July 18, 2014 More Fires & Lots of Smoke

Smoke from the new fires as seen from
Larry's & Elsie's Wednesday evening.

Wednesday 7/16. JB vacuumed out our vehicles this morning.  So much dust!  They are cleaner now than they have been since we moved Up Here.

There is a heart-wrenching article in the current Time magazine about Burma and the tension between Christians and Muslims.  The real problem is never about religion.  The problem is with power.  Someone always wants to be in control and to make everyone else think like they do.  

At 1:30 pm the weather station read 101 degrees, but the temperature gauge on the porch in the shade read 86.  I went with the porch temp.  If I can convince my brain that it is "only" 86, I'm sure I will feel much cooler.

Putting a packet of wet wipes in the fridge was a great idea, especially since I can't find my cold neck wraps.

Our high for today was 104 with a warm breeze.  I stayed inside most of the time except for hanging out and getting in the laundry; helping JB clean out my Jeep; feeding the girls.  In this heat, the girls have been giving us only one egg a day.  I'm surprised we even get that.

The temperature had cooled off to the high 80's after dinner and I was getting cabin fever, so I drove Miss Kitty down to visit Larry and Elsie.  We sat out on their deck, talking and enjoying the breeze.  Didn't get home til almost dark.

Thursday 7/17.  It is 67 with no clouds but lots of smoke to the northwest.  The Chumstick fire jumped Hwy 2 and the river yesterday evening, so the highway is closed from Leavenworth to Stevens Pass summit.  There is a huge plume of smoke in that area with is about 30 miles away.  I guess new fires were started by lightening the other night.

There is a deliciously cool breeze this morning, but is supposed to be 98 Down There today, which is actually 10 degrees cooler than yesterday.  

JB left for town at 8:30 am to do the grocery shopping for me.  What a guy!

The birds are celebrating our cool morning with their songs.  They haven't been nearly so vocal for the past week or so.  It was only 78 at 10:30 am when I went to take the dogs for their morning walk, so we actually went all the way up to the south ridge like we would normally do.  But at the north ridge, we couldn't even see the Columbia river the smoke was so think Down There.

JB was back Up Here in the early afternoon and spent the rest of the day preparing for his trip to Seattle tomorrow.  He also baked scones for me to have while he is gone.

The girls gave us two eggs today.

Randy called after dinner.  The sale of their house in southern California closes on August 15 and he is getting ready to make the last trip up to Idaho on Saturday.  His Mom has lived in that house for forty years and now, in her mid 70's, she is moving with him to the woods of northern Idaho.  What a life change, and good for her!

Our high for the day was 96, but it really did not feel that hot.  The cool breeze slowly grew into a wind.  By evening we could just barely see the other side of the canyon with all the smoke.  I was on the computer at 9:00 pm and my cousin who lives near Brewster was posting pictures from the local news of a new fire near there.  Brewster and another small town were being evacuated.  While listening to the shortwave radio earlier, we heard the panicked call requesting any and all help they could get in that area.  So scary!

Friday 7/18.  It is 61 and partly cloudy with a breeze.  The smoke is mainly north of us.  Am going to have to check on the fire status in Brewster.  

JB is leaving right after breakfast. . .

Thought for the day: We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools. Martin Luther King