On Christmas Eve my daughter and I hiked through Temescal Canyon Park in the Pacific Palisades during what started as a rainy and misty afternoon. The landscape was dusty and dry but uplifting and breathtaking. We walked mostly in silence, taking in the bird song and rustling wind. Being in her familiar terrain, she led and I followed. One can easily feel the history in this labyrinth of old trails which traverse for miles and open to expansive ocean vistas. On this particular day our view was curtailed by low clouds blowing around us but we were grateful to be in such beauty all the same. In the end the sky opened briefly to a brilliant blue.

Since Tuesday this area and several others have been ravaged by wildfire and will be forever changed. As of today, the LA Times reported at least five people have died, more than 2,000 structures have burned and at least 130,000 residents are under evacuation orders due to the fires raging across Los Angeles County. The Palisades Fire is “one of the most destructive natural disasters in the history of Los Angeles” and as I write is still spreading. Containment is unknown. Beyond prayers, which are always needed in such horrific times, donations can be made to a number of organizations found here.

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