Today the fire has been 40% contained thanks to the dedication and hard work of the firefighters. Margaritas are flowing out of the blender and Fen is preparing a shrimp pasta with mushrooms for our celebration dinner. The sheriff has cleared some areas to allow homeowners to return--our home is about 500 feet from the safe zone but we think we'll be able to return in the morning. Charlie Medley was on the verge of evicting us for eating all of his cookies and raiding his liquor cabinet, so this is timely news. However, our pets will miss Charlie--Huxley liked crawling on his shoulders.
I extended my stay in California and will return to Yellowstone on Sunday.
Even a cynical person like me has to be cheered by the heartwarming story of animal rescue that the Fresno Bee featured on Getting Animals Out Alive from the Telegraph Fire. Jon Currie, a Mariposa resident, saved his neighbors five horses and a donkey, Digger, from the flames at the expense of his own home. As a big animal lover, Jon is a true hero in my book!