Devistation in a whole new light

So, I came home yesterday. We flew over the mountains, black smoke encircled the plane and the sky turned orange. After some very bad turbulance we landed. I walked out of the plane and the heat instantly hit my body. It is in the mid to high nineties here. I looked out and you could not even see the huge mountains that overlook our city. Ash and smoke consume the air. The sun was completely red and the smoke was so thick you cold look straight at it without even wincing. Luckily, the wind seems to have stopped so this morning I could see the mountains. As I opened my door to get in my car this morning a huge cloud of ash filled my lungs and eyes. The wind was blowing so hard that it blew the ash through the vent into the car. Loren's car was filled with ash too. The kids at school are not allowed to play outside because the air quality is so poor. We are lucky though, we are the only school district in the area that is still in session. Fire has ripped this area open and people are left with ruins. The one friend I have made here lives up on the mountain and on Monday they were given one hour to grab their things and evacuate. She has no idea what is happening at her house and is currently living at the Hilton for God knows how long. Her daughter who lived two miles from her has been notified that she has lost everything. Her home is in ashes. My friend sits around waiting for the phone to ring hoping it is not her insurance company notifying her that she has lost everything. She calls her house to see if the answering machine picks up (the only clue that the house has not been burned down). I feel so bad for her and her family. The sky is still orange and everything is covered in ash. A half million people in San Diego have been evacuated and are living in the Charger stadium. It really puts everything in perspective and makes me realize how lucky I truly am.