Manzanita

Smaller cousin to arbutus with the same beautiful bark and bell shaped flowers.
This one is in our fire garden and dedicated to all the people who are still evacuated due to the fires in LA. They aren’t allowed to go back until FEMA clears the sites of toxic waste and finishes the search for the deceased. I remember this as the most frustrating part of the fire that destroyed our garden. They won’t be able to begin rebuilding until the sites are cleared of rubble and that can take months.

My brother sent me a fire map that shows which houses have burned. The house I grew up in is gone but it looks like the house where our wedding reception was held may have survived. Looking at these maps with long forgotten street names has brought back a lot of memories.

It was very overcast and freezing this morning and while we were having coffee at Trail House the woman named Emilie who managed the shop where Dana and I both bought the same purse came over to our table and said that the shop was closing. She had tears in her eyes and I felt so bad for her. It was a nice shop…probably too nice for this town, but it gave me hope that maybe it meant that better things were coming to this shopping center which is being refurbished and brought up to date. Unfortunately it seems to be getting more restaurants and upscale cosmetic shops than good apparel ones.

Too much more time spent again on the star coat but it’s getting there. I don’t think I’ll be making any more stars.