Our family encountered a stunning surprise this past Sunday. The five of us went on a nature walk in the Bolsa Chica Wetlands the other day, just before sunset. We enjoyed time together and I took some pictures of the kids with the beautiful Pacific Ocean sunset as the backdrop. We were amazed at the clarity and admired how well we could see Catalina Island. The island's main strip was so visible it looked as thought we could bound over the ocean and land on the island's shore. My husband and I stood with the kids and enjoyed the breathtaking view of the entire island framed by our personal California sunset.

As the sunset wrapped up it’s finale, we began our walk home. That was when we noticed the mountains to the east, directly in front of us. They appeared to have a slight halo as a strange glow hovered over them. This glow began to settle behind the mountain and we realized that the light was not a reflection of the sunset. The faint orange light slowly transformed into a brightly burning fiery blaze. The children cried out, “It’s fire!” We agreed that it must be a fire that was now creeping towards us over the mountain.

Soon the fire began to spread so quickly that it instantaneously arched over the top of the mountain with a bright yellow core and a hovering deep red silhouette. We watched intently as the inferno began to rise hundred's of feet into the air. Our excitement elevated as our concern deepened. At one heart stopping moment, the fire began to explode into a ball which lifted gently and slowly into the air. We were astonishment as we noticed our fire was floating and now hovering above the distant mountain. In that moment, we realized we had just witnessed our first magnificent moonrise.