{"id":12453,"date":"2025-01-15T19:13:01","date_gmt":"2025-01-16T02:13:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/?p=12453"},"modified":"2025-01-15T19:13:01","modified_gmt":"2025-01-16T02:13:01","slug":"the-california-wildfires-and-a-family-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/the-california-wildfires-and-a-family-update\/","title":{"rendered":"The California Wildfires and A Family Update"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_12461\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12461\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12461 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/C716C0D7-63F4-439D-8C0D-332FC454CFD6_1_105_c-650x488.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"488\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/C716C0D7-63F4-439D-8C0D-332FC454CFD6_1_105_c-650x488.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/C716C0D7-63F4-439D-8C0D-332FC454CFD6_1_105_c-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/C716C0D7-63F4-439D-8C0D-332FC454CFD6_1_105_c.jpeg 1024w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 650px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 650\/488;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12461\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">This is the Old Pasadena Bridge in the spring.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The California Wildfires, a devastating natural disaster that has broken records, is where I begin this newsletter. I am literally going to skip over December and move right into January. January has been so emotional and catastrophic that I must honor it. Our December was full of incredible travel experiences and a lovely holiday season, but the California wildfires, which have ravaged thousands of acres and displaced so many families, are at the top of everyone&#8217;s mind.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_12460\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12460\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12460 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DC785D8F-2AA6-466A-B010-E4D889F9835E_1_201_a-650x650.jpeg\" alt=\"California Wildfires\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DC785D8F-2AA6-466A-B010-E4D889F9835E_1_201_a-650x650.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DC785D8F-2AA6-466A-B010-E4D889F9835E_1_201_a-1024x1024.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DC785D8F-2AA6-466A-B010-E4D889F9835E_1_201_a-150x150.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DC785D8F-2AA6-466A-B010-E4D889F9835E_1_201_a-768x768.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DC785D8F-2AA6-466A-B010-E4D889F9835E_1_201_a-1536x1536.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DC785D8F-2AA6-466A-B010-E4D889F9835E_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg 1200w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 650px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 650\/650;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12460\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The authorities are using the Rose Bowl as a command post and staging area for the Eaton Fire.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">A little background:<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> We planned a festive trip to London and Paris, departing on Christmas Day 2024. It was a spectacular trip, and I promise to give you the details next month. However, my newsletter begins this month on the<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> last <\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">day of our European vacation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">My mother&#8217;s husband, Gus, passed away on January 2, 2025, after a two-year battle with cancer. Mom and Gus were married for 36 years. My Mom is 85, strong, healthy, and such an inspiration. However, when you lose your husband, you do need backup, and she has it. My brothers, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, and our kids were there for her as Craig and I made our way home from Paris.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_12455\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-12455\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12455 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_4722_Facetune_31-07-2018-14-24-00-650x488.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"488\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_4722_Facetune_31-07-2018-14-24-00-650x488.jpeg 650w, https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_4722_Facetune_31-07-2018-14-24-00-1024x769.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_4722_Facetune_31-07-2018-14-24-00-768x577.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_4722_Facetune_31-07-2018-14-24-00-1536x1154.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_4722_Facetune_31-07-2018-14-24-00-2048x1539.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_4722_Facetune_31-07-2018-14-24-00-scaled.jpeg 1200w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 650px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 650\/488;\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-12455\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Three generations enjoying Siena, Italy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Gus loved being a grandpa, and as I have reported here many times, he loved being &#8220;G-Pa&#8221; to our twin Grandchildren, James and Josephine. Most of us know how unfair life can be, and our family is trying to fill in the gaps where a great man stood. He was taken far too young, and we will all miss him very much. Mom is doing pretty well, or <\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">as good as you can try to be<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, is the better answer. I wish I could ease her pain, but it&#8217;s just not possible. I can, however, try to make her life a bit easier. This is where the story of the California Wildfires connects with Gus&#8217; passing. Holy cow, what a week.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12456 aligncenter lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_2036-564x800.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"564\" height=\"800\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_2036-564x800.jpeg 564w, https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_2036-721x1024.jpeg 721w, https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_2036-768x1090.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_2036-1082x1536.jpeg 1082w, https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_2036-1443x2048.jpeg 1443w, https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG_2036-scaled.jpeg 845w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 564px) 100vw, 564px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 564px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 564\/800;\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Craig and I flew home to Seattle from Paris. I hugged my dog, washed my clothes, and flew to Pasadena, California, the next day. Mom and I numbly went about the practical household things for two days; we took walks, tended the yard, etc. On Tuesday afternoon, we made the arrangements for Gus at the funeral home, and on Tuesday evening, January 7, the California Wildfires began. The origin of the Eaton fire is about 7 miles from my mom&#8217;s home.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">My sister-in-law Leslie went with us to the funeral home, and on her drive eastward home, the strong Santa Ana winds were howling, trucks were overturned on the freeway, and she saw tree branches cross the highway lanes. She also saw the glow of fire in Eaton Canyon. It was unbelievable and super scary.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">On Wednesday, the unimaginable happened. My Mom received a call at 5:30 am from my brother Kirk, who lives in La Canada, not necessarily close to the fire origin, saying he was being evacuated because of the fire. We didn&#8217;t question the news; we knew the winds were strong and anything could happen. Embers were starting new fires miles from the origin.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">As we scurried around in the dark, getting ready to fix breakfast and comfort my brother and his family, we took another gut punch. One hour later, at 6:30 am on Wednesday, January 8, our phones started honking this hideous sound &#8211; we were being told to &#8220;be ready to be evacuated.&#8221; What? No, we weren&#8217;t anywhere near the fire. Her husband just died; WTF?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Neither one of us had ever faced a situation like this, and I will tell you that there was panic involved, denial, and heartwrenching fear. Once we got our s%it together, we packed up Mom&#8217;s important papers, photos that could not be replaced, sentimental items and loaded her car. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">As we waited for a possible evacuation, we sat on the couch all day, watching the news on different channels like two zombies. We were afraid for my brother and local friends, and an even more profound sadness enveloped us. First, Gus, and now the <\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">local <\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">world was ending? The devastation caused by the wildfires was palpable, with homes and livelihoods being destroyed. We never knew where the fire would go next.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">At times, the trauma of it all was almost more than we could take. We what-iffed ourselves a lot, but ultimately, her house was spared, my brother and family were safe, and so was their home. We are deeply grateful for the support and safety we have received. Thank God.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12457 aligncenter lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/ExtendedFamilyPhotos-32-650x433.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/ExtendedFamilyPhotos-32-650x433.jpg 650w, https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/ExtendedFamilyPhotos-32-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/ExtendedFamilyPhotos-32-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/ExtendedFamilyPhotos-32-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/ExtendedFamilyPhotos-32-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/ExtendedFamilyPhotos-32-scaled.jpg 1200w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 650px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 650\/433;\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">So, what is the moral of this story? Truthfully, I am still working through this. I appreciate you reading all of the excruciating details of our story; it was cathartic for me. The California Wildfires tragedy is beyond words. So many people have lost so much, and my heart aches for them. The wildfires have not only caused physical destruction but also left a deep emotional scar on the community. Anyone we spoke to at the market or restaurant, was affected somehow by this disaster.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">I will say that through social media, I can see many people rallying together to offer assistance; it is inspiring. The community&#8217;s response to the wildfires and their willingness to help and support each other is a beacon of hope in these dark times. It won&#8217;t bring back the homes they lost, but it will assist the fire victims as they begin to rebuild their lives.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">As I type, the fire is still raging, and there is a long way to go. I have gathered some links for you to help if you wish.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Long List of Links<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/5pmlucky.substack.com\/p\/direct-fundraising-for-los-angeles?utm_medium=web&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaYzWlzWv2VcdoQkN7RhkVF0vPJfw5kA60Zn0enmhT5y6iHUBXtDhSJxNJc_aem_k5YpwB8wk0lcbTAltDQDlw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">https:\/\/5pmlucky.substack.com\/p\/direct-fundraising-for-los-angeles?utm_medium=web&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaYzWlzWv2VcdoQkN7RhkVF0vPJfw5kA60Zn0enmhT5y6iHUBXtDhSJxNJc_aem_k5YpwB8wk0lcbTAltDQDlw<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">This is the link to Gaby Dalkin, a Los Angeles cookbook author. She is amazing and is using her connections and 1M Instagram followers to feed the firefighters and raise money with lists of needs of fire victims.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/whatsgabycookin?igsh=MTI2NHc1Z3RyMHQ2Zg==\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/whatsgabycookin?igsh=MTI2NHc1Z3RyMHQ2Zg==<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">This is a newsletter that I never dreamed I would write, but you follow our adventures, and sometimes the adventures are not easy. Thank you again for being here; February should be an easier month. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>On February 7th, we begin our fourth season of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/podcast\/\">Travel Connections Podcast<\/a> with all of the incredible details of our trip to London and Paris for the holidays. In Episode #2 you will also hear from Craig and me as we share our extraordinary tour of Patagonia. February has great promise! You can listen and watch the podcast on <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/travel-connections\/id1583096738\">Apple<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/1ny26ONMm4JOKfVSUlpMn0\">Spotify<\/a>,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.iheart.com\/podcast\/269-travel-connections-90646022\/\"> I Heart Radio<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@SuzanneStavert\">YouTube<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The California Wildfires, a devastating natural disaster that has broken records, is where I begin this newsletter. I am literally going to skip over December and move right into January. January has been so emotional and catastrophic that I must honor it. Our December was full of incredible travel experiences and a lovely holiday season, &#8230; <\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more-container\"><a title=\"The California Wildfires and A Family Update\" class=\"read-more button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/the-california-wildfires-and-a-family-update\/#more-12453\" aria-label=\"Read more about The California Wildfires and A Family Update\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":12460,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3024,2031,4092],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12453","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-empty-nest","category-my-adventures","category-us-west-coast","no-featured-image-padding"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The California Wildfires and A Family Update &#187; Adventures of Empty Nesters<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The California Wildfires are a devastating reminder that life can chang in an instant. In this newsletter is my story of staying with my Mom during this time.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/the-california-wildfires-and-a-family-update\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The California Wildfires and A Family Update &#187; Adventures of Empty Nesters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The California Wildfires are a devastating reminder that life can chang in an instant. In this newsletter is my story of staying with my Mom during this time.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/the-california-wildfires-and-a-family-update\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Adventures of Empty Nesters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Adventures-of-Empty-Nesters-258830094296887\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-01-16T02:13:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DC785D8F-2AA6-466A-B010-E4D889F9835E_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Suzanne\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@suzannestavert\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@suzannestavert\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Suzanne\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/the-california-wildfires-and-a-family-update\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/the-california-wildfires-and-a-family-update\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Suzanne\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/#\/schema\/person\/cb66eeb2eb6951dbee60ba635e50ad20\"},\"headline\":\"The California Wildfires and A Family Update\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-01-16T02:13:01+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/the-california-wildfires-and-a-family-update\/\"},\"wordCount\":1173,\"commentCount\":6,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/the-california-wildfires-and-a-family-update\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DC785D8F-2AA6-466A-B010-E4D889F9835E_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Empty Nest Life\",\"My Adventures\",\"US West Coast\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/the-california-wildfires-and-a-family-update\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/the-california-wildfires-and-a-family-update\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/the-california-wildfires-and-a-family-update\/\",\"name\":\"The California Wildfires and A Family Update &#187; Adventures of Empty Nesters\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/the-california-wildfires-and-a-family-update\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/the-california-wildfires-and-a-family-update\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DC785D8F-2AA6-466A-B010-E4D889F9835E_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-01-16T02:13:01+00:00\",\"description\":\"The California Wildfires are a devastating reminder that life can chang in an instant. In this newsletter is my story of staying with my Mom during this time.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/the-california-wildfires-and-a-family-update\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/the-california-wildfires-and-a-family-update\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/the-california-wildfires-and-a-family-update\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DC785D8F-2AA6-466A-B010-E4D889F9835E_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DC785D8F-2AA6-466A-B010-E4D889F9835E_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":1200,\"caption\":\"California Wildfires\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/the-california-wildfires-and-a-family-update\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The California Wildfires and A Family Update\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/\",\"name\":\"Adventures of Empty Nesters\",\"description\":\"Inspiring and educating travelers to explore what excites them and #findadventure wherever they go.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Adventures of Empty Nesters\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/AOEN-LogoBelluga.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/AOEN-LogoBelluga.png\",\"width\":501,\"height\":182,\"caption\":\"Adventures of Empty Nesters\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Adventures-of-Empty-Nesters-258830094296887\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/suzannestavert\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/suzannestavert\/\",\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/suzannestavert\/adventures-of-empty-nesters\/\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/suzannestavert\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/#\/schema\/person\/cb66eeb2eb6951dbee60ba635e50ad20\",\"name\":\"Suzanne\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3400f925451cef2d9d68be8327f7f30d4078c54e36c36d4db4f33b952fa28f3d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3400f925451cef2d9d68be8327f7f30d4078c54e36c36d4db4f33b952fa28f3d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Suzanne\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/author\/suzannestavert\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The California Wildfires and A Family Update &#187; Adventures of Empty Nesters","description":"The California Wildfires are a devastating reminder that life can chang in an instant. In this newsletter is my story of staying with my Mom during this time.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/the-california-wildfires-and-a-family-update\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The California Wildfires and A Family Update &#187; Adventures of Empty Nesters","og_description":"The California Wildfires are a devastating reminder that life can chang in an instant. In this newsletter is my story of staying with my Mom during this time.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/the-california-wildfires-and-a-family-update\/","og_site_name":"Adventures of Empty Nesters","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Adventures-of-Empty-Nesters-258830094296887\/","article_published_time":"2025-01-16T02:13:01+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":1200,"url":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DC785D8F-2AA6-466A-B010-E4D889F9835E_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Suzanne","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@suzannestavert","twitter_site":"@suzannestavert","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Suzanne","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/the-california-wildfires-and-a-family-update\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/the-california-wildfires-and-a-family-update\/"},"author":{"name":"Suzanne","@id":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/#\/schema\/person\/cb66eeb2eb6951dbee60ba635e50ad20"},"headline":"The California Wildfires and A Family Update","datePublished":"2025-01-16T02:13:01+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/the-california-wildfires-and-a-family-update\/"},"wordCount":1173,"commentCount":6,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/the-california-wildfires-and-a-family-update\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DC785D8F-2AA6-466A-B010-E4D889F9835E_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg","articleSection":["Empty Nest Life","My Adventures","US West Coast"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/the-california-wildfires-and-a-family-update\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/the-california-wildfires-and-a-family-update\/","url":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/the-california-wildfires-and-a-family-update\/","name":"The California Wildfires and A Family Update &#187; Adventures of Empty Nesters","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/the-california-wildfires-and-a-family-update\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/the-california-wildfires-and-a-family-update\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DC785D8F-2AA6-466A-B010-E4D889F9835E_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg","datePublished":"2025-01-16T02:13:01+00:00","description":"The California Wildfires are a devastating reminder that life can chang in an instant. In this newsletter is my story of staying with my Mom during this time.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/the-california-wildfires-and-a-family-update\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/the-california-wildfires-and-a-family-update\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/the-california-wildfires-and-a-family-update\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DC785D8F-2AA6-466A-B010-E4D889F9835E_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/DC785D8F-2AA6-466A-B010-E4D889F9835E_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg","width":1200,"height":1200,"caption":"California Wildfires"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/the-california-wildfires-and-a-family-update\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The California Wildfires and A Family Update"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/","name":"Adventures of Empty Nesters","description":"Inspiring and educating travelers to explore what excites them and #findadventure wherever they go.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/#organization","name":"Adventures of Empty Nesters","url":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/AOEN-LogoBelluga.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/AOEN-LogoBelluga.png","width":501,"height":182,"caption":"Adventures of Empty Nesters"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Adventures-of-Empty-Nesters-258830094296887\/","https:\/\/x.com\/suzannestavert","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/suzannestavert\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/suzannestavert\/adventures-of-empty-nesters\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/suzannestavert\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/#\/schema\/person\/cb66eeb2eb6951dbee60ba635e50ad20","name":"Suzanne","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3400f925451cef2d9d68be8327f7f30d4078c54e36c36d4db4f33b952fa28f3d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3400f925451cef2d9d68be8327f7f30d4078c54e36c36d4db4f33b952fa28f3d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Suzanne"},"url":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/author\/suzannestavert\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12453","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12453"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12453\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12460"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12453"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12453"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adventuresofemptynesters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12453"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}