Reassurance

To relatives and friends who have expressed concern, or may be worrying:

I am not in the part of California that is on fire.

Everything is fine here. It rained last week, so it will probably stay fine. Now that I've been out here for the dry season, I understand why California has so many fires.
( Remember this picture? )

That golden-brown stuff on the hills? It's bone-dry dead grass. All the hill that are far enough inland to not get wetted down by the sea fogs are like that for the entire summer and fall. All it takes is one spark, lit cigarette or lightning strike. Wildfires are just part of the natural order of things out here.