another bad air day

No, we are not at fire risk, But the smoke? That is another complete story. The last several days have fallen into one of the following:

  • bad
  • worse
  • horrible.

 

the air quality a couple of days has won us the award of “the worst place on earth.” Which, considering Beijing and Delhi are frequently seen at the top, you can get the idea. Even the incredible sunsets can’t make up for it. That is when I can see as far as the water. 

In case you hadn’t heard – we have 32,000 acres currently burning and less than 5% under control. And just to make it clear -these fires have NOTHING to do with deadfall or heavy forests – these are grasslands, open area, housing areas. The fires are the result of lightening strikes – over 10,000 in three + days due to the insane weather. 

Did I mention dry lightning? The rain never fell and everything was already super dry before this happened.  Dani is not headed to Dixon – the fires are within four miles of where she works. Travis Air Force Base went into Evac mode early today – which potentially compounds the fire fighting challenge (air base, reload, refuel, National Guard etc). 

California didn’t need this, didn’t cause this – and certainly does not need political abuse from Washington DC when there is an obvious clear lack of knowledge on what has actually transpired. We can only be grateful that the surrounding states are helping to the best of their abilities. But everyone is short this fire season which has started 2-3 months early.

Oh, and there is COVID-19 which is making evacuation, shelters, support, and fire fighting that much more challenging. 

I am almost afraid to ask – what next for fear the San Andreas or Hayward Faults might decide to scratch an itch.

 

 

 

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About Holly

fiber person - knitter, spinner, weaver who spent 33 years being a military officer to fund the above. And home. And family. Sewing and quilting projects are also in the stash. After living again in Heidelberg after retiring (finally) from the U.S. Army May 2011, we moved to the US ~ Dec 2015. Something about being over 65 and access to health care. It also might have had to do with finding a buyer for our house. Allegedly this will provide me a home base in the same country as our four adult children, all of whom I adore, so that I can drive them totally insane. Considerations of time to knit down the stash…(right, and if you believe that…) and spin and .... There is now actually enough time to do a bit of consulting, editing. Even more amazing - we have only one household again. As long as everyone understands that I still, 40 years into our marriage, don't do kitchens or bathrooms. For that matter, not being a golden retriever, I don't do slippers or newspapers either. I don’t miss either the military or full-time clinical practice. Limiting my public health/travel med/consulting and lecturing to “when I feel like it” has let me happily spend my pension cruising, stash enhancing (oops), arguing with the DH about where we are going to travel next and book buying. Life is good!
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One Response to another bad air day

  1. AlisonH says:

    We have friends, a young family, that bought their first house and moved in two weekends ago. In Boulder Creek. With two preschoolers and a new baby. Tuesday they were evacuated and they have yet to know if their house is still there.

    But they are, and they certainly hadn’t had time to get too attached to the place yet.

    We had a transformer hit about a quarter mile away but they got right on it and the only thing lost was the power for awhile.

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