Gray skies
Frowning at me
Nothing but gray skies
Do I see
Coughing
Choking on smoke
Nothing but coughing
What a joke
Never saw the sun looking so red
Never saw so many trees that are dead
Hoping that tomorrow brings better news
Go away fires, go away blues
Gray skies
Wish you were gone
Nothing but blue skies
From now on
Irving Berlin’s song Blue Skies inspired the stanzas above that I wrote to describe our unfriendly hiking weather of late. Wildfires have closed National Forests and destroyed the town of Greenville while threatening many others. Currently, nine large fires in Northern California have scorched about 1.76 million acres (as of August 30), and most of these will continue to burn until the rainy season arrives.
What to do? For sure, heed the air quality advisories and plan walks accordingly. The uglier the air, the shorter my walks become. If your health is already compromised by asthma or other medical conditions, it’s probably best to stay inside or head for cleaner climes!
Nobody likes the smoky air we are experiencing, but we can take some comfort in the fact that fall and cooler temperatures (and hopefully, soaking rains) are on the horizon.
~Chris Harvey, Field Trip Chair
