All,
I’ve returned from my mysterious vacationary errands, and not a whit too soon: They took me out to Southern California, a delight for much of my trip, until the rapacity of the Santa Ana winds and a historic two-year drought turned San Diego County into the tinderbox it is now. While I was thankfully nowhere near the fire, driving back from L.A. Monday, Oct. 22, took us past fires north of the city; despite being day, the massive clouds of smoke obscured the sky, turning it gray and sepia, and making the sun a ghastly red. Plus, while Interstate 5 was bumper-to-bumper going out of San Diego, it was eerily calm going south. A truly strange and frightening experience.
More picture from yours truly here.
This article appears in October 19 • 2007.