Here goes another stab at being on vacation! Diane is scheduled to come back next week, so I am taking Monday through Thursday off (someone else already had Friday off.) I don't have a whole lot planned - I do plan to go get AJ next week, though! It sure has been quiet around here without him. The heat is supposed to be pretty low (for Redding) next week - low 100's. We are still smoked in - I can see the smoke in the air between the house across the street and here. Ugly!

We did get a visit from President Bush! He flew in for less than 2 hours on Thursday. The big event was just the plane - I guess Air Force 1 is amazingly huge! I watched at work on TV, and Ralph was able to see the helicopters fly overhead (Bush flew out to view the fires) as he was home with Allison last week. We had Bush, Schwarzenegger, Herger and other assorted Officials here. (Of course, we were sandwiched in between a funeral in the morning and a fund raiser in Napa that evening - busy day for Bush!)

We even have our very own Smokey the Bear Jr.! One of the fire teams found a wounded baby bear out on the fires and weren't able to locate the momma bear, and took it in to be treated for burns and an eye injury. Like all babies - it is so cute!