Tuesday morning (23 OCT 07)

I awaken Tuesday morning and rush out the door to check the skies. Thick grey smoke hangs in the air, and tiny bits of ash rain down on me. At least the air is calm here. In other parts of the county the Santa Ana winds are still blowing, making fire fighting efforts hazardous at best.

I walk over to Mory's house with my camera. She is not nearly as sanguine as she was yesterday, and tells me she has packed her bags in case we are evacuated.

From her back porch, we see the sunrise to the east, eerily obscured by the smoke in the air. A red-orange glow lines the horizon, but it's hard to tell if it's reflected light or glow from the fires.

The view looking to the southeast across the 54 from Mory's back porch. Looking towards Mt Miguel... covered in smoke. She tells me she watched the fire creep across Mt Miguel last night, glowing across the night sky. Today the smoke is thick enough that you no longer see Mt Miguel.
Coming back to my house, I notice the skies to the south, with the smoke slowly starting to cover the sky to the west. On my way back into the house, I notice a fine layer of ash on my car...

I head into the house and turn on the radio and check the evacuation reports on the Internet. When you're being enclosed by fire on three sides, your choices for evacuation become fairly simple. If worst comes to worst, we'll go to the North Island Naval Station on Coronado Island.