Life in the Hot Zone
Wildfires broke out all around the Mollison homestead this past weekend. While working on the last few passages of my latest novel – part of a much larger project you’ll get the full dirt on this August 21st – we could smell the smoke, but didn’t worry. These things happen. About one o’clock in the afternoon, my neighbor shouted that we had to leave. Confused, I looked out the window and saw nothing but blue skies. He called over, “Go look in your backyard!”
When we weren’t looking, the local fire department had ordered an evacuation of the entire neighborhood. So with a fake smile plastered on my face for the sake of the young ones, I spent the afternoon sweating with worry over the fate of the pets and the house within the cool confines of the library. Saints be praised, the guys running the choppers and the fire hoses stopped the brush fires within 150 yards of the house.
After a nice sunset, we settled down to watch the fires burn the valley walls for a while, and just as I sat down to return to work…the fires knocked out the power for three hours.
The ended with me and my youngest falling asleep in the hammock by the light of the fires, and blissfully untroubled by the buzz or sting of flying insects. For once, they weren’t out in force, thanks to the pall of smoke hanging over everything. You have to take your silver linings where you can find them.
The upshot is that the first draft of my next novel is done. It’ll go to the editors once I complete a second pass. Stay tuned, you’re going to love this one.