First off I want to thank all of my pond Boss family for their positive thoughts and prayers and to let you know that they worked!
My family's homes were all spared this devastation. My mom and dad, sister and her spouse were able to return home yesterday. It is an earie sight around San Diego, the devastation is of a scale that is almost unimmaginable. Fire consumed a tremendous number of homes. The fire raged (and burned homes quite literally to the gound) to within a matter of a few hundred feet of mom & dad's home yet spared theirs. Who knows why one family is spared and another suffers tragic loss. Is it the power of prayer and positive thought, divine intervention,karmic forces, or just sheer dumb luck. As I sit here in posting this update I can tell that I don't have any answers. But I can also tell you that I felt great comfort knowing that my extended Pond Boss family was "out there" (some of you more out there than others) sending us all of your positive energy and prayers. I know that had the need arose that I could count on you to help my family "rise from the ashes" if it had come to that - that is of great comfort at such trying times.
A special note to Mr. Lusk: I now have had a very small glimpse of what you must have felt with the loss of your home. It gives me a much better appreciation your post fire circumstances. You are inspirational proof that a family can overcome such a tragedy, rebuild both their home and their lives and thrive.
As the fires raged my family evacuated to my home. Since Ricki (my wife) and I normally live alone it was interesting to have a home full of six people and two dogs. We did what all family does pulled together in mutual support.
Once Ricki and I knew that everyone's homes were safe and that fire no longer was a threat, we did what any able bodied red blooded American would do - LAS VEGAS BAYBEEEEE! We told our family to lock the door when they left that we were going to escape to L.V. to celebrate our anniversary. Ricki and I had made hotel reservations months ago and bought very good show tickets all of which would have gone to waste if we didn't use them. So here I sit updating you from Vegas (betcha don't feel so bad for me now, dang I should have played the sympathy card longer).
I have decided that since October was such a lousy month for us I am going to eliminate it from our calendars. We will combine September and the nasty "O" month to form the new month of Septober. Septober will have 61 days. Halloween will be celebrated on Septober 61st, our anniversary on Septober 50th. All people of German decent (my family included) will now be able to have a 61 day beer drinking festival herein after known as Septoberfest.
To DIED, thank you my friend for just being there to talk to me and offer your support. I am greatful that I met you through this great site. I truely appreciate the friendship that you and Jean and given Ricki and I. I am going to take you up on your unconditional offer of support - I bought a starter fly fishing combo and some flies at the Vegas Bass Pro Sho and I believe that to truly emotionally heal from this near tragic experience you need to provide me with some additional fly fishing lessons.
Thank you all once again for you thoughts and prayers! I hope one day to meet all of you at a Pond Boss convention to properly thank you in person.
I will return home from Vegas on Septober 60th and will catch up with the rest of the pond boss threads then.
A greatfull....
