Paradise Visit 2019

I recently this past weekend got together with a bunch of friends that grew up with me in Paradise. We were able to visit our childhood homes and see what has happened to our homes (Paradise will always have a place in our hearts). All I can say is I don’t have words to express the magnitude of what happened. All the stories and difficulties that have happened and are still happening. For each and everyone of us our experience is different and personal. It hits us in different ways. Ways we are not even aware of until those feelings come rushing in. For me there are many triggers, but at the moment it’s nostalgia of childhood friends thinking of past and present and this chimney. Why this chimney? This was the chimney where my families Christmas stockings would be hung across a wooden beam mantle. The kitchen table was right in front of it. A place that brings back so many memories. Although this picture is sad, my memories are not. My friends and I no longer live in Paradise, but some of us still had family there and we all have lots of memories there. I like how my friend more or less put it. Our visit was a bit sobering and we were absorbing both past memories while being confronted with the present destruction right before us. Those two things made it hard.

It was an enjoyable time with my friends. I had not seen them for over 25 years. It was like we were never separated. We got together and it was like good old times. I just wish it were for a different reason, but this has brought us closer together and I feel we will make more of an effort to have small reunions more often. I can’t wait.

Is this goodbye to Paradise forever? Not for me. I have family in Chico so I’ll be around every now and then. Paradise, CA will never be the same though. Homes, people and the environment will all change. I can see a slow rebuild happening in the future, but my little home town is lost, how I know it, forever. In memories it will live on and have a special place in my heart forever.

Chimney of the house I grew up in - Paradise, CA April 2019

Paradise “Camp Fire” Nov. 2018

I don’t even know how to begin.  My hometown Paradise, CA.  A place that never leaves my heart and where family still dwells.  My heart goes out to all of you that live there and those of you that are helping and serving.  I am still in shock and unbelief weeks later.   So much devastation and destruction.  It’s a nightmare that became reality.  I don’t want to focus on the negative even though that is all I can think of when my eyes see all that nothingness throughout the town.  It has been weeks since it started and the Paradise post mentions that “A total of 13,696 single-family homes, 276 multi-family residences and  514 commercial buildings have been destroyed by the fire that started  Nov. 8 off Camp Creek Road near Pulga in the Feather River Canyon.  153,336 acres have burned, at least 85 people died, and 296 are listed as unaccounted.”  My heart goes out to all those people from the area that had to go through this experience.  I can’t even imagine how it was, but my heart is with you and those kind enough to serve and help in the area.  I do truly wish I could be there to help my family and anyone compacted by this tragedy. 

Growing up in Paradise was good.  I loved playing in my backyard in honey run creek catching bugs or looking at the dragon flies pass by.  Playing in the “trails” making forts or tree lookouts with friends.  The fun of shooting BB guns and home made blow guns in our backyard.  Seeing deer pass through or stop by to eat our flowers.  Riding bikes all over town with no sidewalks and going so fast down those hills.  Going back up not so fun, but all good times.  Walking pretty far to friends houses or even to the grocery store.  Never any room for boredom or maybe boredom helped create fun like slicing through water filled soda cans with swords.  I’m sure my friends and I remember good times like those.  Really it was a great place to grow up.  I’ve never been able to create the same type of environment for my kids unfortunately.  

I and all fellow Paradisians will have an attachment to the town even after we leave.  Memories are what we take with us,  I’m glad that my family made it out safe even if there is nothing to return to.  We still can hang onto our rich memories that will stay with us forever.   With love…

The is where I grew up. Totally destroyed all but memories.

Photo credit goes to whomever took the picture for the active destruction map of the Camp Fire that started on Nov. 8th, 2018