Ouch

One of our houses burned Sunday night. The smallest house, located next door to us, just outside our door. Just outside the dining room window. A heater plugged into an extension cord, hanging over a couch. The couch ignited, the chair caught on fire. Most everything inside the house is lost. Fire damage, smoke damage and the aftermath of the fire fighters may have totaled the house. Nobody was home at the time, all people are physically unscathed. The musician that lived there lost all of his instruments. Fiddle, guitar, trombone, clarinet, electrical equipment. No renters insurance. We gave him back his deposit and half months rent, which may or may not have been the business decision, but from the heart it feels right. And though it ultimately is his responsibility, It could have been anyone of us. I have walked out of the house with the tea kettle on the stove, boiling. The idea of losing something as personal as your instruments... So, we gave in hopes that he would make music with the money. The house was insured and though not for much, the money we gave is a small percentage. And now what will happen with the house and the community remains to be seen. We could, potentially, rebuild. The owners of the property may, for a variety of reasons, choose not to. We have been dreaming of an outdoor kitchen for a while, this may become the spot. I'm meeting with the insurance adjuster this afternoon. As life experiences go, this is not one of my favorites. But I'm learning. Always learning.

An electrician friend of mine came out on Monday to survey the damage and offer his support. He has been an electrician for over twenty years and said that in the last six months he has seen more electrical fires than ever before. Mostly, in these times, people trying to save money and doing work themselves, splicing wires. Another hazard he mentioned is having too high of a wattage bulb in fixtures. Your fixtures are rated, and a 75 or 100 watt bulb in a 60 watt fixture is never a good idea. Extension cords can be quite dangerous, use power surge protectors he says. Be really careful with your heaters. Unplug them when you're not at home. Don't sleep with them on. I'm told that in the offending cord/heater combo the heater was turned off, but not unplugged. Be careful. Pay attention. If a cord gets warm or an outlet sparks or makes noise, get it checked out by a professional.

In other news, its warming up. And i hope it is for you too. My garden plans are thus: Just keep planting. Broccoli is delicious fresh from the garden. Yesterday I created a small satellite garden off the main garden (which is full!). I planted squash, arugula, oodles of cilantro, Dino kale and a bunch of other mystery greens a friend gave me yesterday. The small satellite garden that i created in the morning was full once friends dropped by with a car full of plants, unexpectedly. I will expand it shortly. We give and we receive. Give and receive. And breathe. xo