Either my brother Dan or myself stood to inherit the cherished family percussion cap .36 caliber rifle made by my Great Grandfather, a noted gunsmith in Ohio prior to the 1900's.
This rifle was haggled over intensely by my Father and it's owner in 1965. A garbage example of this maker's gun was purchased by Dan in 2004 for 3 grand. The value of the stellar example my Dad got......God only knows the retail value, but it was absolutely beautiful and in perfect shape.
Come June of 1990 and the Painted Cave Fire.
A wind condition called a "Sundowner" swept over our community of Santa Barbara California. Some human refuse decided he would get back at his neighbor by setting an upwind fire to this persons home in the mountains behind Santa Barbara.
Well, 3 days and 550 buildings burnt down and one woman dead, the fire was out.
My folks house was counted in the loss and with it, not only the incredible family heirloom percussion cap, but my Belgian Browning Take down, my Dad's Winchester lever action 22 mag, his Huntsman and his old reliable Sears 20 ga shotgun which I cut my scattergun teeth on.
Also lost was the glass engraved and stenciled business sign for my Grandfathers Gunsmith shop plus the 3 inch bore cannon they built and my Father restored.
The day after the fire started I took Mom and Dad to the burnt out lot. We stood there crying quietly.
My Father who never let anything distract his level head (God rest His soul) responded as follows: "We didn't lose anything valuable here"*
*You see, He was out of town on business that day and was returning home
when he heard about the incredible blaze. He had no idea whatsoever I was at Mom's (I had to run the back roads there as the Police had all arteries blocked to normal traffic) I placed Mom in the truck, gathered the two dogs and put them in the camper shell and she had her makeup valice, nothing more. We took off in London Fog type smoke with embers the size of your fist blowing in the 50 mph winds above our heads.
WQe circled around up Highway 101 north only to be blocked by a firestorm crossing the entire four lanes of traffic in a hellstorm like tunnel.
We drove through and made it to my Future Mother IN-laws.
Dad got to town and forced his way through the Police roadblock to get to the house where he was sure Mom was. When he got there, the flames were in the middle of consuming 117 out of 135 homes, theirs being one. He was sure that Mom was in there and He broke down completely, right then and there in the middle of the maelstrom.
He had to endure the next 10 hours before we contacted each other.
Everything....guns, photo's of family back to the 1800s in Santa Barbara (we were Natives to Santa Barbara since 1690) jewelry, childhood items, everything..........turned to ahs and lumbs of metal and glass, melted car parts, shop machines, RC gliders, everything gone.
My brother has the remnants. Cannon and Percussion Cap rifle barrel, burned out Belgian and Colt. I can't even look at them.
Some things are not made to survive our circumstances.
To those who've got the goods, cherish them after you cherish those who gave them to you and remember the truly important things in life are not material.
Dave