“Marriage: Love is the reason. Lifelong friendship is the gift. Til' death do us part is the length"—Fawn Weaver
Friends and family, especially from out of town, have been asking about the North Bay fires, particularly Napa Valley where our daughter Michelle and Kyle got married. For months following their wedding reception at the Black Stallion Winery and their fairy-tale wedding at the Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa last May, we were all on a high. It was one the most memorable and happy moments of our lives. Consequently, we all felt heartbroken by the news that the raging fires had engulfed Santa Rosa, Sonoma and Napa.
As Michelle had written from Southeast Asia upon hearing the news, “A place that brought so much joy is now the place of devastation for so many.”
Cecile and I were in Palm Desert and Michelle and Kyle went on their long awaited honeymoon to Burma (Myanmar) and Thailand when the fires struck. It was difficult to completely relax and be joyful when so many people were in such dire straits. Family members locally kept us abreast by email about what was going on. Some knew one of the principals of the Black Stallion Winery and contacted him to see if he was alright, and luckily another family member, had decided awhile ago not to hold his company’s annual executive forum at Silverado this year.
The Black stallion winery remains closed, but fortunately has not been damaged by the fire and all of the employees and managing partners are safe. Silverado Resort and Spa is closed and the their employees safely evacuated. The resort structures such as the Mansion, the Conference Center and Clubhouse and Pro Shop are intact. They will reopen when the cleanup is complete.
By now most people following the news have heard of the elderly couple that perished in their home at the Silverado Resort in the Atlas Peak fire where they lived for almost 40 years. They had been married for 75 years and knew each other since grade school. Kim, Michelle's mother in law had first brought this to our attention while we were all away. Charles Rippey, a World War ll veteran who achieved the rank of captain in the Army Corps of Engineers, had just turned 100 and his wife Sara RIppey, 99, were unable to escape from the fast moving fire. Despite the smoke and his walker, the centenarian tried his best to get to his ailing wife Sara’s side. Despite the loss, there's no denying their's was a love story.
When something this tragic happens our first instinct is what can I do to help? Here are some ways you can make it happen. For those who live locally, I was informed by Rev. Channing Smith that Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 13601 Saratoga Avenue, in Saratoga (across from the Library) that they are collecting food this entire week from 9-4PM to deliver to Redwood Empire Food Bank in Santa Rosa. 408-867-3493.
You could also join us donating to United Way Bay Area
https://uwba.org/
Or, The Salvation Army
http://deloro.salvationarmy.org/
Photo credit of crews fighting fire 1-ABC7news.com
Photo credit2-ABCnews.go.com
Photo credit3-Courtesy of Mike Rippey Via AP
Photo credit4-Son, Chuck.Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press
