In Ellensburg with Rick...

After what I think was a very successful Festival of the Cranes down at the Bosque, and a wonderful visit from Edna and Mike, I got on a plane to Seattle on Sunday, where Cousin Rick met me and we drove to Cricklewood Lane in Ellensburg, where he lives. 


On Monday I was able to fully see what damage was done to his property by the fire that came through here this summer.  The fire, called the Taylor Bridge fire, swept rapidly down the area across from Rick's road, then jumped over the road, and cut a clear path between his house and workshop, and swept up the hill and over it, racing at about 3 miles per hour. Because of all the pine and pine needles, it had plenty of fuel.  The firemen were able to keep Rick's house from catching, although it did scorch a couple of place on his deck, but his workshop went up like a torch, and he lost everything in it, including two priceless gun collections - his and his father's. 


He was able to get his tractor, snow-blower, and his trucks out of the way.  He instructed the firemen to stay away from the workshop should it catch fire as there was ammo and black powder in it.  No one was hurt, thankfully.  Rick's wife, Colleen, was a volunteer fireman for this particular district, and another one, for many years, so all the men knew Rick.
 

With Colleen's death, and then the fire, Rick's world has been rocked substantially, and I am here to help him get a little better organized, as there are thousands of papers - insurance, medical, etc. scattered all over, as well as clothing, shoes, gun parts, bullets, and other things piled on every surface.  It will be slow going, but I already have a large pile of documents stacked.  A friend of Rick and Colleen's is expected shortly and she and I are going to bag up all of Colleen's clothes and get them ready to take to Yakima where there is a place where Rick wants to donate them. 


Tomorrow we go to his sister Susan's house, where we will stay for a couple of days and celebrate Thanksgiving with her and her husband, and her boys, one of whom has a wife.  It will be fun.  I don't really know Susan as well as I do Rick. 
 

In my next blog, I will enclose some pictures of the damage around here, as well as Rick's companions, Sunshine, a black female Lab who he has had since she was 6 months old; and Sparky, a black short-haired female cat, who came to visit after the fire, and stayed.  Sparky stays outside, but she is friendly, and Rick has a wonderful little house for her on the front entryway, which protects her from the cold.  

More later.

Life is good.
I love you all,
Sally