Evacuation

2020 has been a year. For sure.

Never in my life would I have expected to need to frantically evacuate from my house in a large city as high winds were forcing a fire towards it. 

We got out and the town never got touched.

The two neighboring towns though weren't so lucky. Close to 3000 houses and businesses were burned to the ground. Lots of people were at work and didn't have the chance to go back and pack anything. There were left with only there work clothes on their backs.

As we watched the evacuation numbers rise and the boarder creep closer and closer to our home, the lights started to flicker. The smoke was choking our the sky and the winds blew hot air in your face as you stepped outside.

My anxiety caved in as I watched the neighbor pack. 

Once the decision was made to prepare, JUST IN CASE, we had to evacuate. It was a done deal. 

I knew as I instructed husband/son to load the camping equipment in the truck, we were leaving. I had been up close to 30 hours at that point and I knew I couldn't sleep with death inching its way towards my family.

I have often written lists of things I would take if I had to flee from a house fire. Have done so since I was young.

Mama used to tell me as she lighted the oil stove, "if this explodes, it will burn the house down."

The schools made me do a fire evacuation plan each year in class. I still have tucked away.

I used to lay awake at night planning what I would grab as  I left.

Racky, my Indian blanket, Daddy's box, all my toys.

the list changed little as I aged, it just got longer.

Parker, my Indian blanket, Daddy's box, all my toys, all my writing, Seven.

and longer

Parker, my Indian blanket, Daddy's box, all my toys, all my writing, Seven, the farm kids, my cats.

It was very apparent, Everything was coming with me.

So what do you think I packed with 54 years of pre-preparation and boy scout training?

I grabbed the kids, "You need to pack, your phones/chargers, DS/charger/bags, clothes for three days. After you have done that, Pillows and blankets. ONLY after that pack anything you can't live without.

I followed my daughter into her room. Knowing she would need help. She stood there looking around. 

"I don't even have time to process loosing my entire childhood." she said.

I repeated the list and she silently got to work. I took one last look as I left her room, marveling at her strength.

I messaged my brother: we may be camping in the back yard. Ignore any Russell setting up camp tonight. We are under level 2 evacuation orders. 

Thankful that we had my childhood home to go to and the yard is big enough for us to camp if needed.

After that I turned to the task of packing. suitcase, clothes/toiletries, little suit case all my work stuff. 

Truck:  all the camping stuff. Food for us, all of my son's tube feeding supplies, formula, and three flats of water.

Husband was easy, Chess set and his Bible.

Then the important stuff. Medical records, bill box, password books, phones, chargers, medicine,

...wait I only have three cans of Pepsi?! gaahhh...what a time to be short.

Once all that was done and in the truck, I stood in the bedroom under the flickering light. Looked at my children's books masters, all my writing, all the photographs...Daddy's box, seven.

I grabbed only the meteor dagger. Even today I am not sure why. That is all I took.

We left without looking back...had the important stuff in the vehicles. Dad and son in the truck, me and daughter in the car with Fall Out Boy blaring...the ominous dark smoke on our heels.  From our house to the exit in the next town over was 45 min of bumper to bumper traffic.

We hit the freeway and disappeared into  the night.

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The next day I took my work stuff and headed up to Corvallis where all my residents had been evacuated to. That week, up there like no other...hell on a different level then Dante could have ever dreamed up.

My family stayed with Daddy and brother for two nights then returned home when the evacuation level 3 line was further away then 4 blocks.

Thankful for years of mental prepping that make this evacuation a seamless, smooth process.

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Unpacking stuff, I returned the meteor dagger to it place on the shelf. Unsure why it alone had been taken.

Helped my daughter unpack too, she at the last minute had grabbed a grocery bag and grabbed a few remnants of her childhood to take. I pulled out a bag of her hair that she had saved from some long ago hair cut.

"We we fleeing for our lives and you packed your hair?" I inquired.

"I couldn't bear the thought of it burning up."

.......Mikitty, my weighted blanket, Daddy's box, all my MTG cards, all my writing, Seven, the kids, husband, my daughters hair...