I don’t know how closely you follow the news, but earlier this week the USGS released their assessment of the debris flow dangers created by the Station Fire. The unfortunate reality is that my house, Nana’s cabin, is right, smack in the middle of one of the most dangerous parts of the burned areas. The problem with staying in the canyon isn’t the rain, per se. It’s the fact that ALL of the vegetation on the hills was VAPORIZED by the fire. Because there are no plants left – trees, chaparral, grasses - there is nothing to hold the soil in place when the rains come. Even if we have light rains this winter, as little a 1/4″ of rain can trigger debris flows large enough to bury my home.
Since I don’t have a death wish, I’m leaving the Canyon for the Winter, and possibly forever. If the house survives, I’ll gladly return to it next year, but based on the USGS reports and my own observations of the terrain around the cabin I don’t hold out much hope. Too much vegetation is just gone. And even without the rains we are constantly having “dry slides”, or spontaneous rock slides, all over the place.
So, I’m looking for a new place to live. Since I now work in Calabasas (yippee!) I’m hoping to find something not too far from the office. I’m also going to try organizing a sorting/packing party later this month. Unfortunately, I’m working 6 days a week through the end of the month so it will have to be on Sunday(s). Please let me know your availability for October 18 and/or 25. I do have Halloween weekend off, so October 31 and November 1 are open, too.
I’m also looking to find new homes for most of Nana’s basket collection. I want to keep several examples of her work, but the majority of baskets she made and collected are available for adoption.
It’s time to move on. I’ve been here 11 years, I kept my promises to Nana, and I have a new life ahead of me, waiting for me to claim it. Besides, we never really own anything. We just get to be custodians for a time.
For other details about my quest for a new home, see the ad I’ve posted on Craigslist.
Bronwen
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/sbw/1416109047.html
