Poor Air Quality

We are all being advised to stay inside with our windows closed!  So many fires are burning in the mountains right now.  The 4 biggest are 6K acres with 0% containment, 11K acres with 0% containment, 25k acres with 0% containment and 81K acres with 7% containment.  In addition, there are several smaller ones that have started yesterday and today.  The air is thick with smoke and ash all along the front range.  Temperature is near 100 F again today with wind that is worse in the mountains.  This is the worst smoke in town in my memory.  Anyone who follows my journal knows how clear and blue our sky usually is and how sharply the mountains are defined in the background.  The "cloud" over the mountains is actually the smoke plume from the closest fire, about 60 miles northwest of home.  Last night sitting in Becky's yard for a few hours, we were all covered in ash.  We need rain, and lots of it!!

On a happier note, we had a lovely time last night!  Darrin grilled kebabs with all kinds of yummy hunks of meat and veggies.  I made a pasta salad and Darrin's parents brought dessert.  We had our own little campfire (what's a little more smoke, right?) and all sat around getting caught up after months apart.  I am grateful to Mel and Joyce for wearing masks for us as they do not usually wear them.  Becky and Darrin wore theirs and, of course, we did, so I felt safe.  Sadly, when I went to the crowded lakeshore today to get my blip, I didn't see anyone besides myself wearing a mask. :(