Thrilling Weekend Part 2

7/22/2014

Woke up way early. Couldn't get back to bed and so decided to load up the car. Have now done so but it's still way too early to go visit people or swing by the store. Might as well update you all on the Valley Situation.

From where I sit in the Ranch Living Room, things look wonderful. Sky is clear. There's a light breeze. However, if I look directly south, all the hills in the distance seem to be smoldering.

I took a drive south a few miles past Carlton yesterday when I arrived yesterday. There were a lot of burnt fields and I noticed a few missing structures. No doubt a native would have noticed more than a few.

There didn't seem to be anything still burning on the west side of the Valley but there was plenty still burning on the east side; mostly south of Twisp. The fires got more noticeable as evening fell.
Brother Gregg's house didn't look in the path of anything but a strong wind going in the right (or rather: wrong) direction can change things very quickly.

Spoke with Jeff and Mariah last night. It was a long day. Which preceded a longer day all the way back to Thursday, when the stuff really hit the fan. He said a few small little hundred-acre fires whipped up to into one huge inferno in just a matter of hours due to some vengeful winds. That the news keeps mentioning the hundred homes destroyed while showing footage of Pateros. However, only 30ish of those were in Pateros and the rest were in the Valley. (Though I don't mean to poo-poo the suffering of those 30 families; just to give idea of the proportional suffering.)

We Hardys have had our fire-related loss. Jeff has 20-acres up the Loup with a small house he's rented out for many years. It's now gone as is the "Taj Maj-shed" and an old tractor.  Jeff hasn't been up there yet. Not ready to face that yet. Not sure how much time Jeff's renter had to flee.

Possibly as devastating is the fact that Jeff and Mariah's wireless internet business is in trouble.
Right now, there is no power in the Valley and won't be for days or more likely, weeks. Jeff said there is some talk of bringing in huge FEMA generators but for now, the Valley is dark but for scattered little generators chugging away.

Ironically, that's actually helping Methownet. Once people do start getting power, they will notice that their internet isn't working. And won't be working for some time. You see, one thing that burned in GREAT quantities over the past 4 days are PUD telephone poles. (Yes, they actually carry electricity but saying "electric poles" would be confusing.) Well, Methownet used those poles to help with internet coverage for this far flung Valley. So, while the Public Utility District will be motivated to get all their infrastructure back, Jeff would really like it all back, like yesterday. He and the team are probably already at work trying to figure something out. Soon. The Evil Corporations are quite eager to crush the hometown competitor.

Provided Gregg's house survived the night, his losses were some sleepless nights and his livelihood. Construction has come to a stand still and will remain so for who knows how long.

So, the Valley is mostly without power and internet. And phone service is spotty. Well, even spottier than usual. The AT&T cell tower was damaged so that network is down for the count. Sadly, they actually had the better Valley coverage. Verizon is fine but I have to go to Twisp to make a call.

It's almost 7:30 and most likely, people are up. Or they should be, the lazy bastards. I will go visit Gregg, Konnosan and Jeff and Mariah's shop in Winthrop.

Onward.

4:17 PM
Awaiting the arrival of the Edmonds' Ferry.

Things look much better after I took another tour. First spoke with Gregg. He was actually on his way to work on a house way up the Rendezvous but we met at Hank's Market in Twisp. Mr. Conrad is about the most popular man in the Valley for his foresight in buying a $250K generator so he could keep his supermarket and gas station open on the off, off chance a bunch of fires would knock power to the whole Valley for who knows how long. He'd be elected King were there an election right now. None of the current officials have covered themselves in public adulation. Nobody knows anything.
Generators are very popular right now.  They've got one up at Gregg's construction site. G-Man was quite happy about that turn of events. I expect there will be a bit of a building boom in the next year.

Tina was very interested in getting one or two generators for the Ranch. One for the house (or rather the freezer) and one for the pump. The local supplier ran out of their very over priced and underpowered models which gave the Ranch's handyman, A, a chance to possibly pick up a couple of more suitable models from this side of the Cascades. Hope he was successful. As I said, cell phone service is ghastly so I don't know how that went.

Swinging by Methownet, things are looking promising there also. Through some electronic alchemy, internet service should be somehow, possibly up and running by the end of the week..(?)

Not sure the details. Bless his heart, Jeff always attempts to explain what he's doing, and I always nod and think of bunny rabbits.

He hadn't been up the Loup yet but Gregg had and showed me the pictures he'd taken. Just foundations left.

Thus, yet another structure I worked on comes to a grisly end.

Tina sounds like she wants to go back tomorrow. I will highlight the smoke, lack of power and phones when hinting she could certainly stay in Silverdale at least a few more days. Xander will certainly lobby hard. However, the Great Tragedy My Past Three Decades is my utter inability to get a Heath Woman to change her mind once it's set.

Might go with the grandson angle.

So that's the update from the Methow Valley. I expect the local businesses would really appreciate your patronage if you feel like heading over. I'd originally planned to do so this weekend but that date may need to be adjusted. We shall see.

Take care.

Brian