News from Partington Ridge...

June 30, 2008, about 10:15 am....

This morning, I received an email from Partington Ridge resident and friend Toby Rowland-Jones:

 "... we are okay for the time being... it's been an amazing firefight around the ridge we live on... yesterday we lost a house and an art studio belonging to friends... so sad... our ridge is still surrounded by fire... we're okay for the time being... it's Partington Ridge." 

Linda, Toby's wife, blogs on Survision upon which there are some harrowing accounts and stunning pictures "from the front lines."

The pictures to the above and below are those I took from Partington Ridge to the sea, before the blaze, in February of this year.

If you've never been to Partington Ridge, or Big Sur, for that matter, life is both simpler and harder than that of many who cluster closer to what is alleged to be "civilization."  As the crow flies, Partington is about 11 miles away from us in Jamesburg.  So, for all intents and purposes, Toby and Linda are neighbors of Martha and me.

A while back, in February of this year, a rather remarkable gentleman, who happened to be an artist and a Partington Ridge resident for about 35 years, died.

Bob Nash is legend in Big Sur, and Toby and Linda and the neighbors threw a "graduation" ceremony for Bob.

It was well-attended, and though I was a more recent friend of Bob's, I had the honor of representing Central Coast Public Radio, KUSP, at the event. It was Bob's favorite station - his eyesight had failed in his late-eighties - and so, radio was one way to keep up on events and music. 

Bob loved KUSP, and thought he didn't have much money, he contributed to the support of the station. For that reason - and because he liked to listen to my little two-minute radio piece, called "Life in the Fast Lane", twice a week - I got to know Bob, and subsequently, Linda and Toby.

 Here's Toby, Linda, a neighbor's daughter and a few of  the many who attended Bob's "graduation" ceremony.

 Linda is the one who's doubled over with  laughter, something of which she seems to do a lot (good on ya', Linda).