Tricia, Actually that's what I was alluding to when I said, whatever other goings on were going on DURING siesta. I don't know if there actually was a Yellow Rose of Texas, it's cool to think there might have been! But in any case, there apparently were some activities going on in the Mexican camp which helped the Texas army catch the Mexicans not only by surprise, but in positions compromising enough to require some recovery before they could swing into action. I took a Geography of Texas class in college where I learned a lot of history as well as geography. I've gleaned some additional education from different sources through the years as well. The most interesting facts are the ones that got left out when elementary school!

It is calm here today. No wind to speak of and a bit damp from a misty rain this morning. It was very windy and dry that day. Three days of high wind. It started on the outside just under the lower siding under a set of doors we put in. So, fresh siding and paint, latex exterior...a few years ago. It is a newer extension put on in the 60's. A material, (probably celetex) was used as a house wrap, aprox 1/4 inch thick. A fiber product that involved some tar of some type. No brand name i can see or find, just some line markings to aid in application...a spark or something must have found the edge, 'the perfect storm'...the neighbor was mowing just a few feet from that area. (?) Still no answers but asking everyone. Sandra-it is lovely here as you know. Nice that you experienced it. dcarch- I'm an artist and know about combustibles. Though many are odd and unexplainable. We were painting the shed far out back. Latex tinted primer. No electric near the area where it burned. Just the fiber board was smoldering, we guess for a few hours as we smelled it. It caught the back of the siding and was starting to burn...and still a mystery. And just about 1 square food of actual burn char. Back to cooking. I made a lovely fish stew. : )

Aww, thanks Cattyles. But, sadly, it's still looking pretty ferocious. I took this pic of it this morning to send to DD as a warning of what to expect. Lucky for me, though, my Bare Minerals (powdered makeup) covers it really well for when I do go out in public. This is this morning before Bare Minerals: But, here I am right after the Bare Minerals makeup. This is before, though, I brush on a tan-ish sculpting powder that takes away some of the bluish-white.

It has been very very hazy here for the past week, and they say that it is actually smoke from the Southern CA fires! We are 400 miles away. It is supposed to be dry and windy here for the next few days, and we have not had any rain for 3-4 weeks. Much of the entire area around SF Bay is under a "fire watch". Berkeley (which last burned in the 1920s - my grandmother used to tell me about it) has asked everyone who lives in the wooded hills (just like the Oakland hills which burned a few years ago - steep, narrow windy roads) to park their cars in garages of otherwise off the streets, so that fire equipment can use the streets if necessary. They are serious - it is scary. Jackie