Today we had very poor air quality because of fires burning north of the Bay Area.
As I left home this morning I was tempted to just turn around and shelter in place all day as I saw the smoky air ahead. However, I had many things I needed to get done at the office.
When leaving work this afternoon the sun looked really weird shiny through the smoky sky.
It was weird to have the sky coloring well before sunset.
I could smell the smoke in the air as I loaded up my car for the drive home. I made sure that I turned the air on in my car to keep the smoke out.
This picture did not turn out very good, but actually gives you a feel for what it was like. The picture is out of focus as my camera is focusing on my dirty windshield. I was stopped at the stoplight for this picture. In the distance you should clearly see a line of hills. If you look closely, they are there but the air was so full of smoke they were hard to see.
Another out of focus picture, but again you can barely see the Altamont in the distance. At this point in my drive these hills are usually very clear and distinct.
I made sure that I left work early so that I wouldn’t have to spend a lot of time sitting in traffic. However, there was a truck stopped on the Altamont that blocked a lane so it was still slow going.
The smoke layer was not as bad when I got home, but later it got worse. There was even some clear sky. Also, the smoke at street level was definitely much less as I could not smell any smoke.
Later in the evening I went for a walk since I couldn’t smell any smoke. However, I have all my windows shut as the air quality is variable as winds shift with the temperature changes. I will just have to sleep with the windows closed tonight.
I am hoping that the air is better tomorrow as I have a few outdoor things that I need to get done.
Keep the people involved with the fires in your prayers. I heard some people talking about a town north of the Bay Area that had been completely destroyed by the fires.
Steven
Braman's Wanderings 