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SOLERA DIAMOND VALLEY | OCTOBER 2022 19 Submitted by Mary McKernan, Resident Wondering what all the splashing, giggling and shouting is about on Tuesday and Friday mornings coming from down the Lodge's hallway? Just take a peek into the indoor pool between 11 am and 1 pm and you'll see water volleyball players jumping, diving and stretching in an effort to keep that ball alive and above the water and over the net. Beginners are welcome. Join us for fun, exercise and a great way to get to know your fellow neighbors. Open to all residents and all skill levels. Please contact Dana for more information. at (951) 764-4959 or danak127@gmail.com. Water Volleyball Tim Apple Band By Sandi Kramer and Cindy Ponce de Leon, Residents We will never forget the week of September 4th. Coming home from Redondo Beach you could see the black plumes from a fire all the way from Lake Elsinore. Looking on my phone we quickly learned that the fire was in Hemet! The fire quickly spread to the southeast and northeast parts of Hemet. This sparked a series of calls to friends in the affected areas as an evacuation order was enacted. Days and nights were spent looking for more information as to where the fire was heading as it was only 5% contained. We were praying for not only our loved ones but also for all the animals. Images of horses being turned loosed were heartbreaking. Wednesday friends in Sage had to be evacuated. Thursday night driving down Lambs Canyon into town there were four visible funnels of black smoke where the fire had broken off into several smaller fires, each headed in another direction. That night friends and family in the Glen Oaks area of Temecula were warned of an impending evacuation, and were in fact evacuated later that night. There were also family members in Anza just outside the evacuation boundary. For days, as we tried not to worry, we prayed for rain from hurricane Kay to arrive quickly and for the winds to stop. Thursday morning a Ladies Bible Study group from Solera Diamond Valley were having a birthday breakfast at the Early Bird Cafe. As we were finishing our meal, 12 to 15 firefighters from San Marino, Pasadena and Glendale came into the cafe. You could tell they had been in the hot spots all night. There was a thick smell of smoke, the men looked exhausted and hungry. The ladies group discussed buying breakfast for these heroes and the decision was unanimous. Although we wanted our treat to be incognito and all the glory to go to GOD, the firefighters knew it was our group who had blessed them. The Captain turned to us and made a gesture, then asked if they could take a picture with us and we excitedly said "YES!" Ladies seated in the middle row from left to right are Sandi Kramer, Barbara Perry, Deidre Zirpel, Linda Bradstreet. Front row from left to right are Nora Kautzman and Linda Zielinski. Low and behold, Friday morning another miracle happened. The rain came which dramatically slowed the forward movement of the fire. Later that day, the evacuations in the Glen Oaks area of Temecula and Anza were lifted. The fire was now 40% contained. Praise be to GOD! Many prayers were answered. Miracles Still Happen

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