Updated: Robert is fine. He called this morning. His house is surrounded by strawberry fields. He helped a neighbor evacuate and the two of them had fire on both sides when they were leaving the house.
Richard and I took 1101 to Watsonville yesterday to take part in a diabetes health fair put on by the Pajaro Valley Community Health Trust at the farmer’s market in downtown Watsonville. We talked with a lot of great people, gave away loads of crayons and hero cards (and donated the rest to the Diabetes Health Center) and ate some great food.
On the way over, I skirted the edge of the Trabing Fire, set intentionally or unintentionally by some motorist on Highway 1. The fire blew smoke over Watsonville and dropped ash in the plaza. I’ll be calling Robert with 1110, who I spoke with briefly and who said the fire was near his place. We’re hoping for the best.
Here’s a shot of one of the many kids who spent time in the car.
Australian rider Youcef Cummings is piloting the official 
Youcef rides a KTM 690 Factory Rally bike. It has a 72 hp engine with a top speed of over 175 km/hour on sand. The motorcycle is a limited edition factory produced bike designed specifically for desert racing. It has a range of over 350 kilometers and is fitted with navigation and survival equipment, including GPS, proximity warning devices, directional repeaters, two odometers and speed warning devices. The motorcycle sports the official World Diabetes Day logo in English and Arabic, as well as the distinctive blue circle on the tanks.