Happy Anniversary, Almeda!

 

FOUR years ago I was up before 5 am with the usual good morning Wake up call from an old school mate who was lonely.

I didn't sleep much because of pain in my shoulder and neck. The day before I paid someone to trim my trees before winter. He managed to drop a big limb on me.  

I was off to an 8 am haircut. Not a good day! She butchered me!

So I went to work on all that tree trimming. 

It was horribly smoky and the wind was blowing. 

The Radio only had this report: There was a one structure fire in Ashland on Almeda Drive, fully contained.

  Same News all day.  I depended on radio news, it has always been there..... Until that day. 

Thanks for nothing, KMED and Bill Meyer who went on vacation and did nothing to cover local news while he was gone! With the first report of containment, it certainly sounded like someone was doing news that day on a NEWS STATION!

BUT no one was, we found out too late.

I went to Facebook. 

Nothing.

I turned on TV news. Nothing!

My son from 35 miles into California phoned and asked if I saw flames. I told him no, nothing near us. 

By noon I realized something was wrong.  The noise was curious. I couldn't see anything but smoke, many miles away. 

Knowing how sparks can travel in the wind, I started running door to door to warn people to wet their yards. They laughed and pointed at me.

I texted the park landlord to tell him he better show up now.

He never replied.

I could hear sirens and Bugs was in his big outdoor cage, looking worried and afraid. He was hiding.

My gut told me to gather all my things and run.  Instead I listened to "logic".  Surely we would be evacuated if we were in the line of fire.

Someone texted and said Home Depot, many miles east of me had burned...not true! So I assumed the fire went the other direction with the creek and freeway between us and the fire.

All I got was bad information.

My car was filled with things to take to Good Will as soon as the covid closures would allow. I worked so hard making this place useful as I aged..ramps, special shower, etc.  It was beautiful!

I tossed it all in the carport and grabbed Bug's car carrier, water and food and said, 

" Bug's, let's go on an adventure and find out what the hell is going on."

No one knew anything! 

So I decided to Lock up the safe and anything worth looting because we would likely be evacuated for miles and days from the fire. 

As I drove out I stopped at my good neighbor and told them, gather your things and get out NOW. They did. The only ones in the park who saved anything.

I DIDN'T TAKE MY OWN ADVICE.

When I got on the highway, I couldn't get off it...the traffic was insane.

That was the last time I saw everything I loved so much except my precious Bugs the Cat.

I drove away trying to escape smoke and traffic for hours. I didn't know where I was.  Then I remembered Kate Brown has everything including motels shut down. 

KMED! We were loyal to you and you betrayed us!  News station MY ASS.

Than you criticized me in the air for not having more insurance! Shame on you!

SHAME! 

JACKSON COUNTY!

If I weren't so ill and destroyed by the last 4 years, I would sue you out of existence! A fortune was spent on that emergency warning system! The silly incompetent woman in charge..who still has a job.... decided not to warn us because we were OLD AND MIGHT GET CONFUSED!

I KID YOU NOT! They evacuated people 30 miles away from that fire!

Yes I am furious!

No one can understand what I have been through this 4 years.  

My oldest friend called me a liar and never spoke to me again when I was stuck 4 hours away in another county. I was so ill without my medicine that I couldn't get. My Medicare advantage only worked in Jackson county.  They explained that I couldn't use plain medicare.

I was begging anyone I could to help me find something to live in. An old friend sent an address... The rent was more than my income and everyone had gone to the price gouging mode. 

I've written about what horrors awaited me and Bugs the next 4 years. 

And it has never stopped.

I got 3 more years with that special friend before cancer claimed him a year ago!

I never heard again from that friend who woke me up that morning except for him to suggest that I go to a nursing home where covid was raging and have to let the cat go! There were no boarding places or storage units.  The entire I-5 corridor had been evacuated!

My son refused me a bed in the house I gave him..

I still have never heard a word from my daughter, who would have nothing if not for me.

My granddaughter offered her home for the night...  with 5 kids, 2 wild cats and all my x inlaws. Death seemed kinder.

I sat on the side of the freeway in the smoke and 101 heat, realizing that I had nowhere to go after the landlord phoned to tell me everything was burned.

I think that was the moment I broke mentally.  Physically would take a couple more weeks.  There is nothing left now  of that good woman!

Other old friends just disappeared except for the ones trying to scam me out of insurance money or charity.  Many did!

An ungrateful niece had to have$5,000!

Strangers were often kinder. Many were abusive.

Now the federal government takes part of my social security checks every month to repay the emergency catastrophe funds they deposited in my bank in early 2021.  With $12,000 plus in interest! I paid back the principal in full!

I was on low income property tax deferral and by the time Oregon and Jackson county took their penalties and interest out of my insurance money, a few thousand dollars to start my life over was left.

Now they are taking the rest. 

Icing on the cake is the new Park I moved into is being condemned for bad septic system and a sociopath for a manager.

I am losing everything again. I've worked so hard to make it beautiful!

I don't want to leave Bugs!

Do you understand!? I had to pay thousands of dollars to the Biden Harris regime for the joy of being burned out and losing everything.

EVERYTHING at age 76!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, ALMEDA.