So...FIRE Happens on Friday, After All.

You all know of my heroic deeds Friday in saving the school and at least two lives from fire...however, I am not all seeing and all knowing, so I was unable to save other places from fire.

The place we lived for two years went up in flames.  Well, that's not entirely true.  The fruit packing warehouse that was nearby (as in on the same property) apparently went up in flames Friday night.

That is sad.  I wandered through that place off season.  It was a fascinating place, but made from old dry timber with plenty of cardboard and other flammable things, now that I think on it.  Yet, I can't imagine why or how it went up in flames.  That is a sad sad thing.

When I was the weigh master, the fresh side would bring bins of cherries over and weigh them.  These would eventually become maraschino cherries.  I wish I could remember what happened in the process, I know the weight must have changed, but I will be darned if I can remember how Pedro explained it to me.

you can go here and here to see what the news crews saw...probably from our old front door.

Exciting Friday.

I started the day the way I usually do.  With coffee.  Lots and lots of coffee.  Then I trundled off to work.  We started with a break.  (The coffee hadn't kicked in just yet)  Then we started working and going through some of the rooms that we haven't hit yet.  We pulled the appropriate broken furniture (this school has become everyone's catchall for broken furniture) that no one will buy it at auction which we were instructed to junk.  We began filling the dumpster.

Then one of the guys from another school stopped by and we decided to have a break, but instead of going in the main building we staying in the room we'd been working in.  For some reason, we just stayed there.  Call it laziness.

We were talking and all of a sudden a loud noise interrupted us.  It sounded like an air compressor coming on.  I happened to be facing it.  One of the florescent light fixtures began spouting flame and sparks and it crackled and snapped.  Apparently the look on my face alerted my coworkers and they and I jumped up.

I, possessing superior moral fiber and intuitive problem solving, went strait to the light switch and switched it off while my coworkers mumbled confused.  One of them suggested using the fire extinguisher, but made no move toward it.  I located it and grabbed it and then used it on the still flaming fixture.  So, single-handedly, I saved the school.  I think I deserve a medal or something.

After all, I am Awesome!

We each began making sure our hearts had slowed down to an acceptable rate.  We now no longer needed coffee for speeding our heart rates.  We began searching for the breaker.  I stayed and watched the light, with the extinguisher ready.  Each time they flipped a breaker, I tried the light...it would instantly flare up.  I would quickly switch it off again.

After our exciting morning, we slowed for a bit to take in our surroundings.  Then I began working again.  Twinky, seeing this, asked if this was what I would be doing for the rest of the day.  He decided he needed to do the mowing I had asked him about right after we got there this morning.  He quickly disappeared.  I worked alone.

My parents happened to be in the area and called to ask what kind of coffee product I would like.  They dropped by and we had a nice visit.  By this time I was warmed up and sweaty...a cold coffee drink was welcome!  Thanks Mom and Dad!!

So, we got a hold of the electrician and he told us what to do to make sure some idiot with "just enough knowledge to burn down the school," doesn't do that by turning on the breakers and lights.  We have a few people who might do that and also fall into the idiot category.

So, we finished the day working at filling the dumpster.  Finally, at quitting time, I made sure everything was locked up and left.  I went to town and bought the paint for the sign.  When I got back, I pulled into my usual spot.  But something was wrong.  There was something.  Just.  Wrong.

I looked out the window and noted that there were some mayflies or something in the yard.  Flying around crazily.  In circles.  I looked a little closer and noted they looked like flies, really, they were bigger than mayflies...yet, now that I looked again, they were orange-ish...a voice in my head said, "Hey...those are BEES!!!!"  that's a swarm of bees.  Huh.  THAT'S A SWARM OF BEES!?

I thought about getting out.  I thought better of that.  I looked to see their flight paths orbited a particular place...the next door neighbor's dogwood tree.  There was a SWARM of BEES in my front yard and the majority of them were settling in the neighbor's tree in a clump of bees.  

I backed up my truck about thirty feet and edged around the swarm and into the house, where I grabbed the cameras and stepped out to take pictures.  Then the neighbors came out.  I showed them.  Then I went to our next door neighbor and told her not to go out there because of the swarm.  We eventually called the city who called a local bee keeper.  I messaged Cora and told her about it and to get home.

She came just in time.  He had shown up minutes before and agreed to wait until she got home before he did anything!  He was a very nice gentleman who brought his eight year old daughter.  She was absolutely fearless.  Which, as we learned, was a good thing, since bees are apparently even more sensitive than dogs when it comes to sensing fear and attacking!!

This guy was exceptional!  He simply knew bees and shared some of his knowledge with us.  We stood in the midst of hundreds of bees as they flew around us!  It was awesome.  He got in the tree and clipped the branches they were on and then shook them off into a box.  He was very nonchalant about the whole thing.

Damn...it was just SO COOL!!!!

Also, I single-handedly saved the school from burning down...pretty cool.

Up Days

So, there was the Winter Program where we all sang a bunch of Christmas tunes. Here is a picture of the kids practicing.

and here is one of them during the program!

It was a great day!

Cora and I went and saw Avatar last night. Great movie! You should definitely see it!

This afternoon we did some shopping. It was so very crowded you would think that this was the last weekend before Christmas.

We came home tired from wading through the crowds and people. As we approached the house we became aware of something else. The sun had set, but there were lights near the house. Around the corner we realized that flashing red lights were near the house...had something caught afire? We were suddenly very tense! As we came around the corner, we were pleased, yet sad, to see that it was a neighbor's house that had received the attention of the fire department. Turns out there was a chimney fire.

We were pleased to discover that the family that lives there was not spending the night there. And, while it was no picnic, at least no one was hurt!

While out buying presents for the nieces and nephews, we decided to buy something for the new comer, should they ever decide to drop in. We decided Legos would be fun. Of course, when we got home, we wanted to make sure we had gotten all the pieces the box said was there...to verify that we needed to build the things on the box! We did, but here is a pirate ship I made that was NOT on the box.

I don't have a job during this break. The last couple years I have. That may be a problem come bill paying time, but we shall deal with that then. Right now we are ok.

We finally got to see the latest Dr. Who episode. The Waters of Mars was not a bad episode, but it is obviously leading up to the loss of David Tenant, whom all Dr. Who fans will mourn. David Tenant has brought a fun and complicated personality to Dr. Who. We saw him as the Young Barty Crouch in the movie Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. We will never forget him as Dr. Who!

Some people just don't get Dr. Who. It is something difficult to explain to those who are uninitiated. Dr. Who is from the Planet Gallifrey. He is a TIME LORD. He is THE doctor. He fixes things...but this time, I am not so sure. You had best Google him if you want to know more. Even better, you should watch the show.

the Ood shall determine that, though.

FIRE!

There were some thunderstorms last night. Apparently a few lightning strikes...according to my mother and the firefighters I spoke to when I took these pictures.

Above is over near Gable Mountain on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation...fun.

Above is one that closed down hiway 241 north of Sunnyside.

here is what it looked like on the road heading East from Moxee, note theone on the right...I thought for sure I'd be crossing the fire.

Here it is from the end of our road. I saw it as I was leaving work. I came home and got the camera and the dog and made a 60 mile road trip for these pictures. I had time and I was curious!

Toby seemed to enjoy the ride, even though he did not get the chance to go for a run.