All shook up (earthquake in Nor Cal)

Late this afternoon the rumbling under my feet made my heart race. What is THIS? Although it has been more years than I can recall, it was a feeling of helplessness I knew and dreaded. My childhood years were spent in Southern California and in a split second those memories came flooding back. Sitting in front of the computer listening to some Gaelic band (whose name escapes me) on iTunes I quickly ripped off the headset. A low flying plane can shake a house - perhaps that's it. But all was quiet. My sons were at their fathers house; it was just me and Lilly our dog. She acted like nothing was the matter (aren't animals supposed to sense these things?). I grabbed her and then it was over. All that remained was the soft swaying of the light fixture over the table. Although it had been soooo many years since I felt an earthquake, one never forgets.

A magnitude-6.5 earthquake struck off the coast of Northern California this afternoon, shaking buildings, knocking out power in several coastal communities and leaving a trail of broken windows, dishes and chimneys not to mention water, gas and sewer leaks throughout Humboldt County. Thankfully, no major injuries. A lot of mess to clean up. The powerful quake hit at about 4:27 p.m. PST about 22 miles off the coast of Ferndale. The quake hit at a depth of nearly 10 miles. It was felt as far east as Reno, Nevada.

All will be "fine" in time. It's California after all and the earth shakes, especially along the coast. A few short months ago we were vacationing on the redwood coast, an area I dearly LOVE. I feel bad for those who will have to deal with the aftermath of the quake. I don't mean to make light of it, but the possibility of earthquakes is a fact of life. It is out of our hands. Singing, especially in harmony, always makes me feel better. My Dad and the King have the same birthday-yesterday. Dad wasn't an Elvis fan, but I think he'd forgive me this one time.