Glad the pbtf's are okay. Wouldn't the fire would have to go into the cedars to get them, meaning an unusually catastrophic fire? I understand that snakes duck into burrows during forest fires and the fires pass safely overhead. Sad about the turtles.
Al, I have a problem with the achilles tendon and just recently got a pair of Spenco Total Support thins, along with a pair of trekking poles for hiking in the mountains. The Spencos are awesome, and provide a ton of relief. I've tried others with not a lot of help, but these are great. I used to look with skepticism at the trekking poles, but it's like the difference between running on a treadmill and an elliptical machine, it really takes a lot of impact off the knees and ankles (feet too). Just a heads up.