Ash Everywhere, Pool Ruined!

Check out our apt. complex pool and hot tub. Looks more like a pond, as a result of the winds and nearby fires. Julie is considering taking a swim now, if only for the exfoliating factor on her skin...

Santa Ana Winds & Malibu Fires

You've probably heard the news about the fires today in Malibu, which is about 20-25 min. away from Camarillo. The Santa Ana winds come every year from the desert to the So Cal area, and the fires were most likely started by electrical wires that had been blown down. A friend told us that arsonists or pyromaniacs will sometimes start the fires when the winds come so that they're harder to contain. They say the winds have been between 50-80 mph in some areas. The smoke has drifted our way, darkening the sky and dropping ash like a very light snowfall (see the pic of Julie's thumb). Right now I can smell smoke here in our apartment. We drove around a bit today, trying to see what we could see. Most of these shots are of the northern outskirts of Camarillo, and it was only about 2 in the afternoon and sunny when we took them.