First, I have been absent from here far longer than I anticipated... Had a scary few days not long ago when western winds whipped up. A third wildfire this summer took hold some 20 miles due north. It tore across acres of land leading to multiple sudden evacuation orders in a densely populated area. It was unknown how fast and far this latest manic wildfire would travel -- just about the time our region's power went out. Needless to say our go-bags were packed. It was an unnerving night. When the power came back six hours later we learned the winds shifted the flames away. We were out of immediate danger but our neighbors to the north weren't so fortunate. This latest disaster seems to have awakened some reconsideration about unchecked development in wildfire prone areas, but it remains to be seen if any policies will change. The Mad Dash Now, the back half of each year since 2013 signifies a particularly maddening dash into the unknown. This is when the U.S. health insurance i...