Dreamflower's Mathom-house

First of all, thanks so much to everyone who sent prayers and good wishes our way! The fires closest to us have been contained and are mostly out, though of course until we get some good rain the danger remains. Other communities have been hit much harder, and the whole state is basically still under alert.

Tomorrow the DH and I are going down to Texas for a couple of days to see his uncle. Beside my sister-in-law, this uncle is the only family my husband has left, and he's getting on in years. We've been wanting to go for a while-- and since our son said he'd pet sit, we're going to do it.

I have updated "Eleventy-one Years: Too Short a Time". Hobbiton experiences an unusually early snowfall...

Chapter 9: "There Came an Early Snow" at Many Paths to Tread
Chapter 9: "There Came an Early Snow" at Stories of Arda
Chapter 9: "There Came an Early Snow" at FF.net

I hope to post Tuesday's chapter of "Ancestress" in the morning before I leave. Wednesday's update of "In the Court of the High King" and Thursday's "Ancestress" may be delayed, depending on if I have internet access while gone.

After only 3 hours sleep, the DH has gone back to work. He phoned on the way to say that the roads were open again, and that Walmart appears to be still standing. The news says that there are still a couple of fires in the area around Hwy 33 and Hwy 99, but at the moment they are contained. If the wind picks up again, they may be a problem again, but so far they are doing OK.

Weather-wise we are getting a break: a "cold front" has come through, so our high today is "only" 99F! The northern part of the state even has a 20% chance of a little rain, but none of that looks to come where we are.

My son and his girlfriend are still here, so I may not be able to go to church this AM. (Sophie is being decently behaved with her leash and harness on, but I don't really trust to leaving her alone with them, and she won't stay shut up. She's found out how to get the child gates down. I especially don't really trust her around a 10-year-old and a 1-year-old, which are the ages of the girlfriend's kids.) I'm not sure what their plans are for the day, though. I might still be able to go if they aren't staying.

I'm pretty sure I will still be able to go this evening; I'm scheduled to feed the youth tonight.

After only 3 hours sleep, the DH has gone back to work. He phoned on the way to say that the roads were open again, and that Walmart appears to be still standing. The news says that there are still a couple of fires in the area around Hwy 33 and Hwy 99, but at the moment they are contained. If the wind picks up again, they may be a problem again, but so far they are doing OK.

Weather-wise we are getting a break: a "cold front" has come through, so our high today is "only" 99F! The northern part of the state even has a 20% chance of a little rain, but none of that looks to come where we are.

My son and his girlfriend are still here, so I may not be able to go to church this AM. (Sophie is being decently behaved with her leash and harness on, but I don't really trust to leaving her alone with them, and she won't stay shut up. She's found out how to get the child gates down. I especially don't really trust her around a 10-year-old and a 1-year-old, which are the ages of the girlfriend's kids.) I'm not sure what their plans are for the day, though. I might still be able to go if they aren't staying.

I'm pretty sure I will still be able to go this evening; I'm scheduled to feed the youth tonight.

The DH made it home after several detours. Going to try to get some sleep I think.

Thanks for all the good thoughts.

The cat carrier's in the house, and the dog's got her harness on. Locked in the car: checkbook, my billfold, our Rx meds, some pictures, the DH's laptop. A few other things we will grab if we have time-- they are earmarked. I have to pack myself up a few clothes, and will do that in a few minutes. We just got Sophie quieted down and I don't want to disturb her yet.

Honestly, I don't think it will come to that. But Mike's girlfriend got a phone call from a friend of hers who says she thinks she can see that the Walmart is on fire. Of course, these things are deceptive-- we thought a fire the other day was to the south of the road, and it wasn't until we got closer that we realized it was actually to the north of the road and a lot farther away than we had thought!

They ARE evacuating the hospital, which is only two blocks from here, but that's just a precaution-- hospitals take a long time to evacuate!

There are fires all over the state. If we do leave, I'm not sure where we will go or how we will get there.

The cat carrier's in the house, and the dog's got her harness on. Locked in the car: checkbook, my billfold, our Rx meds, some pictures, the DH's laptop. A few other things we will grab if we have time-- they are earmarked. I have to pack myself up a few clothes, and will do that in a few minutes. We just got Sophie quieted down and I don't want to disturb her yet.

Honestly, I don't think it will come to that. But Mike's girlfriend got a phone call from a friend of hers who says she thinks she can see that the Walmart is on fire. Of course, these things are deceptive-- we thought a fire the other day was to the south of the road, and it wasn't until we got closer that we realized it was actually to the north of the road and a lot farther away than we had thought!

They ARE evacuating the hospital, which is only two blocks from here, but that's just a precaution-- hospitals take a long time to evacuate!

There are fires all over the state. If we do leave, I'm not sure where we will go or how we will get there.

There are fires to the east of town. My son called to say they have evacuated Walmart, and he thinks they are going to evacuate his girlfriend's neighborhood. He's bringing her and her kids over in a few minutes, and he wants me to get stuff together in case I need to evacuate too. I don't think it will come to that-- I'm in the middle of town, but I'll take his advice about getting stuff together.

It's a little scary. I know how to deal with a hurricane. This is a little different.

ETA: My son is here with his girlfriend and two of her kids. He's going to bring the cat carrier in from the garage in case we do need to split.

Mostly I'm worried about the DH getting home: Hwy 33, which is his direct route home, is closed between Drumright and Cushing. An alternate route, Hwy 51 is closed part of the way also. He may have to stay at work tonight.

Sophie is pitching a fit, and we are having to shut her up.

This is not fun.

Yesterday's high: 113F
Today's predicted high: 113F
That's actual air temp, not heat index.
Remember this? It's even more applicable this year.

The only things left alive in my garden are some of my herbs and a few onions. But we had a pretty good harvest over the spring and summer! I have one more mess of okra left, and a couple of small eggplants.

I have a new keyboard and mouse! The DH needed to get our modem replaced, because our WiFi was not working for his laptop and phone. When he unhooked the modem, he got frustrated with all the wires and decided that it would help a little to have a wireless keyboard and mouse. I was surprised at how inexpensive they were-- and he didn't buy the cheapest one in the store either.

It's all hooked up now, and I am trying to get my fingers used to a larger keyboard and a more responsive mouse!

We may be going to OKC this afternoon-- he's got to go over on a business errand, and I don't know if I'm going with him or not.

Just a reminder to folks in the lotr_community: If you have some stories you'd like to be eligible for the Tree and Flower awards, you have only today and tomorrow to get them uploaded. Only stories posted by Aug. 3 are eligible!

Yesterday's high: 113F
Today's predicted high: 113F
That's actual air temp, not heat index.
Remember this? It's even more applicable this year.

The only things left alive in my garden are some of my herbs and a few onions. But we had a pretty good harvest over the spring and summer! I have one more mess of okra left, and a couple of small eggplants.

I have a new keyboard and mouse! The DH needed to get our modem replaced, because our WiFi was not working for his laptop and phone. When he unhooked the modem, he got frustrated with all the wires and decided that it would help a little to have a wireless keyboard and mouse. I was surprised at how inexpensive they were-- and he didn't buy the cheapest one in the store either.

It's all hooked up now, and I am trying to get my fingers used to a larger keyboard and a more responsive mouse!

We may be going to OKC this afternoon-- he's got to go over on a business errand, and I don't know if I'm going with him or not.

Just a reminder to folks in the lotr_community: If you have some stories you'd like to be eligible for the Tree and Flower awards, you have only today and tomorrow to get them uploaded. Only stories posted by Aug. 3 are eligible!

I'm back on schedule, I hope! I've updated "Ancestress" at troubledtribble

Chapter Fifty-two: Good Things Come to Those Who Bait

And I updated "Eleventy-One Years: Too Short a Time" yesterday:

Chapter 8: "Twenty-one" at Many Paths to Tread
Chapter 8: "Twenty-one" at Stories of Arda
Chapter 8: "Twenty-one" at Fanfiction.net