Washed clean
A couple of weeks ago I drove up out of Santa Paula into Ojai to attend a weaving show. It was the first time since the Thomas Fire. The road roughly follows the path of the start of the fire, past St. Thomas Aquinas College, for which the fire was named. Past the Limoneira Ranch where several families of farm workers lost their homes, but fortunately not their lives, and into the town of Ojai, which, through a miracle and the heroic efforts of firefighters and the residents, did not burn.
There is much heartbreak in the aftermath of the fire, but as humans start to rebuild and replant, so does the natural landscape.
The Limoneira Ranch has been replanted with baby lemon trees, the only evidence of the fire, the remains of a blasted tree. Along the side of the road, plants come up green through the ashy soil.
We had so little rain this winter, that my citrus trees and shrubs still bore traces of ash on their leaves. But spring brought heavy rains this week, and the plants in the yard have been washed clean in the downpour. Today the sun came out and I was able to enjoy the results.
A humming bird came to feed from the blooming salvia as I swept the patio, but was gone before I could grab the camera. Fortunately, the rains do not appear to have damaged the orange blossoms, just now getting ready to open. There will be white roses for Easter.
Inside, I'm working on project for spring:
