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They expected to lose everything in the fire, but an unlikely hero stepped in
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There is always hope for a miracle. - photo by Christa Cutler
With the fires burning in California, we are hearing of many people losing everything. When Roland Hendel and his daughter drove away from their house, that is exactly what they were expecting. They could barely process what was happening to them. According to CBCRadio, the Hendels could hear metal twisting as they drove away and everything burned around them.

Hendel barely got his daughter to safety, and as he was trying to grasp what just happened, he realized he had left their dog Odin behind with their goats. He was devastated.

The next day

The next day they made their way back through roadblocks to see if they could find their animals.

The Hendels arrived at their house only to find that everything had been destroyed. As they walked around their property, to their great surprise, they found Odin with all eight goats.

Making it to safety

Hendel believes their dog herded the goats to a high clearing of rocks. Odins fur coat was slightly singed, his paws had been burned and he was exhausted, but other than that, the dog and goats were unharmed.

They are currently saving money to rebuild the barn and water supply for their animals.

How to treat a burn

Fires are devastating, but there is always hope for a miracle. Just as Odin was an unexpected hero, you never know who your hero might be. A hero often does something they have learned before. Familiarizing yourself with how to take care of a burn can make you a hero in someone elses life.

According to WebMD, you should call 911 immediately if the burned area is charred or white, came from an electric shock or chemicals, is on the face, hands, feet, genitals or a joint or covers 10 percent or more of the body.

Otherwise, you should follow these four steps:

1. Soak the burn

Soak the wound in cool water (not cold, no ice), and leave in the water for at least 15 minutes.

2. Remove burn clothes

If any part of the clothes are stuck to the skin, do not peel or tear it off. Rather, cut the clothes around the wound.

3. Cover the burn

Do not pop any blisters, or put any ointment on it (but you can apply antibiotic ointment to a mild burn). Cover with a nonstick gauze or clean cloth.

4. Reduce the pain

Use age appropriate over-the-counter pain medication like acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin).

When I hear about fires, all I can think of is what I would do if I was in that situation. Hopefully, these steps will help you be able to stay calm in a scary situation and be someone elses hero.
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Have You Seen This? Street musician slays with clarinet
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Better than almost every face-melting guitar or drum solo. - photo by Facebook video screenshot

THE BIG EASY — Yeah, yeah, we all know that New Orleans is stuffed to the gills will incredible musicians.

But knowing that fact and then hearing that fact are two different things. You can step into any number of jazz clubs on any given night on Bourbon Street, and you’ll probably be impressed with virtually every act. Or you can sit at home on your comfy couch and watch this featured video.

In the video, you’ll see a woman who is in the groove. She is swinging hard, and wailing on her clarinet with a practiced expertise that makes it sounds so easy.

From note one you’ll be drawn in; your appreciation will grow with every second, and then your face will melt off when you realize how incredible she really is.

If you’ve never played a woodwind or a brass, you may not know everything that comes with a performance like this. Lung capacity and breath control are huge factors in keeping your notes clear and loud, and hitting those high notes is especially difficult.

So when this woman hits that high note and holds it for several seconds, you know you’re dealing with an exceptional musician. It means she has worked hard for years to develop skill on top of her natural talent, and we get to benefit.

It kinda makes you wonder how we let people get away with mumble rap and autotune when talent like this exists in the world.

I wish this video were longer, and I wish I had more information about this woman, but as it is, we’ll just have to appreciate the little flavor of New Orleans jazz posted by the Facebook group Clarinet Life.

Street musician killing it on clarinet

She must have lungs of iron! Its inspiring hearing the upper registers being played so well.

Posted by Clarinet Life on Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Martha Ostergar is a writer who delights in the ridiculous that internet serves up, which means she's more than grateful that she gets to cruise the web for amazing videos to highlight for your viewing pleasure.
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