What to do when your neighbor's house exploses and catches on fire

Why you risk life and limb to get exclusive pictures.

On June 27 at about 4 PM, the quite afternoon was interrupted by three explosions. The first one was very small, I thought it was thundering. Then about 4 seconds later a little more intense explostion that shock the house. I ran out the back door to check the sky for storms. Nothing. I couldn't at this point see any fire either. Then as I turned around a huge explosion that rocked the house and rattled the windows pretty well. Sending a huge plume several feet in the air of smoke, fire and debris. A fireball started the house next to it on fire too. Now, we've got two infernos going. I could hear the sirens coming. We live a short distance from a fire station. Thank goodness. In just a matter of seconds both houses were engulfed with flames.

I ran in my house to grab my camera and the keys to the back gate to gain access to the alley. I took several shots by holding the camera up in the air with it set on auto. Just point and shot. When I saw that this wasn't going to get me the photos I wanted. I decided to climb up on one of the houses fences to get a bettter view. The fire was extremely hot. I was only able to take one shot, then have to get down and cool off before taking another shot. By this time the firemen had arrived and was only fighting the fire from the front. A neighbor and myself took note that the wooden fencec were burning extremly fast and coming our direction. Not wanting the fire to get into the alley as there was high dead grass and other debris behind these houses, we decided to use our water hoses to wet down the fences. It worked!! It wasn't long until a shot of foam came shooting from the front of the house down the fence line and snuffed out the fire. Good, now I could take more pictures.

The firemen soon had the fires under control. No one was hurt or killed, as far as I know, in this incident. Cause of explosions and fire is a gas leak I'm supposing. I'm pretty sure the last explosion was the gas tank of a car in the driveway of one of the houses. The fire nor the police departments didn't treat this as a crime scene (meth lab related). The neighbor's were allowed into the homes that evening to secure their property. They already started the process of cleaning up and rebuliding their lives. Although the *pleasant* smell of charred, water logged fire debris still hangs heavy in the air.

I was contacted by www.firefightingnews.com to submit my photos and story there, after seeing my photos on Flicker. You can go there and check out more photos.

OH, GOD OF THE VORTEX, HEAR OUR PLEA!

The fire in Oak Creek Canyon aka the Brin Fire, is still going strong. According to the paper this morning, Sedona is still hot (pun intended) with tourists. They say that rooms are booked solid for this week end. For Oak Creek Canyon, which is a few miles north of Sedona, many of those people have had to leave their homes, tents, RVs, etc.

The paper was also telling that the Pink Jeep Tours have had to stop taking people on the tour to the many vortex sites up in the Red Rocks. This got me to thinking that if all the *crystalers* got together and went up close to a vortex site and did some sort of ceremony minus anything with fire, maybe the fire would be sucked down into the earth. Maybe something like:
*Oh, gods of earth, wind and fire, we offer up a plea for help in this time of need. Oh, gods, hear our plea. Please forgive us for all the things we have done to destroy our Mother Earth. All the greenhouse gases, all the driving of our SUVs, the displacement of all the little owls, fishes and snails. Oh vortex, please open up and suck away all the fire and make our Mother Earth whole again.*
All the while shaking the rocks of appropriate color for fire. The burning of incense in a proper fire proof container. Holding hands in a circle and chanting a matra.

Think that'll work?

MAYBE THE BELL WON'T SAVE HIM THIS TIME

Screech is needing to hear the bell very badly these days. He's about to lose his home to foreclosure and needs $250,000 to save it.

Screech aka Dustin Diamond was the skinny, geeky guy on the TV teen show Saved By the Bell back in the 80's. He always wore brightly colored clothes and didn't appear too bright. Had a big afro hair do. Never got any action from the girls, but was a best bud to everyone. He could be counted on. WOW!!!! Sounds like I watched the show. (Shhh.......I'm a closeted Bell watcher). The show is still aired on cable and small TV (think UHF) stations.

He's also been on The Weakest Link and was and he got into the boxing ring with a Sweat Hog and lost. He has recently been on Howard Stern's show and has done some stand up comedy in New York, which he says is going well. Well, not well enough apparently.

So, now he is trying to sell 30,000 T-shirts at $15 each or $20 with his signature to raise the money to save his home. His shirt can be found at www.getdashirts.com.

I need a long vacation....maybe I should sell T-shirts to raise a fund for that. Maybe a picture of a beach with a caption saying: *Save Shell's Sanity* Just a thought.

BRANDON OOZES WITH SUPER GOOD LOOKS

Am I the only one who thinks that the *new* Superman looks a lot like the *old* Superman? Seems like I've seen Brandon Routh in something else, but I can't remember what. He is pretty much an *unknown* just like Chris Reeves. I think he'll make a good replacement. I can't wait to see this guy in action. Looking forward to the movie.

Is it a bird, a plane, NO, IT'S BRANDON!!!! In blue tights, red brief and a red cape. UP.....UP...... AND AWAY!!!!!

GONE TOO LONG!

Hey everyone!!!! It's been a couple of months since I posted anything. It's not like I've been out of the country or anything exciting going on, just doing other things.

Since we've last spoken to each other, another season of Survivor has come and gone. At least, *Memento Man* didn't win!!! :-) Or *King Terry*, so I'm pretty happy about that. TomKat and Brangelina had their wee ones.

We made it past the *devil's day* 6/6/06 without any major events, other then The Omen was remade and released on that day. That day started out with a beautiful sunrise and continued to be a wonderful day. I'm not much into superstitions anyway. I did find it pretty interesting reading in the morning paper about all the expectant mothers not wishing their baby to be born on that day. Docotor's weren't doing to do any inductions or C-sections unless it was an emergency. Hmmmmm...... I don't know if any *Damians* were born or not on that Tuesday. I heard the movie was pretty much a bomb though.

Took Shasta the wonder dog for a walk early this morning, only to have a puppy follow us home. She, the puppy, is now camped out by the back gate. I was hoping she would give up and wonder off, but no luck so far. I don't need another *child* so she's going to have to do something. So.....we'll see what happens. Anybody need a very friendly, black lab. mix puppy?