La Quinta, California: I am happy to report we have an empty house again. Happy, only because it was safe for our family to return to their home. Sad because it was a fun/sad chaos here last week. Dave washed every towel and sheet in the house (and our housekeeper made all the beds!). Angela realized after arriving here she had left jumbo shrimp in a colander - thawing - in her kitchen sink! We teased her about it all week while she was here, but was surprised to find them looking quite the same as when she fled her house under an evacuation order. Angela also forgot to bring home lemons from our trees... which I teased her would have been great with her shrimp! (Gag!) Angela and Bryan - and, okay, mostly Sebastian - were great guests and we had as much fun as one can while being refugees. They sent us gorgeous flowers yesterday:
I only prepared dinners while our house was full. We went every single day to the clubhouse for lunch. We piled into the golf cart and anyone who did not fit rode bicycles to the restaurant. Sadly, our kids were not the only ones escaping Los Angeles. We noticed many families with young kids (who would have normally been in school) around our country club. The club staff said there were so many members hosting evacuees and the restaurant was extra busy during a usually-quiet early January.
We didn't see much of Leo until meal times. He was golfing, cycling, and fishing. He really couldn't fish during the day because apparently golfers don't appreciate a kid standing on the green flinging fishing line into the lake, so he had to wait until near dusk to drop his line... until he realized he could fish during the day from a small bridge over the lake on the cart path. Leo reported all the golfers were friendly to him, asked what he was catching, etc. Leo has also mastered my electric bicycle and I fear he may fly faster than I dare on the dang machine. We watched movies together every night. We were so blessed to have a refuge for our family during this time, and double blessed that there is plenty to do around around here (with clear air) so the kids were busy and not glued to TV or their iPads (though there was still plenty of that... Modern Family reruns). The kids did not have homework from school, but still read daily, and Leo is prepping for his Bar Mitzvah in September.
Angela and Bryan's evacuation order was lifted and they went home Friday afternoon. The kids school re-started Monday (13th), so Lisa and Lenny went home Sunday (12th). Several families/teachers from the kid's school have lost their homes, so that community is working to get these people back on their feet. The school held a food/necessities drive Monday morning and received enough items to fill several classrooms!
Our friend who had heard his house in Pacific Palisades was burned to the ground, arrived with to find it still standing! There is no water or power in the neighborhood, so they are still evacuated, but it was so wonderful to hear some good news in this tragic time. The local news reporters are showing stories of many people finding their homes standing or reuniting with pets they had assumed gone.
Marcia and Red have arrived from Chicago for a three-month stay in a nearby rental. They went to lunch with us all on Saturday and there were football playoff games that needed attention. Oregon has two alum quarterbacks - playing for the LA Chargers (Justin Herbert) and the Denver Broncos (Bo Nix). Both lost Saturday. Bad time for the Ducks, though backup Commander QB Marcus Mariota (also a Duck/Heisman Award recipient) was in for a few plays to help the DC team (Lenny's team) remain in the hunt.
Hang in there, Terry, football season is almost over and track & field begins!
So, though tragedy continues 100 miles west of us - it ain't over and the Santa Ana winds are back again tonight - our life is beginning to return to near-normal. We keep our ear to the LA news, have learned how to use GO FUND ME, and keep Angelinos in our prayers.
Until my next update, I remain, your Coachella Valley correspondent.