Thanksgiving in January!

I was working hard at my computer this afternoon, when Ken called with a question prior to heading home from work. At the end of the conversation, I told him I was nervous because I had been hearing a bunch of bumping and banging around (at one point it sounded like perhaps someone had been on our porch but they hadn't knocked on our door), people talking loudly, and a rumbly vehicle that was parked somewhere nearby and running, running, running... I just wished that the people who were banging and bumping and talking loudly would get IN the vehicle and drive away!

He asked, "Well, have you looked out to see what might be going on?"

"No," I answered, "because with all that noise, I didn't think sticking my head out the door was a bright idea!"

He suggested that I stick my head out the door while he was on the phone with me. To my surprise, those loud-talking people were firemen and policemen, and the rumbly vehicle was a hook-and-ladder truck parked at the end of our trailer! A police cruiser was parked half in our parking spot, half in our lawn. Lights were flashing. People were milling about. Down the hill was parked a smaller fire dept SUV. I hurried to look out a window on the other side of the trailer--there I saw a mid-size fire truck, another police cruiser, another large fire truck, two ambulances, and a conglomeration of civilian vehicles.

I looked up and down the street, but didn't see any fire, smoke, or burning or burned building, so I wasn't certain what had happened. I reported that to Ken and then added, "It must be a trailer down beyond what I can see."

We hung up, and I went outside to see if I could see what the source of the excitement was or find someone who might know what had happened. A lady across the street, on the other side of the fire truck, pointed at the trailer directly across the street from us, so I walked over to and around the fire truck. My eyes popped open! I hadn't been able to see the trailer because of the fire truck blocking my view. All the windows were broken out, and we could see the blackened inside of the trailer! The firemen predict it to be a total loss.

Another lady, our next-door neighbor, told me that she had been out for a little walk earlier and had noticed what she thought was steam coming from a vent. On her return, she thought she smelled smoke but assumed that perhaps someone was grilling and went back inside her house. A few minutes later she thought, "Wait a minute, I don't think anyone was home. I better check that trailer across the street again." When she looked out her front door, the trailer was completely engulfed in flames. She immediately called 911, then rushed over to the burning trailer. (She's the one who had been on our porch, but she thought nobody was home and left without knocking.) Another neighbor, a man, was already there, breaking windows and trying to get a door open so he could spray his fire extinguisher.

And to think... I was sitting quietly at my desk diligently working on my project wishing the whole time that the people who were banging and bumping and talking loudly would get IN the vehicle and drive away!!

The young lady who lived there was at work. We all sympathize with her. What a dreadful sight to come home to! Her sister also lives here in the community, so she was going to meet her and tell her about the fire and then accompany her home. Her sister also has room for her to stay with her until things get worked out.

Needless to say the community (on our street especially) is full of thanksgiving to God that no people were hurt (the ladies' three cats perished--I won't say trilogy :) ), that the strong winds we have been having this week weren't blowing this afternoon, and that the fire was contained quickly and didn't spread to other trailers. "Thank you, Lord, for Your blessings on me!!"

Thanksgiving knows no season.