As the day wore on so many friends and family called and emailed to say how much they cared, and what love they had for us and the Farm. I have never understood until now that Soul Food Farm meant anything to anyone else except us.

All these offers of love and help and food are so uplifting and are the energy and motivation we need now to keep working and clean up our farm. And how wise of so many of you to know that food would be the balm of so many worries, and all the good wishes and encouragement the balm for our soul.

In spirit you have all become a very meaningful part of Soul Food Farm and I hope you will all consider it a little bit of yours.

Today we have picked up the pieces of the burned chicken houses, buried animals, extended some corrals out of the burned pasture and watched firefighters continue to parole the hills. One of our angels showed up to check on us and we were so glad to see him. I found out his name is Nate, and his other friends are Justin and Jeff…… Wild boys that jumped in a burning chicken house to rescue the birds, chased baby chicks away from the fire and Justin drove a tractor to make a fire break even as flames encircled him. He pulled out just as flames were encircling him and we all screamed for him to jump of that damn tractor. He come back towards us and calmly said ” I’m fine”

We battled the fire with our meager water supple and a tractor with a flat tire for 45 mint. before the fire department showed up. And I wonder, How does a fire start like that in the middle of the night out in the country?

Our neighbors fruit orchard was spared and our other neighbor and friend stood on his porch as the fire raced towards him. The firefighters formed a human wall and fought down the fire and saved his house. All in all there were six trucks , over 100 firefighters and at least 60 juvenile offenders who worked in the manner of the old chain gangs and created a firebreak around the farm and the chicken corrals.

Morgan, I found out later, had led the firefighters around the farm showing them all the access points , in the dark with a flashlight. and the reason they finally crossed the creek to help us was because Morgan explain there were six people battling the fire on there own. They had no idea there was anything on the other side of the farm… The fire crews rushed to help us and we were all very relieved to see them standing there next to us.

Justin, our son, was brilliant and I must say I never saw him move so fast in his life… he grabbed full buckets and started to pour water around chicken corrals and moved around each situation doing everything he could to help. He never lost his cool and keep going for a full 18 hour before he finally allowed himself to sleep…

Eric twisted his ankle as he ran across the farm but never once falterd. running to grab the tractor and maneuvering it around the front of the fire to scrap back the dried grasses and create a fire break… Fearless really. the flames were high and moving fast and he was just as determined. He really did manage to scare the hell out of me as those flames moved closer.

Morgan later was allowed to come to the back of the farm and she didn’t miss a beat. Made sure our dogs were safe, poured water on still burning trees, grab chicks, and all the rest of the day helped on the farm.. This from a girl of 16! level-headed, brave and tireless.

Me, I’m tired……

[Bonnie posting from email from Alexis. Photos sent by Mark Shaw of Shaw Ranch and Jon Scott]