FALLEN HEROES - REDUX

By Debbie Bulloch



After what was a fairly cool summer, L.A. is now baking under a scorching sun that has kept temperatures into the triple digits for more than a week. Unfortunately, as it is usually the case, the danger of brush fires increases as temperatures climb.

This last heat wave has been no different. For nearly ten days, fires have been raging just north of Los Angeles, in the Angeles National Forest. As of this writing, the fired has burned over 154,655 acres, or 242 square miles. To put these numbers into perspective, the fire has burned an area roughly equivalent, in size, to the entire city of Chicago. Containment is not expected until September 15, 2009.



In addition to the properties destroyed, the vegetation burned and the wildlife forever lost, the fire claimed the lives of two brave firefighters.

Los Angeles County fire Capt. Tedmund "Ted" Hall, 47, of San Bernardino County, and firefighter Specialist Arnaldo "Arnie" Quinones, 35, of Palmdale, died about 2:30 p.m. Sunday when the vehicle they were in went off a road south of Acton, near Mount Gleason, and overturned, plunging more than 800 feet.



Firefighters who have been battling the fire paused and saluted Friday as the body of Hall was driven in a white hearse from North Hollywood to Victorville.

Thursday's funeral procession began at a North Hollywood fire station and went north on the Hollywood (170) Freeway then moved slowly past Hansen Dam Park, which has served as the command post for crews battling the Station Fire, which has scorched 148,258 acres since it broke out Aug. 26.

In a scene reminiscent of the moving tribute to fallen comrades along Canada’s Highway of Heroes, fire crews and common citizens lined the streets and bridges and saluted their fallen comrade. The 123-mile procession stretched from the North Hollywood fire station to a funeral home in Victorville.

Hall had been with the L.A. County Fire Department for 26 years, while Quinones had been with the department for eight years. Hall began his firefighting career as a student in 1981. He worked out of stations in Lakewood, Whittier, La Puente, La Canada Flintridge, Acton and Palmdale. Hall is survived by his wife, Katherine, and two sons, Randall, 21, and Steven, 20.



Quinones was expecting his first child with his wife Loressa, who is due to deliver in upcoming weeks. Quinones began working with the Department in August 1998; he had worked in Palmdale, Covina and La Canada Flintridge. Quinones had a tattoo with the words: FIRST IN - LAST OUT emblazoned on it.



A public memorial service for both men will be held Sept. 12 at Dodger Stadium.

In a recent development, it has been reported that the fire was deliberately set. With Thursday's announcement that the Station Fire was considered an act of arson, the firefighters' deaths are being investigated as homicides.

California’s Governor has offered a reward of $100,000.00 for any information regarding the suspected arson.

I am deeply thankful for the sacrifices made by the courageous men and women of fire departments from all over the world, who willingly put their lives at risk to protect our lives, property, animals.

Every one of you is a modern-day hero. God bless you all.

THE MAPLE LEAF AND THE CANADIAN FLAG

By Debbie Bulloch



(NOTE: I have just noticed that my writing “production” has severely declined from previous months. August was a difficult month, in more than one way. I have t\used the time off, however, to think about new, fresh ideas for the BH blog. I also plan to bring back old features, like the Poetry Corner, the Music Corner, the Photographer’s Corner, etc. I also plan to bring back the Featured BH Resident of the Week – so be on the lookout, when you least expect it I will be taking your pictures and will whip out my mike to interview you! I could also REALLY, use your suggestions and help. This blog belongs to the residents of BH as much as it “belongs” to me. I would love to hear from you with story ideas, photographs and even articles. So please stay tuned. Thanks.)

Just the other day I was walking around BH when I ran into Leo Eppenberger. Leo has been with us at BH since January of this year. Leo is a budding builder (look at the DOGS MANOR that he installed for BH’s growing canine corps) and a darned good photographer with his own photo studio.

While walking around BH we came upon the Canadian flag that proudly flies over BH’s main area. It was then that Leo asked me why there was a maple leaf on the Canadian flag. I really did not know the answer and was tempted to make some sort of off-the-cuff remark like, “Canadians use a lot of maple syrup.” (When President Obama visited Canada earlier this year, he was treated to authentic maple syrup…yummy!).
I did not want to sound silly, so I decided to research the story of how the maple leaf came to be part of the Canadian flag. This is what I learned:

The Canadian National Flag, also known as the Maple Leaf, and l'Unifolié (French for "the one-leafed"), was adopted by the Canadian Parliament on October 22, 1964, and was proclaimed into law by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on February 15, 1965. The Canadian Flag is a red flag, twice as long as it is wide. In the center of the flag, there is a white square, with a single red stylized eleven-point maple leaf centered in the white square.



The colors red and white used in the Canadian flag are the same as those colors used in the Union Jack (UK). Red and white have been the national colors of Canada since 1921 (when King George V proclaimed them on the recommendation of the Canadian Government).

As for the use of the maple leaf, the story is told that on August 21, 1860, the Prince of Wales was visiting Canada (i.e. Ontario and Quebec at that time). People lined the streets of Toronto to see him - those of English origin wore a rose, the Scots wore a thistle, but what did the Canadian-born wear? Canada's emblem had long been the beaver. Some 26 years earlier the Saint Jean Baptiste Society in Quebec had adopted the maple leaf as its symbol (apparently the first time the maple leaf was used as a symbol), and it was decreed that for the prince's visit the Canadians should wear a maple leaf. (It is far easier to wear a maple leaf on one’s clothing, than to wear a beaver, dead or alive). From then on, the idea took root and the maple leaf became a symbol for Canada and Canadians.

In 1867 as Canada was becoming a country, a call was put out to write a patriotic song. Whatever song was originally chosen has since been lost to history. The second place winner, Alexander Muir, penned a song called "The Maple Leaf Forever." That song became very popular and it continued the tradition of the maple leaf as Canada’s symbol. Today, however, the song is downplayed because it is not inclusive of the French Canadians.

In World War I, Lester Pearson noted that almost every battalion from Canada included the maple leaf in its insignia, and vowed he would campaign to put it on the Canadian flag. Some 50 years later, as Prime Minister of Canada, Pearson was part of the 33-day debate that resulted in the maple leaf as the Canadian flag.
Since its incorporation into the national flag, the maple leaf has served as a symbol celebrating the nature and environment of what is now Canada. Canadians everywhere proudly wear the iconic symbol of their country.

At BH, we are fortunate to have many Canadians that are close and dear supporters of the project: Gloeing Ember, Deneby Strauss and Elron Priestman. I am honored and proud to fly their country’s flag over BH.

There is one final interesting note regarding the design of the maple leaf used for the Canadian flag. The number of points on the leaf has no significance on the flag; they do not, for instance, represent the ten provinces and one point for the territories, such as the Australian Commonwealth Star denotes. The number and arrangement of the points of the maple leaf, however, was chosen after wind tunnel tests showed the current design to be the least blurry of the various designs when tested under high wind conditions. Those ingenuous and polite Canadian, even in the design of their flag they wanted to make it easy on the eyes of the viewers!

So there you go Leo, now you know as much as I do about the origin of the Canadian flag and the use of the maple leaf.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FIRES AND SUNDAY MORNING COMICS - AUGUST 30, 2009

By Debbie Bulloch



Well once again, it is fire season in Southern California. Once upon a time fire season lasted just a few months - from Summer through Fall. Due to the ongoing drought, however, fire season seems to last rear-round. Historically, brush fires were Mother Nature’s way of clearing old vegetation to make room for new growth.

With land development, especially on the hillsides surrounding Southern California, brush fires now carry the potential for immense property damage and the risk for loss of life. Over the past few days, several fires have been scorching the hillsides surrounding the Los Angeles Basin. These fires have already burned over 30,000 acres of land, destroyed homes and other structures and forced thousands of residents into mandatory evacuation.

Now the “Station Fire” fire is burning within two miles of Mount Wilson and threatening the Mount Wilson Observatory. The fire is already sending smoke toward the century-old observatory as well as communications towers that house transmitters for every major television station in Los Angeles.

The top of the 5,712-foot Mount Wilson, which sits above Altadena, is home to multimillion-dollar astronomy projects for UCLA, USC and UC Berkeley. Georgia State University also operates a $20-million facility and a powerful telescope array at the Mt. Wilson Solar Observatory.

“A lot of people think of an observatory as one dome, but Mt. Wilson Observatory is actually a 40-acre tract of land with 50 to 60 buildings on it,” said Dr. Harold McAlister, director of the nonprofit Mt. Wilson Institute, which runs the observatory. “None of that stuff is portable, and to move telescopes out of there takes many weeks. We’re strictly at the mercy of nature and the great competence of the firefighters.”

Observatory staff members were evacuated Saturday. The view from an on-site Web camera today showed a smoky outline of communications equipment.
"There’s a lot of dollar value in those towers and of course what they mean to broadcasters in Southern California,” McAlister said. “It’s one of the major communication centers for this part of the country.”

The observatory offers visitors the chance to view space through its 60-inch telescope, which has been in place since 1908. In recent years, the road itself has become a popular destination for hikers and bikers looking for a rigorous climb, although it has been officially closed to the public since 2005 after rain-triggered landslides buried portions of it.

(Quotes from L.A. Times)

Fire update - two firemen die

Officials say two firefighters have been killed when their vehicle rolled off a mountainside as they battled a massive wildfire in northern Los Angeles County.

County Deputy Fire Chief Mike Bryant said at a news conference that the two men were amid intense fire near Mt. Gleason in the Angeles National Forest on Sunday afternoon when the vehicle crashed.

A tearful Bryant said the men's families have been notified. He did not release their identities or give a cause for the crash.

The fire has consumed 66 square miles, destroyed at least 18 structures and was threatening some 12,000 homes.


















Photos copyrighted by AP and L.A. Times. All rights fully reserved by teh copyright owners. Editorial use only, no other use is permitted.

Let us hope that the brave and hardworking firefighters already at hand, will be able to contain the fires without any further damage to life and property.

Now, the Sunday Comics for August 30, 2009. Enjoy!

(Click on image for larger view.)

YOU AND ME AGAINST THE WORLD

By Debbie Bulloch




The day I knew full well was coming has finally arrived. Tonight I came home from work and our house felt so big and empty without my daughter here. Of course, this is not the first time that she has been away from home. There have been school trips to Europe, school tours to visit colleges in the East Coast, trips up to Washington state and Oregon and this summer a brief surfing vacation to Costa Rica.

But every time that she was away in one of these trips I always knew that in a week or so she would be coming back home. This time, however, the feeling is different – my little girl is off to college; she is now on the road to becoming a woman. She will be returning home for Thanksgiving, for Christmas and for summer vacation but it will never be quite the same again. With each trip back to school, my little girl will be drifting further and further away from our little world.

This is the way of the world: my sweet child become a woman and leaves home, one day she will have a family of her own and then the day will come when her children, my grandchildren, will too leave home. It is an endless and unbroken chain that stretches all the way back to the day the first man and woman walked this Earth – and the chain will stretch into the future until the end of time.

Yesterday I went to visit her at school, on the pretext that I had forgotten to give her “something.” It was a poorly hidden pretext and she must have seen right through me. But like the good child that she is, she never let on that she knew that her poor mom was just looking for an excuse to see her one more time. She was gracious, we had lunch and then went shopping – just like when she was a little girl.

Today, after work I once again felt the temptation to call her and maybe even dropping by to see how things were going on her first day of classes. I, however, fought the “call of the mommy” and instead sent her a long e-mail telling her how proud I am of her. I think that my daughter needs me to be strong and supportive, not weak and weepy. She is already under a great deal of stress without my adding to it. Still…it is not easy to let go.

I have talked to other moms (and quite a few dads as well) and they all have reassured me that the first few weeks are the roughest. They are probably right, but in the meantime, the heart cannot help itself and so the tears flow – sometimes like a river.

If you see a little bit less of me in-world, I am OK. I am just trying to keep busy to help me get over the initial hump.

I want to thank all of you who have been so supportive following the death of SP’s mom and my daughter’s college entrance. Big hugs go out to all of you.

Helen Reddy - YOU AND ME AGAINST THE WORLD

SUNDAY MORNING COMICS - AUGUST 23, 2009

By Debbie Bulloch



Here are the Sunday Comics for August 23, 2009 (I know, it is still Sunday morning for me, but it is a lot later for many of you…so come on down and move to California then!)

Before we get to the comics, however, I want to report about the terrible tornadoes that hit the province of Ontario, Canada. A series of devastating tornadoes hit the area of Durham, in the province of Ontario. As you all know, our own Gloeing Ember is Canadian. I chatted with him this earlier this morning. He told me that the tornadoes were unusual for two reasons: (1) tornadoes are not common in that part of Canada; and (2) the tornadoes were moving with incredible velocity as they raced across towns, wreaking havoc in the areas where they touched down.

Wherever we live on this Earth, we are, of course, subject to natural disasters. For example, in California we have earthquakes to deal with. But tornadoes have their very own brand of “meanness.” They hit suddenly, without much warning and when they hit, they hit hard destroying anything that gets on their way. Every year tornadoes in North America kill and injure more people than earthquakes do.

When we chatted this morning, Gloeing told me that he will be spending most of the day today (Sunday) doing recovery and clean-up work in the areas hardest hit by the tornadoes. Gloeing (or more affectionately, Glo) is the kind of man who does not hesitate to step up to the plate and do whatever is necessary to help those in need. He is the kind of man who will, quite literally, rush into a burning building to save others. For over a year now Glo has been BH’s main benefactor (he gets upset when I remind others of all that he has contributed to BH). In addition, for over a year now Glo has been my very own sweetie pie. I am extremely proud of him and of all the things that he does.

If you have the time, please send him a note telling him how much you appreciate all he does.

For more information on the tornadoes, please click here: Deadly Tornadoes Hit Canada

My thoughts and prayers are with the Canadian people during this tragedy.

I have been out for a few days on a short family holiday. Normally (as you all probably know by now) I take lots of pictures of the places that I visit.

For some odd reason, however, my camera stayed on top of my desk at home. So I was not able to take any pictures at all. But fear not.

I recently installed a new version of my old photo-editing program. In the process, I “discovered” photographs from a trip that I took a couple of summers ago. My daughter and I traveled by train from Los Angeles to Chicago by way of the Southwest Chief. It was quite an interesting trip; the train took us across some of the most beautiful and rugged portions of the American West. Along the way, we met many interesting people.

From the window of our sleeping car, I was able to snap a few pictures of some very interesting cloud formations (we do not get many clouds in Southern California). I thought I would share some of those pictures with you today.





Note: The photo above, is an example of "mammatus" clouds. Mammatus, also known as mammatocumulus, meaning "Mammary cloud" or "Breast cloud" is a meteorological term applied to a cellular pattern of pouches hanging underneath the base of a cloud. The name "mammatus" is derived from the Latin mamma (udder or breast), due to the clouds' characteristic shape. (Must have been a horny metereologist who named this cloud formation.) Mammatus are most often associated with the anvil cloud that extends from a cumulonimbus, but may also be found under altocumulus, altostratus, stratocumulus, and cirrus clouds, as well as volcanic ash clouds.[citation needed] In the United States, sky gazers may be most familiar with the very distinct and more common cumulonimbus mammatus.

When occurring in cumulonimbus, mammatus are often indicative of a particularly strong storm or maybe even a tornadic storm. These tend to form more often during warm months and over the midwest and eastern portions of the United States, and more infrequently over the west and southwest (that is why it was so rare to find these clouds over the New Mexico sky on my way to Chicago). Due to the intensely sheared environment in which mammatus form, aviators are strongly cautioned to avoid cumulonimbus with mammatus.



From the same trip, a cow pasture at an altitude of nearly a mile up.



And here is a gaggle of Canadian geese (for Glo).



Finally, this morning I woke up with this song playing in my head. I hope you enjoy it:

John Lennon – INSTANT KARMA IS GONNA GET YOU



And now, without further delay are this morning’s Sunday Comics.

IF TODAY WAS YOUR LAST DAY

By Debbie Bulloch



The last few weeks have seen major changes in my life and in the lives of people whom I love very dearly.

Nearly three weeks ago, the mother of my close RL friend and SL supporter SanPaul Held passed away after a long illness. The shock of her death (we knew that the end was near, but when it finally came, it was still shocking) was followed by her funeral and burial. It was so hard to witness her coffin being lowered into the cold, dark ground. The woman that was now being buried had once upon a time been so alive, so vibrant, so full of love and life. As the casket was being lowered and dirty piled on top of it I realized how big my friend’s loss was going to be – I was not her daughter and I felt a huge hole in my heart.

This week, after a short family vacation, my daughter finally matriculated in college. I was the good mommy, I attended the meeting for parents, I helped her move her stuff to school, we went shopping for supplies for her dormitory room and all the while I kept up a brave front and a cheerful smile – though inside my heart was breaking a little piece at a time.

For those of you who have not gone through the college-bound-child ritual, my feelings may seem a tad melodramatic. Maybe they are - but like the lion in the Wizard of Oz, I now know that I have a heart; over the past few days I have felt it break, piece by piece.

I am very happy to see her go off to college. I am extremely proud of her achievements; I never cease to be amazed at her composure and maturity. (If ONLY I had been as smart and wise and composed as she is when I was her age!) Still, it is hard for a parent to see the child that she once held in her hands all of the sudden grow up and take flight on her own two, beautiful wings.

These days have been bittersweet. My child is doing what I wish I had myself done. She is about to enter a brave new world full of new experiences, new friends; new doors will open and her world will grow exponentially - by leaps and bounds - as her mind is filled with new ideas and concepts. This is the sweet part.

The bitter part is that my child is no longer a baby. I cannot put my arms around her, and hold her tight, protecting her from the meanness and ugliness that are part of the world (surely, as beauty and love are also part of the world). The child that I lovingly held in my arms, shielding her from harm is now entering the real world – I will not always be able to be there to protect her from danger. That is a good thing, she will need to fight her own battles because I will not always be there to fight them for her.

For me, part of the sadness will hit, like a hammer, when I walk around our house late at night and she will not be there in her room, sleeping soundly and safe within the four walls of our home. Tonight, the house already feels big and oh so very empty.

I have been told that I am a good mom and parent. I have raised her to the very best of my abilities; I have been her mom and I have been her dad. I am confident that the lessons that I have taught her over the past 17 years of her young life will stand her in good stead.

I am also a tough mom; in the past few days although my heart has been breaking I have not cried a single tear. There will be enough time for that. For the time being, all my daughter has seen are smiles, all she has felt are hugs and kisses and all she knows is that her mom loves her very much and will always be there to support her as she makes her way through this new and wonderful journey.

I think that is what she wants and deserves from her mom.

This song, by the group Nickelback came on the radio as we were driving back from our family holiday. I think that SanPaul’s mom was trying to send all of us a message.


Nickelback – IF TODAY WAS YOUR LAST DAY



I plan to return, “full-time,” in a few days. In the meantime thank you all very much who have helped to hold the fort while I was gone.

Thank you!

Quelques mots de prose !

Bonjour ,

Aujourd'hui, je vais tenter d'écrire quelques sentences ou quelques phrases en français s'il vous plaît en espérant que l'inspiration me vienne. Ce n'est pas facile comme cela de faire de la prose même si l'envie vient en écrivant. Allez, je me lance.

Un jour, un matin,

Alors que j'étais sur la dune au plus profond de l'écume,

que vis-je là tout près de moi le temps d'un embrun,

eh bien je vous le donne en mille.

le temps d'un regard, le temps d'un souffle,

je la vis, je la sentis,

elle était là devant moi, immobile

elle se tenait figée tout ébahie surprise

guettant sur ses moindres positions

guettant le moindre ennemi pouvant surgir du reste de la nuit

elle était là, devant moi,

les embruns flirtaient avec sa peau si frêle,

telle une orange que l'on voudrait dévorer

le vent caressait sa peau si fébrile et si coquine

et faisait danser ses cheveux de feu au milieu de nulle part.

les vagues aimaient jouer avec elle,

elle semblait flotter dans l'eau, dans l'air,

c'était une illusion venue d'ailleurs,

peut-être une vision ou un mirage,

venu d'un profond fantasme.

Alors, contemplant sa splendeur, sa fureur,

son envie de vivre, j'étais intrigué,

ce qu'elle dégageait était d'une force incroyable,

une telle puissance qui ne pouvait laisser indifférent.

c'est alors que je vis son visage,

qui, caché sous sa crinière de feu,

vint enfin se dévoiler à mes yeux.

quel miracle de la vie apparut à mes yeux,

ce que je croyais voir en cet instant me rendit fou,

elle avait un regard angélique digne d'un enfant,

qui rêve de tous ces instants de bonheur intense

de ces merveilles simples de la vie ,

qui a la magie dans le regard ,

le regard d'un enfant qui apprécie la vie

et s'émerveille d'un petit rien.

En même temps, en croisant son regard,

je vis dans ses yeux toute la profondeur de son âme,

ses yeux d'un vert intense qui rappelait la couleur de l'émeraude.

Je vis la transparence de ces yeux,

n'étant en réalité qu'une apparence,

car elle portait en elle le mystère,

elle en était mystique

je vis l'extrême intelligence dont elle jouissait

une intelligence qu'elle avait su bâtir tout au long de son existence

signe d'un combat sans faille de chaque instant

et malgré les luttes et les oppressions

elle avait su lutter et s'en sortir

elle était là postée devant moi

c'était bien elle, celle que j'avais vu

celle que j'avais approchée dans mes rêves

elle était là, elle me regardait,

telle une féline, telle une orpheline,

et ce moment dura une éternité

elle était là devant moi,

et je sus à cet instant précis

que nous étions l'un pour l'autre

dans la profondeur de nos regards

complices pour l'éternité.

Have a nice day and see you soon

Arcabulle Odriscoll