The Harris Fire sweeps along the ridge lines of Mt. San Miguel as I describe the fire that threatened Spring Valley, as well as some of the other fires in the county. Santa Ana winds, a strange light in the sky, smoke and flames add up to a once in a generation experience. I discuss possibly evacuating and the difficult choices when packing an emergency bag, facing the fact that everything else but what you take may be burned and lost, like correspondence, writing journals, CDs, and my road bike.

A majestic display of the moon, Saturn, Venus, and Regulus brings me out for another pre-dawn show. Two race reports: La Jolla Rough Water Swim and the Mission Bay Triathlon. An idea involving GPS/SMS (MMS?) for haiku and history.