Crazy night

I was thinking about going to bed early last night when I heard fire trucks coming toward my neighborhood from what seemed like all directions. I live less than two miles from two firehouses and I hear emergency vehicle sirens every month or so. But this sounded like a lot them at once headed my way. Then they seemed to be turning onto the main street not far north of me, but not getting closer. A very few minutes later several helicopters flew in overhead and began hovering not far away, a sure sign that whatever was happening was news worthy. I thought I could see a glow in the sky to the east and wondered if one of the two grocery stores in that direction was on fire. It wasn't long till 10 o'clock so I turned the TV on and waited to see the evening news. No surprise the first thing up on the news, even before the deal to re-open the national government was the local disaster. The camera from one of the helicopters showed not a fire, but a burnt-out ruin of a house. Totally destroyed, it looked like it had burned to the ground hours earlier; the roof gone, no sign of anything like furniture or appliances inside, just a few charred, smoking wall studs sticking up inside the smoldering wreck of the outside walls. There had been some kind of explosion and the house was just gone. The two people inside managed to get out, but were both severely injured.

One of the scary things is I didn't hear any explosion and the house was just a half mile away. There is a large building that sits directly between me and the ruined house, but I doubt that was what kept me from hearing. Last Friday the local high school, twice as far away, was shooting off fireworks at a football game, and that was loud enough that it was bothering me as I was trying to watch TV... But, last night I heard nothing till the fire trucks. Piff and a whole house disappears. No word on the cause, but the authorities are of course looking into it.

There is an apartment building fire in California on the news this morning. So much worse as a tragedy, but somehow easier to get your head around, because you can see it burning. It didn't just disappear in a matter of minutes.

ETA: The word is that the couple were digging in their backyard for home improvements and damaged a natural gas line. One of them lit a candle in the house and it was all gone. No damage to nearby houses or neighborhood school not far away across the street.

Tastes from the past

I went to the market today for some fruit. I got some Jonathan apples and Concord grapes. Both used to be ripe this time of year in my yard back in Missouri. I can only get Jonathans this time of year here. I haven't had Concord grapes in many years. These aren't quite as heavy skinned as the ones we used to have, and the juice is a little less strong than in those. But the flavor is just right. You only need a few for a very nice snack.