This is what the sky looked like yesterday morning at around 8:00, and it looked about the same today. That orange-gray haze is smoke from all the wildfires raging in northeastern Washington State, and when I step outside I can smell the smoke in the air. I’m fortunate not to have asthma, or any other difficulties breathing, but my throat has felt scraped raw all day and I’ve got a low-grade headache.

This has been a shitty summer, to be honest, given the unusual, extreme heat and dryness, as well as the fires. I’d like to think this is an aberration, and that we’ll get plenty of rain and snow this winter, and that next summer will be glorious as usual. But given the state of global climate change, I’m not optimistic.