Oh, what a relief it is

The heat is off. The high pressure front started moving out Friday, and by Saturday night we could turn off the AC, which has had the electric meter whirling like a slot machine, only it sucks up cash instead of giving it out. It was swamp cooler time yesterday, and we even got into the garden yesterday morning to pull up the tired green beans and till a bit. I'll replant stuff later this month.

Temps are going to creep back up this week, but nothing like the 110+ temps we've had the last two weeks. Highs barely in the 100s, if that. We said last night that if anyone had told us 10 years ago that we'd be grateful for temps in the low 100s, we'd have wondered what they were smoking. Remember that 40% humidity is high for here, and our normal is under 20%.

Fire is not our friend, at least in summer

Summer has wonderful smells -- mouthwatering burgers or steak on a hot grill; the freshness of cold, just-sliced watermelon; pungent chlorine from a pool. And the frightening smell of fire burning trees and foliage and structures.

We've sniffed it on the air these past two mornings, this Junction City fire near Weaverville, and according to reports, it hung over Redding like a pall today. It's some 70+ miles away from here, north and west of us, and yet, the smoky air is unmistakable.

Fire is what we fear here in California, when the grasses go gold and crispy, and even a spark from your car's catalytic converter can ignite a blaze that can destroy thousands of acres, as the one in Manton did last year. The smell of smoke in the air can make the ice weasels dance in your stomach.

We had a fire in the neighborhood two years ago -- a detached garage burned, doused by four CDF units before the nearby house could catch on fire. We saw the blaze from our windows and quickly walked the quarter mile to see which house it was. The firefighters were pumping water from a swimming pool across the street and neighbors came to see and to shake their heads in sympathy. No one was hurt, pets were evacuated, vehicles beyond reach of the flames. It was a frightening reminder to make sure there is 100 feet of defensible space around the house, to be unerringly careful about causing a spark.

Those neighbors have rebuilt, but also have added a huge water storage tank, and have a menagerie of sheep, goats, and llamas to munch down the underbrush. None of us will forget that fire anytime soon.

The Junction fire is now 70% contained, Highway 299 to the coast has been reopened and evacuations have been cancelled. One structure burned. There are more than 1500 firefighters there; total costs are estimated so far to be $2.3 MILLION. Cause is unknown at this point.

Fire is our tornado, our earthquake. It can strike and destroy with very little warning. So with this abundant California sunshine everyone envies comes responsibility and caution, and prayers for those who put their lives on the line in the heat of summer, in the heart of fire.