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I’ve spent the past couple of hours trying to get up to date on latest developments with the Las Conchas fire, which has caused the evacuation of Los Alamos (the town) and the shutdown of Los Alamos (the lab).  Tonight I found a few particularly eye-opening photos on the website for KOB TV.  (The photos were uploaded to their website by generous amateur photographers, without attribution.  So the photos weren’t taken by me.  I couldn’t have taken them if I wanted to: I’ve been ordered to stay home, and the road is closed anyway.  I’d attribute them properly if I knew whom to credit.)

Anyway, if you take a look at these photos, you get a poor-man’s time lapse of the fire approaching LANL.  More specifically, you can watch the fire approaching the building where I work.

Just an update on the Las Conchas fire…

I’ve received a few emails from folks wondering if I’m in the path of the fire that’s threatening Los Alamos county and the lab.   I appreciate the concern, very much!  But I’m comfortable and safe.  I don’t live near the Las Conchas fire area.  Please save your good thoughts and prayers for folks in the path of the fire.

(I actually live much closer to the Pacheco fire near the ski basin in the Santa Fe National Forest.)

I’ve just been instructed that I’m not to come to work tomorrow.    

The Las Conchas fire, which started in the Jemez mountains just this afternoon, is already burning so badly (thanks to this afternoon’s 50 mile per hour wind gusts– now you see why I complain about wind all the time) that they’re closing LANL tomorrow.  And they’re talking about evacuating the county. (That part doesn’t effect me, because I don’t live in Los Alamos county.)

The Pacheco fire, to my east, continues burning up the Santa Fe National Forest, very close to the ski basin.

When I bought my first house a few years ago, I owned very little furniture worthy of my new home.  I had a few things—a couple lamps, some dishes, way too many books—but aside from one antique dresser, I didn’t have anything in the way of actual furniture that absolutely had to come to the new digs with me.

Not even the bed. 

Here’s a bewildering coincidence that relates two of my recent blog entries.  This came to my attention a few days ago, while I was watching Bobby Fischer Against the World.  At the time I just about fell out of my chair.  (I’m clumsy that way.)  But, true to form, I’d forgotten to mention it until something reminded me this morning.