That Damn Kinkade Fire

We had a very big fire here in wine country. 200,000 people evacuated from the fires possible path. Many of us in the middle of the night. They had been driving up and down every road in our area with hi-low sirens and bull horns telling us to leave for a couple hours. Still the fire was 15 miles away so I wasn't too worried and felt I had time to load my truck with my most valuable things. They shut the power off 10 hours earlier. It was 4 am and my stinking flashlight kept going dark. I manage to load many of my small tools in my truck, and a bunch of ukuleles. The smoke was really thick and the wind was blowing in our direction over 50mph. As I'm walking out of my shop for what I think could be the last time I see my most valued tool, my string spacing tool made by Timbuck. I stick in in my pocket, somehow in all the madness it must have fallen out of my pocket. The fire didn't reach my place. All tools are present and accounted for but losing that string spacing tool really hurts.

Timbuck if you read this I think I remember you quit making them. If you decide to make more put me on the list.

So sorry for your loss
Thank god you are safe.
Ron

Yes, I'm up the road from Michael and we also were affected by the Kincade Fire. Didn't have to evacuate, but there was disruption. No electricity for almost 5 days... Glad to hear your shop didn't go up in smoke Michael.

Sorry about that. Here in Los Angeles we had similar issues in the hilly areas. My friend had to evacuate and actually stored his guitars and some personal family items in my garage for a couple of days. Luckily the fires did not get that close to them. They're now going to look for a house or condo around here.

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This is Michael Kohan in Los Angeles, Beverly West near the Beverly Center
9 tenor cutaway ukes, 5 acoustic bass ukes, 11 solid body bass ukes, 11 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 35)

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children in hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers: YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/video, Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheCCStrummers

I hope for some miracle the string spacer shows up. We in Petaluma consider ourselves lucky that we didn't have to leave or lose power. The Ukes on the Loose gathering will be full of personal stories from most participants. I'll be there listening and commiserating.

I bet it is down the side/back of your truck seat. If i had a pound/ dollar for every time my cell phone has fallen out when i sit down in my car i would be a rich man. Worth another look. Hope you find it.

I hope you find it orv are able to get a new one. I'm so sorry for all who are going through the fires and no electricity. I hope the worst is over for this year.

I am a block away from the evacuation zone in east Santa Rosa, which was also the border of the Tubbs fire 2 years ago. The unusually hot dry air is a real problem for the fire, and shop, and wood, and ukuleles. I packed up as well but did not have to evacuate probably because the previous fire left little to burn this time. We usually get regular fog, as do you.

Damn fires is right.

Did it maybe fall outta your pocket in between the seat parts of the car?

I’m at the edge of the power grid and many times have lost power while neighbors on three sides did not.

During this event I kept power while they were out for days. I charged their phones, froze their food, fed them meals.

My only loss was cable TV - and listening to the radio declare fires 4 miles away, 12 miles away, 2 miles away.

I hope you find your Timbuck.

In the last two years, something has gone wrong in the world—especially the fires and the continued fires. So many people, animals, and forests have suffered because of it. I still hope that the situation in the world will change and everything will go back to normal. I know many people have the skills needed to become a firefighter in nsw. And if most of them do become firefighters, it would be great. I'd even suggest putting fire patrols around the forests so that they can get a fire out ASAP when the time comes. As difficult as it may be, we have to solve this situation by any means necessary.

lordiron said:

I still hope that the situation in the world will change and everything will go back to normal.

Click to expand...

Not likely. Actually very unlikely unfortunately.

This will be the new normal.
Miguel

I'm usually optimistic, but with how bad things have become with climate change, I'm really concerned that it's too late, we may be past fixing it.