Apache Fire

Frontline has been ordered for the Apache Fire. It is located in the San Jacinito Wilderness, near Palm Springs.

Not a lot of info yet. I will keep ya'll posted. I was wrong with my prediction this year. I had predicted June 23 to be the first fire.

Stay tuned....2008 is under way.

dj

Apr 29

Warm. Warm. Warm.

Now were talking. I think winter has finally started to go where ever it goes for the summer. The grass is growing. There is a cloud of dust following the truck as I drive down the driveway. The dogs are beginning to shed. The horses have lost most of their winter coat. I'm glad that we don't do the shedding thing. Wouldn't that be weird? Every spring we lose our hair. Some folks would love it. I wonder what the hair salons would do for business.

Off to Reno today...gonna go feel some earthquakin'.

CLASSES

May 19 - CPR Pro / Wilderness First Aid - USFS - Quincy - CLASS FULL
May 24 - Graeagle Fire - Wildland / Fire Shelter Refresher
May 30,31,June 1, June 6,7,8 - First Responder - Alta - Placer County
**Check out www.firecourse.com for the official sign up for this class

Stay safe.

Dj

Ps. Toaka says...."Good morning, Oh master of the food dish....just a reminder.....my food dish is EMPTY!!!!".

Apr 28

Fire season has kicked off early. A Type 2 team has been activated for a fire in Southern California. It is a small fire, but it is Southern Cal. It gets a lot of attention.

Yesterday the horses got their first bath of the season. Ahhh...nice warm water. Lots of suds. A good brushing. Boy you should have seen all the dirt coming of of them. Teddy just stood there with this dreamy look on his face. Cinder insisted on helping with everything. Both were sqeaky clean when the ordeal was completed. Who knew...? Who knew the whole time they were being scrubbed, they were plotting. They each came of with this devious plan. When the baths were done, both were walked back to the barn. Cinder was the first to unleash his wrath of rebellion. Teddy soon followed suit. Upon being released from the confines of his halter, Cinder promptly rolled in dry powdery dirt. His shiny, clean, wet hair was now covered in a thin film of mud. Teddy rolled in the grass and poop. Within an hour, both had rolled in dirt, poop, grass, and mud. They were clean for all of 15 minutes. It didn't matter. Both enjoyed the bath. Both enjoyed getting dirty again.

CLASSES

May 19 - CPR Pro / Wilderness First Aid - USFS - Quincy - CLASS FULL
May 24 - Graeagle Fire - Wildland / Fire Shelter Refresher
May 30,31,June 1, June 6,7,8 - First Responder - Alta - Placer County
**Check out www.firecourse.com for the official sign up for this class

Have a great day.

Dj

Ps. Toaka says..."Hmmm...Maybe if I took a bath...then rolled in the mud...I would get a snack."

Apr 22

Winter is back. It is cold and overcast. They say it is supposed to snow today or tonight. Yuck.
I am so ready for winter to be long gone. I will welcome the mosquitoes and flies.

CLASSES

May 19 - CPR Pro / Wilderness First Aid - USFS - Quincy - CLASS FULL
May 24 - Graeagle Fire - Wildland / Fire Shelter Refresher
May 30,31,June 1, June 6,7,8 - First Responder - Alta - Placer County
**Check out www.firecourse.com for the official sign up for this class

Have a great day.

Dj

Ps. Toaka says...."What happened to the sun? Where did that nice warm air go? When is it supposed be hot outside? Who is going to give me a snack? Why don't I have a snack right now?"

Apr 21

Good morning.

No wonder I can't grow any tomatoes. It feels like January outside. The sun is out longer, but it is still cold. The tricks our plants into thinking it's time grow. The plants try to come out, then...Wham! Freeze! I noticed my raspberry's were putting on leaves. I hope they tolerate this blast of frozen air. Usually I am the last person wishing for some rain, but rain would warm it up and save the plants.

CLASSES

May 19 - CPR Pro / Wilderness First Aid - USFS - Quincy - CLASS FULL
May 24 - Graeagle Fire - Wildland / Fire Shelter Refresher
May 30,31,June 1, June 6,7,8 - First Responder - Alta - Placer County
**Check out www.firecourse.com for the official sign up for this class

Stay Safe.

Dj.

Ps. Toaka says..."Ok. I didn't get any of that lovely popcorn at the tire store. How about something from...??...the meat counter...yeah, yeah....that's the ticket...a nice big juicy T-bone...yeah...that will be just fine."

Apr 20

Where did that wind come from yesterday? I thought I was back in New Orleans. I knew for sure Rita was coming for a visit. We got wind, rain, sleet, more wind...and popcorn snow. This morning the sky is clear and cold. It doesn't feel like spring in California. It feels more like spring in Iceland.

Not a lot going on today. Training...getting ready for the season.

CLASSES

May 19 - CPR Pro / Wilderness First Aid - USFS - Quincy - CLASS FULL
May 24 - Graeagle Fire - Wildland / Fire Shelter Refresher
May 30,31,June 1, June 6,7,8 - First Responder - Alta - Placer County
**Check out www.firecourse.com for the official sign up for this class

Stay safe.

Dj

Ps. Toaka says..."Oh boy!! The tire store!! Look Dad, there's popcorn inside...right there in that lovely machine thats makes the lovely snacks."

Apr 19

Good Morning.

Watched "Home of the Brave" last night. It is a movie about a group of soldiers coming home from Iraq. Samuel L. Jackson plays a combat surgeon. I thought it would be a good movie. Most movies with Samuel L. are pretty good. I was disappointed with this flick. The content was good. The idea was good. The casting was bad. The odds of that many soldiers, from the same regiment, living in the same town when they return...that was a little unrealistic. But it portrayed what are boys and girls are going through. It portrayed what all soldiers who have seen combat go through. Iraq is no exception. Let's finish what we started and bring our folks home.

Fires are already starting in Northern California. There was a small fire in the Redwoods, north of Eureka yesterday. CalFire caught it, but it was a start in an area that should be wet right now. It won't be long now. We will be going here, going there...fire season will be in full swing. Let's all stay safe out there. There have been 3 fatalities so far this season. A bridge, damaged by fire, collapsed...while an engine was crossing over. That killed 2 volunteer fire fighters. One pilot was killed when his SEAT (Single Engine Air Tanker) crashed. Some accidents are unavoidable, but some are avoidable. Think before for you do anything.

CLASSES

May 19 - CPR Pro / Wilderness First Aid - USFS - Quincy - CLASS FULL
May 24 - Graeagle Fire - Wildland / Fire Shelter Refresher
May 30,31,June 1, June 6,7,8 - First Responder - Alta - Placer County
**Check out www.firecourse.com for the official sign up for this class

Stay Safe.

Dj

ps. Toaka says...."Woo Hoo!!! A car is pulling up in the drive...maybe THEY will give me a snack".

Apr 18

Good morning.

It's another beautiful spring day in the Sierras. Once again, the horses are standing in the morning sun...sleeping. I don't get it. How do they stand there asleep without falling over. I've never seen one fall. I have seen one stumble a bit, but not fall. They do lay down sometimes. Usually in the mornings, after things warm up. They don't like to lay down at night, because all the bad creatures come out. They are afraid of those bad creatures. Thank god...the sun is out...they finally sleep.

Check out some of the links on the website. Fire season is picking up in the Southwest.

CLASSES

April 19 - Frontline Medical - Pack Test - Graeagle
May 19 - CPR Pro / Wilderness First Aid - USFS - Quincy - CLASS FULL
May 24 - Graeagle Fire - Wildland / Fire Shelter Refresher
May 30,31,June 1, June 6,7,8 - First Responder - Alta - Placer County
**Check out www.firecourse.com for the official sign up for this class

Hava great day. Stay Safe.

Dj.

ps. Toaka says..."Ok. Here goes. PLEASE!!! I NEED A SNACK. Hmmmm....I don't think he heard me. Maybe if I bring him a lovely stick?"

Apr 17

Good Morning.

Finally the weather dude on the tele, says it's supposed to warm up. Just what I've been waiting for. I can go out in yard and do my chores without the parka. I have seen an increase in the number of Robins flying around, so spring must really be here. No flies yet though. With the warm weather, all the bugs will burst into a flurry of activity. Some will bite. Some will simply fly around and make more bugs. I'm not sure how many of them fly around and make new bugs at the same time. I know bees fly around and make new bees at the same time. Well...that's a whole different topic. I don't care how many of our local bugs are capable of flying and reproducing at the same time. All I know is, the flies are coming. The gnats will not be far behind. The mosquitoes mix it in every where they can. Did you know that it is the female mosquito that bites us? She needs your blood to lay her eggs into. The males have but one job and they don't bite. They never even try to bite. Well, that's your entomology lesson for the day.

CLASSES

April 19 - Graeagle Fire - Wildland / Shelter Refresher - Canceled
April 19 - Frontline Medical - Pack Test - Graeagle
May 19 - CPR Pro / Wilderness First Aid - USFS - Quincy - CLASS FULL
May 24 - Graeagle Fire - Wildland / Fire Shelter Refresher
May 30,31,June 1, June 6,7,8 - First Responder - Alta - Placer County
**Check out www.firecourse.com for the official sign up for this class

Stay Safe.

Dj


ps. Toaka says..."Let's see..I visited the lady at the Forest Service, I visited the Fire Department...not a single snack. What's wrong with this picture?"

Apr 16

Good Morning.

They sky is clear. The air is crisp. It is spring in the Sierras. The horses are standing in meadow soaking in the morning sun. They love it.

I awoke this morning to a dog frantically barking. Someone was in a hurry to get outside. I'm not sure who. Usually when you go into their bedroom, they all act like they need to go out. It is almost impossible to tell which one had become the morning alarm clock. They rush to the door. The door opens...and it's a total frenzy. They run to their favorite morning spot. At least they go pick out a favorite morning spot for the day. Tomorrow morning it might be a different spot. It might be right next to yesterday's favorite spot. It might be 300 feet away from yesterdays favorite spot. You can rest assured...they will pick a favorite spot for today. They have no problems sharing that spot with another. Their hearts are very giving. They will even let me use their spot...if I so desire. I fight off that urge and go inside for my morning coffee.

With this nice weather comes a lot of chores. So have a great day.

CLASSES

April 16 - Graeagle Fire - Forcible entry
April 19 - Graeagle Fire - Wildland / Shelter Refresher
May 19 - CPR Pro / Wilderness First Aid - USFS - Quincy - CLASS FULL
May 30,31,June 1, June 6,7,8 - First Responder - Alta - Placer County
**Check out www.firecourse.com for the official sign up for this class

Stay Safe.

Dj


ps. Ted Says..."If Toaka is getting snack...maybe I need one too. All I ever get is grass. Come on...I could use piece of pizza...a burrito...something different."

Apr 15

Good morning.

Just when we thought spring was here. Yesterday a cold front came through. We got wind, rain, hail, and snow. The deck was covered this morning, but none stuck to the ground. The sky is dark and gloomy. There is nothing about this weather that makes you crave the great outdoors. In fact it makes you crave a tropical island some where in the South Pacific. The one good thing about this kind of weather is no flies. They go back into hiding. They lay low for another warm day. They lurk from the corners of the barn. They watch every move you make. They remember where the freshest poop pile is, so when the sun comes back out they know right where to go. They are waiting.

We did get most of the new trailer stocked yesterday. It is coming together nicely. I still need to stock the patient care area. Then comes the final clean-up.



CLASSES

April 16 - Graeagle Fire - Forcible entry
April 19 - Graeagle Fire - Wildland / Shelter Refresher
May 19 - CPR Pro / Wilderness First Aid - USFS - Quincy - CLASS FULL
May 30,31,June 1, June 6,7,8 - First Responder - Alta - Placer County
**Check out www.firecourse.com for the official sign up for this class

Other classes will be posted as the dates become confirmed.

Stay Safe.

Dj

ps. Toaka says..."It's cold outside this morning....I know....Maybe some oatmeal would warm me up....yeah, yeah....that's the ticket...oatmeal!!."

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Apr 14

Good morning.

Today we are trying to get the new trailer completely ready for fire season. You don't realize how well equipped Frontline is, until you stock a new trailer. It still amazes me how many different items we carry. There are a lot of items we rarely use, but we need them just in case. I don't think I will ever use an emergency OB kit at a wildland fire, but the state requires us to have one.

Here at home the grass is really starting to grow. The horses are loving it. They won't be so chipper when the mosquitoes come out. I got my first mosquito bite of the season last night. She didn't survive the encounter, but I got bit none the less. I know relatives of my New Orleans friends will soon be buzzing around the barn. I have seen a few in passing, but it is still a little cold at night. You all know I am talking about...FLIES!! Yes. We have flies here in California. Not like the flies in NOLA, but they are still flies. Lots of them. When you have livestock, you have flies. I read an add about fly control. It says to buy their flies to control our flies. Well let's see...these flies eat the larva of my flies. Pretty soon you will have less flies...or will you just have more of their flies? I guess it depends on which flies are a bigger bother. I kind of look at it like this. Flies are flies are flies. Big flies. Little flies. Flying flies (I think that's how they get their name). Crawling flies. They are all flies. They usually live on or around a bunch of poop. They bother the horses. They land on your hamburgers. They land on the rim of your Rum and Pine Apple juice. They are flies. There are chemical spray systems you can mount in the barn...but what about the flies that never go into the barn? Do they see what happened to their cousins and fly away in fear? Nope. They lay their eggs outside....wah lah!! ... more flies.

That's enough about flies today.

CLASSES
April 16 - Graeagle Fire - Forcible entry
April 19 - Graeagle Fire - Wildland / Shelter Refresher
May 19 - CPR Pro / Wilderness First Aid - USFS - Quincy - CLASS FULL
May 16,17,18, June 6,7,8 - First Responder - Alta - Placer County
**Check out www.firecourse.com for the official sign up for this class

Other classes will be posted as the dates become confirmed.

Stay Safe....and fly free.

Dj




ps. Toaka says..."All these flies better not get any of my snacks."

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Apr 13

CLASSES

May 19 - CPR Pro / Wilderness First Aid - USFS - Quincy - CLASS FULL
May 16,17,18, June 6,7,8 - First Responder - Alta - Placer County
**Check out www.firecourse.com for the official sign up for this class

Other classes will be posted as the dates become confirmed.

Have a great day.

Dj

ps. Toaka says..."Ahhh....spring....the warm air...the sun...birds are chirping...I can smell BBQ chicken....maybe I'll get a piece."

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Apr 11

Not a cloud in the sky...now this is what spring is supposed to look like. It's still a little cold this morning, but the sky is beautiful.

No geese in meadow for the last couple of days. Teddy is very happy. He does not like the thought of sharing his hay with geese. They don't really eat much, he just does not like to share.

NEWS FLASH

American Idol - Michael Johns - voted off
It was going to happen sooner or later - he sings good, just never put his own twist on things. He sang the songs just like the originals. Boring.

During Idol Gives Back, they raised over 62 million dollars. This money goes towards helping children all over the world. In Africa, a child dies every 30 seconds from Malaria...this is a preventable disease. If you are interested in helping, go to...

www.americanidol.com


CLASSES

May 19 - CPR Pro / Wilderness First Aid - USFS - Quincy - CLASS FULL
May 16,17,18, June 6,7,8 - First Responder - Alta - Placer County
**Check out www.firecourse.com for the official sign up for this class

Other classes will be posted as the dates become confirmed.

Have a great day.

Dj

ps. Toaka says..."WOW!! What a wonderful day. I got a snack first thing this morning. Can I have another?"

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Apr 10

Good Morning.

Fire season is slowly creeping up on us. Each day gets a little longer and a little warmer. Southern California is getting a few starts. They aren't getting very big right now...but there's no wind. The point is, things are picking up.

Frontline's new trailer is almost ready. Our doctor stopped by yesterday and put his stamp of approval on it. I think he walked away thinking he would rather work in the new trailer than his own office. It certainly has enough room.

Frontline Medical is going to add a few more procedures to our services we provide to fire camps. Along with our ability to treat poison oak in camp, we will soon add suturing. This can save the government even more money.

CLASSES

May 19 - CPR Pro / Wilderness First Aid - USFS - Quincy - CLASS FULL
May 16,17,18, June 6,7,8 - First Responder - Alta - Placer County
**Check out www.firecourse.com for the official sign up for this class

Other classes will be posted as the dates become confirmed.

Stay Safe.

Dj

ps. Toaka says..."Ok,Ok,Ok....mom's not awake yet, she'll never know...she hides the snacks right up there in that cupboard."

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Apr 9

Well, let's see....

American Idol - they will vote off another contestant tonight
Dancing with the Stars - last night they voted off Adam and Julianne
I don't think anyone has won a million dollars on Deal or no Deal
Can you believe? Vanna is still turning the letters on Wheel of Fortune

The new trailer is almost ready to stock with supplies. A couple of minor details need to be addressed, but for the most part it's ready.

CLASSES

Tonight - medical training - Graeagle Fire Hall
May 19 - CPR Pro / Wilderness First Aid - USFS - Quincy - CLASS FULL
May 16,17,18, June 6,7,8 - First Responder - Alta - Placer County
**Check out www.firecourse.com for the official sign up for this class

Other classes will be posted as the dates become confirmed.

That's all the news for today.

Stay Safe

Dj

ps. Toaka says..."OK...enough begging...I NEED A SNACK...come on...please!! It's right there on the counter...oh, and there's one right there in the pantry...and in the refrigerator...that's where the really good snacks hide."

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Apr 8

Funny thing this morning. I was here drinking my coffee, watching the horses graze in the morning sun. Then all of a sudden, two very large Canadian Geese landed in the meadow near the horses. They looked like two WW2 bombers lumbering into an airfield. Cinder looked up from his morning meal, ears alert, and watched these two frequent guests. When their landing was complete, he rolled his eyes as of to say..."show offs"..., and returned to grazing. Teddy on the other hand put on a slightly different display of protest. He stopped grazing, ears alert, and watched the arrival of what he thought was aliens from another planet. He snorted. He stomped his foot. He turned and looked towards the house, as if he might find some sort of support coming from the door that the humans walk through. He found no such support. He turned back towards these beasts that were for sure going to eat all of his grass. He just knows there is not enough to share with these gluttons who share the sky with the clouds. He tried snorting again. The geese ignored his protests. They simply wanted some of the same grass the horses were grazing. Teddy protested a little more. He gained enough support form his horse type companions and led them over to the barn....where it is safe. Those things won't dare go over there. So, one by one,...led by Teddy...the horses left. The two geese are still quietly grazing...alone.

Have a great day.

Dj

ps. Toaka says..."The geese get snacks, the horses get snacks, now....where's mine."

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Apr 7

Toaka Says..."The sun is out, the birds are arriving, there's grass growing in the meadow...it's just not fair...the horses get snacks, the birds get snacks....where's mine?"


Last friday, a close friend of the family was in a vehicle accident. He was flown to UC Davis Trauma Center, in Sacramento. Our prayers and thoughts go to him and his family.

Wednesday night - Medical Training - Graeagle Fire Hall - 1830 hrs
May 19 - CPR Pro / Wilderness First Aid - USFS - Mt Hough - Quincy - CLASS FULL

CPR Classes are available - call to arrange a date for you

Hava a great day.

Dj

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Apr 3

It was great seeing all of you at the IMT Workshop.

Those MEDL's who could not make it, feel free to contact me for some new I-Suite info. It just got a little easier. I think we will have some new burn assessment forms as well (Thanks Scotty). MEDL McKinney put together alot of burn injury and burn center information. It's great stuff to keep in your files...and use.

Now it's time to get our new Mobile Med Unit up and running. Most of the build up is done. We just need to stock it. As most of you know, that's a big job for Frontline. We carry a lot of supplies.

The new trailer is much larger, with four segregated patient beds. Frontline will be able to provide a much more professional environment...at the same price.

Stay Safe.

Dj

ps. Toaka says..."WOOO HOOO!!...Dad's back....Did Ya bring me any snacks from Reno?"

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April 1

Good morning all you Fools.

Yes, that's right, it's April Fools Day. The we all play tricks on each other. I'm not sure what started this day of trickery. Maybe someone will share that info with me today.

Today we are at the IMT Workshop in Reno.

Look at yesterday's entry to get the up to date class list.

Stay Safe.

Dj

ps. Toaka says..."I'm famished, I haven't eaten in days, (mouth drooling) if I don't get some sort of snack...I'll...I'll...(staggering)...I'll...April Fools."

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