September 7 – “Fire call and station life”

As we were leaving our morning water exercise class, Chris, who always gets outside before I do, told me that the fire engines were blaring like crazy.  As yet another one roared by down the seawall, I checked my fire department app to see what kind of call would cause such a ruckus.  Not the “Sick Person” one at the top of the list.  Ah, there it was.  A fire call on the West End.  And the description said there were visible flames inside and out.  We rushed home and I changed clothes and headed that direction. 

By the time I arrived the fire was out and the guys from Station 7 were getting ready to roll back to the station.  They invited me to stop by, so I assured them I would.  I talked to Chief Braden from the Jamaica Beach Volunteer Fire Department.  He had responded as well.  He told me a little about what had happened.  In his words, “It was an electrical fire, but those guys had it out really quick.  It was a good thing they were close by or this one could have gotten really bad really quick.”  Nice job Station 7.

Before I went by there I decided to run out to Sea Isle and check on the guys at Station 8.  They were just finishing up breakfast and invited me to join them.  Suddenly I was really hungry.  I remembered that I never did eat breakfast (other than my handful of fruit before class).  Travis had concocted a dish that combined biscuits and gravy with  sausage and I think eggs and cheese.  Excellent.  They tried to get me to drown it in hot sauce, too, but my stomach rebelled at the thought. 

My stop at Station 7 gave me an opportunity to “congratulate” Jonathan for getting his picture in the paper.  Oops.  The other guys hadn’t heard about that one yet.  See, it’s a tradition that if you get you picture in the paper, you have to buy ice cream for everyone on your shift.  The guys set right in making orders for which kind of Blue Bell they expected to see.  Sorry about that, Jonathan.  But I do have the picture of you and all those fish you caught with your Dad.  I’ll try to get it by the station so you can hang it up in the kitchen … maybe on the fridge.

On my way home I saw one of those tiny homes on wheels.  It was parked at the new RV park off of Stewart Road.  Looked like a real house, but it would fit in our living room.  Don’t think I could live in one of those.  Unless it was just me, maybe.  No place to hang the grandkids.

Speaking of grandkids, Cailyn came over last night to spend the night with us.  It has been a while, a fact that was not lost on our little charge.  She is being treated for strep throat, so she had the option whether to go to softball practice or not.  She chose to stay home.  And why?  “I need to get used to this place again.”  Well, by all means. 

1 Corinthians 15:42-44 says, “So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.”

Father, thank you for the “good” outcome at the fire yesterday.  I know no fire, no matter how small, is a good thing, but the guys got there fast and took care of it in a hurry, too.  Help that family as they now face a harrowing remodel.  Amen.