Smoke gets in your eyes . . .

What a month.  That's all one can say about the month from July 23rd to August 23rd.  Monterey County's problems started with the Soberanes Fire, which started back on July 23rd.  Due to prevailing winds, the smoke from Soberanes infiltrated our canyon and permeated every aspect of what we do.  While it is unlikely this fire would ever reach the rancho, its smoke certainly has.  It is now 83,000 acres, there are 2,421 fire personnel battling this fire, and it is 60% contained.  The expected containment date is September 30.

Some time during the first week of August, with temperatures nearing 115 in our area, the Mineral Fire started, which was approximately 20 miles due north of us.  This fire did have the potential to reach us.  There was no big fire break between the rancho and the Mineral Fire, such as the 101, and our winds generally blow from north to south, so we were definitely on edge.  Thanks to the work of the amazing firefighters, this fire was held to 7,050 acres and is 100% contained.  The smoke from this fire lingers.

Then, last Saturday, August 13, I received a message from a neighbor asking if we were seeing smoke.  Since we are at the highest vantage point in the area, we are in a better position than most to see nearly a 360 degree view.  Indeed, there was a new fire, which is the photo to the left, which became known as the Chimney Fire, which is in Paso Robles.  It started in the community of Lake Nacimiento.  In a mere 24 hours, this fire took on a life of its own.  By Sunday night, CalFire had 800 fire personnel on it.  By Monday night, they had 1300 fire personnel on it.  The community jumped to action to assist with meal preparation for the firefighters until CalFire could get its kitchens, equipment, food, and food service personnel in.  By breakfast on Tuesday, there were 2000 fire personnel present, with the Midstate Fairgrounds as the fire base camp.

This fire is erratic.  It moves north, threatens and destroys homes near the lake.  It moves west, it threatens Hearst Castle.  It seems that the firefighters have a good day and then it rears its ugly head again.  It is always there in the west, like an ugly bruise in the sky.  There is so much smoke in our area now, despite the sun being out, there is little to no sunlight.  At night, we can see the orange glow to the west, and some nights, depending upon its movement, we can see flames against the night sky.

The Chimney Fire is now 24,096 acres, it is only 35% contained, 48 homes have been destroyed, seven have been damaged, and there are nearly 2,700 firefighters working on this fire.  Words cannot express the community's gratitude for the selfless work that these firefighters do.  In speaking to one firefighter on Monday, when asked where he was from, he responded, "Here.  My home may have been lost."  Yet that firefighter continued on the lines, battling to save others' homes.  That is just one example of the amazing people that are here battling this blaze.

Life has taken on a new norm in the area for now.  We have all become too aware of the air tankers flying in and out of the airport, over our homes, and the constant rumble of the planes and helicopters working to save homes and properties.  One cannot drive anywhere without seeing fire crews from cities all over the country.  One grows weary around noon to 1:00 daily, when the winds shift from the north/northwest to these hot, dry winds from the south, which then prompts flareups, such as seen in the photo to the right, bringing about emergencies within an emergency.  Eyes itch and burn.  Everyone is coughing.  Those with asthma can rarely venture outside.

And while the major impact to the ranch has been a constant veil of smoke for a month now, it will no doubt impact this vintage of wine and olives.  We could have them tested now, but if the result comes back that they have smoke taint, our options would be to still harvest them and then destroy them or to harvest them and attempt to make something from them and hope against hope that, somehow, they have managed to pull through unscathed.

Another unpleasant reminder of what's happening in our environment is an influx of nasty animals, such as rattlesnakes and tarantulas, and neighbors have reported sightings of a bear, possibly fleeing the fire zones.  The night after the Chimney Fire started, we encountered two tarantulas and this 13-rattle rattlesnake, one of the largest Northern Pacific rattlesnakes found, measuring 42".  The largest on record is 46".

Every year, harvest brings a certain amount of anticipation, hope, and excitement.  This year is different.  It has been a very hard growing year, with temperatures over 110 most of the summer, except for a week or two span of temperatures in the 80s.  Our lavender was essentially destroyed from the heat.  Our tomatoes didn't grow.  The cattle are looking very tired and in need of something green.  Many of the grapes have gotten sunburned or have dried up.  This year, we will be harvesting wearing face masks and attempting to limit our time outside.  

The underlying thought, however, is that despite the difficulties of this growing year, we are still the lucky ones.  We still have a home.  We still have another chance to grow something next year.  We are fortunate.  We are saddened to see so many Californians losing everything from these fires and we cannot say enough how appreciative we are of all the tireless work of the firefighters.  We we wish better things to come for all Californians soon.