Wild Fires

My beautiful California is fighting terrible wild fires. Television news about loss of life and destruction of homes is difficult to watch. I no longer live in California, but I'm well acquainted with both northern and southern parts of the state, having lived there and traveled it many, many times.

My first glimpse of California came as I traveled by train from the east coast to California during WWII. When we reached southern California, the train passed thru miles and miles of orange groves. The train windows were down and for some reason the train had slowed. We passengers could reach out and touch tree branches as we passed. The fragrance of orange blossoms was enchanting. It was like being in an exotic fairy land.

It was early morning when we reached Oakland and had to take a ferry across the bay to San Francisco. I had never ridden a ferry before and found it rather exciting. As the ferry crossed, I could see strands of fog wrapping the hills of San Francisco while sunlight shone on the tops. That view has never left my mind and is part of the reason San Francisco is still my most 'favorite' city.

I've lived in San Francisco and the peninsula as well as in the Los Angeles area. During those long ago years, family members, grandparents, aunts uncles and cousins lived in various parts of the state. When we meet these many years later, and tell stories about happenings in such and such a place, we know exactly the place talked about.

As I write this, desert winds are spreading the fires and the destruction grows. As a distant bystander, watching TV news about the fires, I can only hope those fighting them can soon gain control of this terrible wild fire.