Ghost downtown, wasteland outskirts

The two descriptions in the headline basically sum up what it feels like to be in Fallbrook tonight, before the evacuation order has been lifted. In the downtown area, you're more likely to see a National Guard humvee or a law enforcement cruiser than a normal, civilian car. And all along the eastern and northern borders of town, the scenes are going to be eerie and foreign for weeks to come. Here are a few more pictures from the last few days.

Yesterday, I cruised around with Kenny, collecting addresses of homes that were burned down to put on the North County Times Web site. We visited Valley Oaks and made a list of all the coaches still standing, which is also viewable at nctimes.com.

Here, Kenny inspects a dead cat at Valley Oaks.

This is what fire retardant looks like up close. This photo was taken Wednesday afternoon at the Pala Mesa Villas, right next to the golf course, and the streak of pink from an air tanker is visible from I-15.

This is a photo I took off North Stage Coach Lane, as Kenny and Paige and I watched the fire burn in De Luz. Please note: This photo was taken Tuesday night; there is nothing that looks like this burning anywhere near Fallbrook at this point. Not that I know of, anyway.

This is a view of downtown Fallbrook, looking north on Main Street from in front of McDonald's around 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

And, finally, the sun as of 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

Thank you for all your prayers and support. This ordeal is almost over; folks will start coming home soon. I can't wait.

Don't trust the Web!

There is a ton of misinformation floating around the Internet right now about the Fallbrook fire. Don't believe it, and please don't spread it. Potter Jr. High has not burned down. Nothing west of Gird Road and Live Oak Park Road burned down, from what I've seen. The fire is pretty much dead south of East Mission Road in Fallbrook, although there are a few hot spots--I just confirmed that with the fire department.

For the most part, you can believe anything you read on nctimes.com. Independent bloggers and sensationalist rumor-spreaders on the Web do not have to be accountable to anyone; a newspaper does, even with the information on its Web site. So, please, don't worry about your house unless it is east of Gird or Live Oak Park Road, or north of East Mission near Red Mountain, and don't let those who say the fire's still raging in Fallbrook concern you. It's not.

My clips

If anyone is interested in reading a first-person column about my parents' mobile home park that I wrote for the North County Times, you can read it here.

There is also a video clip with me narrating that you can watch.

Update

I have no idea what I will end up reporting on today. Last night, I slept at Kenny and Paige's house on the western border of Fallbrook, and when I woke up, the smoke was very thick overhead. My car was covered in ashes.

The fire has moved north, into De Luz. Right now, it's heading for the Riverside County line, and officials are also worried about it turning around and heading east toward Rainbow. Residents of Fallbrook may be let back in beginning tomorrow, and there will be a state emergency resource hub set up at the Fallbrook Community Center on Thursday morning. For those of you who are displaced, sit tight. If your home is in or near downtown Fallbrook, chances are it is fine. Keep praying for the firefighters and decision-makers, and please pray for me, that I would be able to do some good, useful reporting today.

Fire update

Since quite a few folks seem to be reading this blog for info, I'll post what I know right now. These are official numbers, as of 7 p.m.

-7,500 acres burned
-10% contained
-206 homes destroyed
-21,000 avocado trees destroyed

Additionally, I was told at the command post an hour ago that tomorrow morning could prove to be the turning point in the fire. If the wind doesn't pick up, the chiefs seem to think they can contain a good bit more of the blaze--probably the portion that was threatening to move closer to downtown Fallbrook.

The area of most concern tonight is Rainbow Glen, where the fire is making headway. It remains to be seen how far it will burn toward De Luz, but the northeast part of De Luz has been evacuated. Rainbow Glen appears to be the only area where the fire is growing, though, so that's good news for folks in Fallbrook.

I've returned at least 30 e-mails from various people about the status of their homes. The town is pretty much deserted, and everyone who lives here is cooped up somewhere along the coast. They all are concerned about their houses, and some of them will return to find only ashes. They need our prayers.

That's all for now.

Reporting on Fallbrook fire

I'm not sure if anybody will be checking this blog during the next day or two, but if you have come here looking for information about the Rice fire in Fallbrook, our family, my role in covering the fire, etc., I want to fill you in.

I worked 13 hours yesterday and I'm going on nine hours today. This is the worst fire in the history of this town, and I must say on the front end, the blaze claimed my parents' house at Valley Oaks yesterday. So if I get emotional at all during this post, please forgive me.

I've just returned to downtown Fallbrook from Valley Oaks, and the place is desolate. The northern half of the park is totally destroyed. I broke down when I finally walked around my parents' lot and saw things I recognized in the ashes. It was also eerie to walk around the streets I've walked so often, either in deep conversation with my mom or when courting Dorinda. I have so many good memories in that park, to see it torn apart is hard.

Taking a wider view of the crisis, the fire is far from going out. It's still threatening to move closer to downtown Fallbrook--and, by extension, our little guest house behind my sister's home. Plus, it's spreading into De Luz and south toward Highway 76. It's going to be a long couple of days before it's finally put out, and I don't even know when Dori can come back from her parents' house in Oceanside.

I must say, thank you all so much for your prayers. All the fire authorities were worried when I awoke this morning, fearing that the anticipated 50 MPH winds would drive the fire to our doorstep, but by 10 a.m., there was really no wind stirring. 11 a.m., nothing. Noon, I looked out the window in the North County Times office in Fallbrook, and there was still no wind. It is now 3 p.m. and the trees aren't moving outside. That means the fire isn't spreading, and it's exactly the news we've all been hoping to hear. So keep praying for calm, humid weather with a coastal breeze.

If you would like to stay up on my Fallbrook fire coverage, please visit www.nctimes.com. I will be posting updates throughout the week, and may even be able to provide a first-person piece about my experience today at Valley Oaks.

Again, this community--along with many others in Southern California--needs your prayers.

Here are a few pictures I took today.

New lens

I picked up a new "glass" for my Nikon this morning from a good friend of mine, Michael Chan. I've already taken some pictures with it, and although it's going to take me a while to figure out how to get the most out of it, I love this lens. See for yourself. (Click on a picture to enlarge it.)

Sunday baseball

While the Chargers were punishing the Raiders yesterday, I joined up with a crew of friends that plays baseball every Sunday afternoon at a park in Oceanside. I was reminded of how much I love playing baseball. I was also reminded of how out of shape I am at the present time--several muscles and joints hurt, and yesterday's pick-up game wouldn't even have passed as a light practice when I was in high school. I guess writing and taking pictures don't quite keep one in tip-top physical form. Here are a few shots from yesterday.

I love cold weather

Yesterday was cold and rainy, and I loved it. Who's with me?

I started out the day at Starbucks, reading a book and drinking strong coffee. Just knowing it was cold outside was enough--it felt like we were actually experiencing a season other than summer! What a novelty!

Outside Costco later in the day, Dori and I saw a small deciduous tree with leaves that were in various stages of turning dark red. When I lived in Portland, the trees would all look like fire at this time of year, and I miss that. I miss [some of] the rain. I miss snowboarding on Mount Hood, watching the billow of my breath disappear, and cold days that were genuinely cold, but not so much so that a brisk walk down a street lined with fire-headed maples was unpleasant.

As you can tell, I am having some fond memories of the climate of my old home, but what is kind of funny is that, come February or March, I will be gloating about the blessed sameness of Fallbrook's 12 months of summer to my friends in Portland, who in turn will be ready to thaw, yet still months away from relief. When it comes, they might value summer more than I, but I value what little measure of fall and winter we are allowed at this time of year more than they might understand.

The Wednesday evening commute

Tonight was my seventh trip to Chula Vista for a poetry workshop with Steve Kowit, who, it turns out, is a brilliant and inspiring teacher, and worth the two-hour round trip every Wednesday. Today, as I sat on the 805 approaching my exit to Southwestern Junior College, I saw an amazing sight. Truly amazing. To describe it, let me just say this:

See what I mean? I am almost positive I know what this laden truck was doing on the southbound 805: It was heading for Mexico. I know this because, at a garage sale to raise money for my nephew last year, a Mexican man came at the end of the day and bought all the furniture that was left over--furnishings, he explained, for a home across the border. Another woman bought bags and bags of clothes for the same purpose.

Still, this truck was stacked frighteningly high--higher, thought I, than most semi rigs that you see on the interstate. I could not stop looking at it, and managed to snap a few photos.

And that was all in the first half of the commute. When I reached Starbucks, for my pre-class kick, I was pleasantly rewarded with free coffee (it was brewing for four minutes before they handed me a cup), vouchers for two free songs ('Bucks is giving out a free song a day through iTunes--all you gotta do is ask for one), and a free day-old copy of the New York Times. Coffee, music, a paper, and not a dime spent. Not bad.

The drive home is typically relaxing. I found from the very first night drive back to Fallbrook that the trip affords me the opportunity to think, mull over what was discussed in class, and listen to music on my iPod. (I'm pretty sure activities such as listening to music via headphones and, say, taking pictures are illegal while driving. Don't tell.)

So that's my weekly Wednesday routine after I get off work in Escondido. Although, it's not every week that I see three houses' worth of used furniture commuting next to me toward Mexico. That, it seems, is a rare privilege.

First shot at photo editing

Yesterday, I tried my hand at creative photo editing for the first time, thanks to a new program (new to me, anyways) that is extremely powerful and fun to use--not to mention the industry standard for photographers. Here are the first few photos I edited. I hope to get a lot better as time goes on...

New toy

In July, we were cleaning out my grandpa's house in La Mirada when I found a beat-up old guitar case in a closet. My heart started racing, and I took it in the living room and opened it up. Two months and $350 later, here is the new 12-string Takamine I have added to my lineup of instruments...

I had it cleaned up at Buffalo Brothers (great guitar store in Carlsbad--if you can make it there before they close at 6 p.m.), and had them install the same pickup that I have in my six-string Larivee. I have yet to plug it in and hear how it sounds amplified, but organic, it sounds great. Very rich and loud, with a hint of the signature tin sound that 12-string guitars have from all the high-pitched steel strings.

I hope to learn how to tastefully integrate this guitar into my music leading at church and Bible study. Any tips on playing 12-strings would be appreciated.

It's silly I'm so worked up about this, but...

... may I just say, the Padres completely lived up to my expectations last night. I am a bitter, jaded, cynical fan, and they did exactly what I would expect a San Diego sports team to do in a pivotal situation. The Rockies deserve to be in the playoffs. The Padres do not. Go Rockies.

Don't even get me started on the Chargers...

Wouldn't that be today?

I recorded this gem in July, after a conversation with my then-6-year-old nephew:

I almost always love children. I especially love the things they say, because when they're young, their speech is an unfiltered glimpse into the way they think. Jonny, my oldest nephew at 6 years old, came into our yard just now sporting a fresh buzz-cut.

"When did you get your hair cut?" I asked.

"The day after yesterday," he replied.

Long weekend

I spent Friday night and Saturday morning at a writer's conference in Rancho Bernardo, where I met two literary agents and an acquisitions editor for a publisher in Ventura. I also met Lynn Vincent, features editor for WORLD Magazine, who gave me some good tips on reporting and writing. I had never been to a writer's conference before, and I honestly wasn't expecting much. But the experience turned out to be great, both for learning how agents and publishers think, and for picking up some tips and inspiration. I will post updates on what happens with the three book proposals that I will be sending out to follow up on the conference.

Then, Saturday night, I had the privilege of shooting a 60th anniversary party in Vista. I will try to post some pictures from this weekend in the next few days.