Fire Out - Life Returns To Normal

Fire is out, thank goodness.  We heard and saw helicopters and planes this morning, saw on the internet that it is contained, we are relieved!  Scary, scary, scary.  We have used today to just be.  Rested, walked the Pacific Crest Trail which comes right by the campground, went to the camp store to get ice cream, just enjoyed being in the forest WITHOUT any fires.  Life has returned to good.  We have seen a couple of hikers of the PCT come in to shower, visit the camp store, get their mail.  Wish I was 30 years younger and didn't have a bum foot, I would love to hike the trail for a distance.

Hand made sign for PCT hikers

The kids (6th graders) and their advisors left this morning to hike at Lassen Volcanic National Park, we thought they would have been gone all day by the way their teacher had told us their schedule, but they all returned by 1:30pm.  A little warm for them to be hiking if they are not used to it.  I did see some of the kids with very flushed faces.  But, they are back, I can hear some of them playing volleyball while another group are at Hat Creek fishing (creek was stocked this past Saturday - fish are abundant), while I see the advisors and teachers huddled at a picnic table.  And joy - they will be having a bonfire tonight - great, hate the smoke, but will have to close our windows while that's going on.  I was surprised that by 9pm last night they were all tucked into their tents and it was quiet (other than the noise of the fire equipment in the distance).

Helicopter hoovering

Tomorrow the kids go back to Lassen to do another hike - this is a week of geology for them.  Then Friday morning they pack up and go to Shasta Mountain for a day of hiking before returning back to their school, don't remember what school it was but a two hour drive from there.

Pretty Hat Creek - restful

We do not like this uncertainty of wildfires, volcanic activity, earthquakes, tsunamis of the pacific states.  Very unnerving.  We again said last night - we will take the tornados of Ohio any day.

We are good, rested finally, and enjoying watching the kids be kids. Glad the fire wasn't today - the winds are up and if the fire broke out today - big, big, big trouble.