summer of 2017

I don't remember the date it started, but I could easily look it up. It's the forest fires (aka wildfires, a term my husband doesn't like).
This province has been on fire all of July and is still an inferno. Here, in Penticton, BC, where I live, we've been lucky. For the most part. First, before the fires started, we had rain and floods. I thought that would be a good thing, because this part of the world has wildfires every year--nothing new. So, with all the spring rain and run-offs and snow meltings, resulting in flooded basements for my neighbours (I don't have a basement) that would mean there wouldn't be fires. Unfortunately, the excess rain and flooding made the fire situation worse. Who would have thought? Apparently, the water made the grass in the forests grow faster and taller, so when the sun came out and heated everything up, the grass turned to tinder. Hence we have the worst wildfire situation in BC history.

As I said, we've been lucky. We weren't flooded, and as for the fires, the worst we've had is really nasty smoky air and all our beautiful mountains shrouded in grey smoke.

Today, and yesterday we had some blue skies. First time since last June, I think. But the fire hazard is still threatening. We could easily be the next fire victims. Thousands of people in the northern part of the province have been evacuated, and are living in temporary accommodations until heaven only knows when. All it would take to put us in that position, would be some idiot tossing a cigarette into the bush, or one simple thunderstorm complete with lightning. Yup, we're a risk, but lucky so far.

Category # 4 Fact & Fiction

Back to the story outline for Angels in the Flames:  We left Grace leaping from the safety of the rescuing canoe, and in the waters of Burrard Inlet with the goal of finding her brother in the burning city.  I'll leave the historical facts of the city for the category of "Fire & Floods", where it will be posted eventually.  Here, the story continues with Grace wading with difficulty to the shore.  Her brother is nowhere in sight, however her neighbour, May, the little Chinese girl Grace had been charged with taking to Sunday School, is on the shore crying for her mother.  When Grace reaches the shore, May clings to her, crying.  Grace has pity on the younger girl and decides that they should go together to find their mothers, as her brother Eddie is not there.  She hopes he has been taken in one of the canoes, or maybe he too will be looking for their mother.  Their father, a volunteer fireman, will no doubt be busy doing his duty.  So, now we leave Grace again as she heads through the hot cinders and blowing ashes up the hill with a little girl holding her hand.  The book alternates chapters between Grace's point of view, and her brother Eddie's.  So, next time I should tell something about what Eddie is up to in this crisis.

category #3 Fire & Flood

I'm still catching on to these category things, so I'm giving each entry a "category" number and trying to remember what that means. Today's category means I'm supposed to give some of the background related to my research for novels, articles, etc. 
Today, however, I'm going to cheat again.  Instead of starting with the Vancouver fire of 1886, which is the setting for my juvenile historical novel, I'm going to mention an idea I've had for many years.  It relates to the last subheading for this category, first aid.
Several years ago, I took an industrial first aid course, and renewed my certificate the following year but have done nothing with it since then.  Actually, I'm very squeamish, and hope with all my heart that I never have to use the things I learned in those two courses.  I am, however, really glad I have that know-how and wish just as fervently that everyone had it.  My idea is, that if I were queen of the world, everyone would have first aid classes in school from kindergarten through grade twelve.  Start with the simple stuff, of course, but by the time high schoolers were ready to graduate they'd be "almost-a-doctor".  I think I heard, once upon a time, that there is an international competition for professional first aiders.  Something like an Olympiad of first responders.  I'd like to write the text books for some of these dream-courses, especially for the little kids.  I'll leave it to professionals to write the top levels.  And it's always changing--for example the new technique for giving CPR, which is better than the method I learned.  Except, the old way is the right way (still) for infants, children, and drowning victims.  Watch this category for more of this as I get into it.

Major category #4 and a tag

This is "Fact & Fiction", actually about my writing.  With these blog entries I hope to remind myself of what I'm writing.  Sometimes there are so many ideas floating around in my head that they tend to attach themselves where they don't belong.  Spin-offs?  Anyway, today's blog is under the heading of tag "a", which is story outlines.  So, what is the story in Angels in the Flames? 
It starts out with Grace Andrews in the kitchen, preparing breakfast.  The day is Sunday, June 13, 1886, and Grace is only eleven years old.  However she has her chores, and so does her younger brother, Eddie.  He hasn't done his job (filling the wood box for the stove) so Grace has to leave her post at the stove.  The grease in the bacon pan catches fire, and Grace screams for help.  We meet her family over breakfast, then go with her to Sunday School.  Eddie runs off rather than stick with his sister and the little girl, May, whom Grace is obliged to take with them. 
They no sooner arrive at church when suddenly there is panic in the streets.  A fire is fast approaching, roaring down the street like a train.  Everyone runs for the waterfront to escape.  Grace is scooped into a canoe and on her way to safety.  But, unable to see her brother, she jumps from the canoe and heads back to the burning city.  (to be continued)