I've been engrossed in a special project since the start of the year. Only a few local friends know what I’m up to. But I want to share the details with you before I go entirely public - because you – my readers - are valued and trusted constant contacts. Over time, I've shared a lot with you – worry, outrage, hope, humor, and comfort. Today I want to tell you about a dream I'm making come true every time I pick up a handful of clay.

It's been 23 days since the start of the Caldor Fire. Up here on the mountain where so many of us moved to live in clean air, amid the majesty of towering pines, life took an unwelcome (yet not unexpected) turn. We went from watching for deer grazing on someone's summer garden, bears sampling the delights of garbage cans, and the occasional mountain lion slinking through someone's yard to closing windows to air quality that was hazardous to breathe and, finally, evacuation from an active fire.