Friday, September 11, 2020

Today's Smoke


Day 334: It was worse during the Alder Lake Fire of 2015, worse for a few days in 2018 and 2019 when smoke from eastern Washington was carried across the Cascades and into my valley. And it is certainly better than what is being experience presently by residents of Oregon and California, but for all of my empathy toward their plight, the knowledge does not make it any easier for me, sitting here in my living room, to draw breath. The Mountain has disappeared behind the curtain and my neighbour's house is greyed by a thin veil. The stink of burn is heavy in the air outdoors and to some extent, seeps through the minute cracks which allow air circulation in my home. No house is air-tight; its occupants would suffocate if it was constructed so. Air quality is slated to worsen before it improves, as are so many things in the present climates, both literal and figurative. At least the smoke's term is limited.

Update: the top photo was taken at roughly 11:15 AM. The one below was taken at 6:45 PM. It's nasty out there.

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