That's pretty much what today has been like. We got up at 4am, startled by the orange glow out our bedroom window. We hustled to the rooftop and watched the fires creep down the mountains toward us. The flames died fairly quickly as all there is to burn is brush - no trees, no structures - but all the mountainside north and east of us went up.

Hubby got some awesome pictures. The flames at some points looked to be 75, 100 feet high. Heat poured off the mountainside. All I could think of was breakfast, and how I had no bacon. Hubby looked at me as though I were either insane or a genius, but he couldn't tell which.

We were up there for three and a half hours. Hubby made tea, which was my only comfort. By sunrise, the drama was over but the flames were still there. I went inside, needing food, and made breakfast. (We did have some sausage. Regrettably still bacon-free.) On and off the roof all morning, and then the wind shifted. Toward us. The black cloud hovering southwest of us blanketed our area very fast, bringing spiraling bits of ash, and feathery pieces that masqueraded as butterflies as they darted here and there on a whimsical Santa Ana wind.

Calls from friends, offering refuge. No, we're okay, we assured them. Called my parents, who are dealing with the fires in San Diego that seem to be circling, but not threatening, their neighborhood. Ash is falling there, too. My nephew and his family is also in a threatened area. I got no answer when I called my brother's house.

Rumor. The freeway is closed. The freeway is opened. The college is gone. The college is fine. The hospital was evacuated. Only one wing of the hospital was evacuated. And on and on, neighbors anxious to pass out their opinions as facts.

Now, we have only the internet, phone connection still, and one channel on the TV - I think it's channel 11 (Fox up here). And all it's showing is the fire updates all over southern California.

I did get out today, went shopping at Trader Joe's. Bought wine, champagne, beer, and brie cheese. If the world is going to end, I'd rather be drunk and well fed, thank you very much.

But the world isn't going to end, so the beer and the wine should last a bit. I make no promises about the champagne or the brie, however.