What to Pack?

In the days since being evacuated due to wildfire and returning to our house still standing, many people have asked, “What did you pack in that 1 hour?”

Luckily, we did not panic!  We thought about our possessions carefully and chose to take mainly those that are irreplaceable and/or sentimental…  not as many as you’d think.  Joel took a couple of “pre-packed boxes” of old transparency film not yet converted to digital.  I packed my late father’s Brooklyn Dodgers pennant from his boyhood that I recently had framed.  I also packed two small paintings by my maternal grandmother.  Joel packed several photography books that he’s had for years and are no longer available in print.  We also packed a Navajo wedding basket used during our wedding ceremony-  a close friend’s family made it for us, which gives it even more significance.  There were other things too, but these were the first ones in the car.  Of course our dogs are the most important and valuable “items,” but they wouldn’t let us forget them!

I have to admit, driving away from the house through the smoke-filled air, down our little dirt road clogged with fire fighting personnel, was terrifying.  It pays to pre-plan, and given our choice to live next to the forest, we had a plan that worked out for us.

My next post will be photography-related, I promise!

Ciao!