Can we tap out yet?

I mean seriously; this whole year has been a swift kick in the a$$ and I would gladly fast forward to New Year’s Eve where we can see this godforsaken year off if we could!

Photo: CHP Fresno

A couple of blog posts ago I wrote about how my childhood home in Santa Cruz was in danger of the Complex Fires and my family was preparing to evacuate. Thanks to our incredible local fire crews and out-of-town-crews that were called in the fire was contained and my family was safe. The month of August came to an end with no more excitement and level 8 of this stupid 2020 “game” was complete.

Not even 5 days into the month of September a fire sparked near Big Creek, California, and grew to consume 6,000 acres (as of today at 2:00 pm). The #CreekFire has rapidly progressed down the mountain towards the town of Shaver Lake where Chris’s childhood home, my grandfathers home, and my family’s cabin all reside.

Evacuations were ordered earlier today for the residents of Big Creek and Huntington Lake, and about one hour ago the town of Shaver was also evacuated. Fortunately, Chris’s mom is safely tucked away at a friends home where she has been recovering from an awful car wreck that took place last month (we really can’t get a break here, guys). My Grandpa has evacuated with his beloved dog Daisy and is currently in Fresno staying with my aunt and uncle so he is out of harms way as well.

The Creek Fire

As we see our friends and family post online about the fire we are once again forced to deal with a major threat from miles away with no ability  to help, feeling absolutely useless. Right now the Creek Fire is 0% contained and we are sending our thoughts, prayers, good vibes, well wishes, and love to our mountain community and fire fighters that are working tirelessly to get the upper hand on this fire. 

As far as the crew of Avocet goes, Chris and I are literally moments away from finishing Avocet’s exterior refit and look forward to sailing next weekend, weather permitting of course. Nothing else to report here in sunny Southern California. 

Thank you to all of our friends and family members who have called to check-in, we appreciate your kind words and support. I wish that I had more to say, but honestly, I am running out of words to describe this year and the events that keep happening. Hold your loved ones close, and thank a firefighter.

Stay safe out there,

Marissa, Chris, and Cleo.

For more information on the fire, please visit National Fire Situational Awareness