My family has been with me in recent last days of summer. Here, my expert noodle-making nieces are preparing with me,  a dinner of chicken noodle soup. We do love to cook & bake. The days have been filled with trying emotions during the Northern California’s devastating Valley Fire that has ravaged their hometown and is still, eleven days later, only 75% contained after devouring much of the county. I will not list the dreary statistics of the wildfire,  but instead report happily that their house withstood no damage at all ~~ nothing short of a miracle~~ only a couple of sheds, wood fence, some of their garden & landscaping in front of their house burned.  Even their chicken coop remained in perfect condition with all the hens surviving and left 11 eggs until my brother was allowed back to see his house a week later…we suspect the firemen patrolling for days dowsing smoldering areas, who may have given them more water and food.

However, not so fortunate were so many next-door-neighbors’ cabins burned to the ground.  I had just posted this post  only about two hours after the fire had broken out (unknowingly) and it was that night and into the the next day that their little mountain town was nearly destroyed, and even then the fire had only begun brewing in the eerie high winds after a week of 100F temps, to become a national disaster area and record Northern California wildfire.

Its been very preoccupying time, but today I am ready to get back into the routine again, focusing on knitterly things.  My nieces, their mom and my brother are all fine, though anxiously awaiting to return to their house whenever the water & power are turned back on.  They will even be starting school again next week, as it was saved, as was the ‘business district’ of their tiny town. Life will be busy cleaning up all of the debris & ash in the community, and slowly finding a sense of normality once again, although not without a smear of soot everywhere, and strong odor of smoke permeated absolutely everything (even in their home), and which will linger for many months. I am hopeful next spring will bring a burst of growth after the rubble is removed and winter clears the slate.

And speaking of spring, it’s on to new designs, about spring-things and emergence of new growth.  I’ve been making a pair of half-mitts to go with Snowmelt Tam , and I’m very pleased. Here is mitt number two, and I am hoping to get the pattern for these going first week in Autumn.

Today is the last day of summer, and I will greet tomorrow, the Autumnal Equinox with great appreciation and fervor, and begin again in earnest my ritual of knit-walking as I have let summer nearly break me of the habit.

Forthcoming are more pink flowers in a snowy yarn-scape!