O'Melveny Park.....

is gone. Burned down to the ground by the Sylmar fire from two weeks ago. I went there yesterday, knowing that the fire had damaged that area. But I was not sure how bad the park was affected. On my way there, I noticed one jogger in particular who I use to see when I jogged at the park. But he was jogging on the side walk of a busy street, like many other joggers and bike riders that day. As I drove down Balboa Blvd in Granada Hills, and I could see the damage from the fire on the hillside, bare, with chard twigs that were once trees or bushes, sprouting from the ground. That entire area still smelled like it was burning.
Then I saw O'Melveny Park. It was awful. No grass, No trees. What was the sign at the entrance of the park, now stood two blackened poles. The whole front was covered with yellow "Do No Cross" tape. I wept uncontrollably at the destruction. I had spent a lot of time there after the loss of my job in late 2006. And now I feel like the community, as a whole, lost endless amounts of memories. No more coyotes, rabbits or rattlesnakes. No more trails. No more challenging jogs or bike rides. nothing. It breaks my heart how careless people are and the outcome of that carelessness.
I wish I continued visiting that park.
Luckily I have photos from one hike :


I did not take any photos of the damage. I was an emotional wreck and I had to shake the images that I saw that morning.I still felt helpless but I needed to see something else. Then I remembered how close I live to the E.T. House, in Tujunga. Yes, the house where Elliot cared for his friend from another world.
Since it was a holiday, the freeways weren't all crazy. So I went home after my trip to the park and googled the house. A 20 minute drive later, I found the home that is ingrained in my mind from my childhood.

I couldn't believe my eyes. I was star struck by a house! I wanted to scream and jump up and down, but I had to hold it all in since it was a quiet holiday in some one else's neighborhood.
A very strange and emotionally filled Thanksgiving.