 hours.  We did have aftershocks of lower strength, but I didn’t feel any of them.  

ABC newspersons also reported text messages from viewers who described what they felt where they were located.  Because of the pandemic TV staff have had remote capability setup in their homes which allowed live audio/video interviews with many of them.   All of this interaction and sharing of information served to reassure viewers as I, too, experienced.      

We’ve had enough disasters here but consider this quake as a wakeup call reminding us that we do live in earthquake country and to be prepared.  The ABC-TV News helicopter reported fire and police departments established there was no damage noted in immediate surrounding epicenter communities that might be most likely to be at risk for such.  

We learned this quake has been felt all over Southern California as their TV coverage ended.  This quake is pretty much out of our conscious concern now as occurs after most we experience that cause little or no damage --  until the next one.

Given the pressing issues of the day including those associated with ...the U.S. Presidential election, 

...the Supreme Court Associate Judge replacement situation due to the tragic death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 

...the need to save our democracy from what begins to seem like an autocratic capitalistic theocracy of our current leader, 

...corona virus threat, 

...environmental and climate change issues, 

...the reminder of future earthquake potential, 

...concern for my younger dear friend living some distance away who unexpectedly texted me from the ER late Friday night, during all this but before the earthquake she would have felt, as she waited for a hospital bed.  They didn’t have a bed open, probably due to the virus, though her issues were other than covid-19.

All of this is just to name a few matters giving me quite enough to occupy my thoughts, many of which you probably share with me plus adding a few others of your own.   Despite all, my spirits are upbeat and I hope yours are, too.    

I am reminded it's critical to ...V O T E ! ! !