Big Sur is burning

I read in the news yesterday about the wildfire burning near Big Sur and the evacuation of the nearby residents. We visited Big Sur on our honeymoon to northern California in 1991. We had left Muir Woods (which is just north of San Francisco) in the afternoon and driven south on Highway 1. It was nearly dark when we arrived at Big Sur, and the area was remote. We managed to find not only a place to stay, but one that would serve us dinner at 10 o'clock.

The next morning, before making a drive down to Pfeiffer Beach, we stopped at the lodge gift shop to buy a souvenir. Browsing the posters, we struck up a conversation with a charming woman named Sola, who came out to California with the Beats. Her hippie friends eventually went home, but she stayed for good. I asked her which poster she liked best, and she pointed to this one. She said the photo best captured the view she sees each morning as she drives to work. So we bought it. I always think of her when I look at it. And right now, I wonder if she has fled her home.