"Smokers need love, too, you know."

Boy, you're just setting yourself up, aren't you?!

Yikes! Is it time to break out the gas masks yet?

that is just eerie.

California wildfires...that is the one thing I do not miss about living there.

I hope it clears out soon. Living in all that smoke and heat makes everything harder. At least, mud slide season is coming, right? o.0

I grew up in Southern California but haven't been back for over ten years. However, I still remember what that smoke was like, and I still remember the earthquakes!

I mentioned your hilarious blog on mine. Here is the link if you want to check it out. ----> http://dollcubby.blogspot.com/2009/08/aunt-purl.html

It's nice to be able to bloom where you're planted. I'm glad you enjoy LA.

I live over here in the Inland Empire and all the smoke gets blown our direction - it's just lovely. And the heat today is a little breathtaking, don't you think? It's currently 106 at my house!

Just talking about the smoke and I can smell it. Very distinctive. I was on a road trip somewhere in Northern California once and I stepped out of the car, took one sniff, and said, "there is a wildfire somewhere." Everyone laughed at me until about 30 minutes later when we were stopped on the freeway to let the trucks through.

My new super power I guess.

Yes, the heat is on and going to get hotter. Oh joy! You can smell the smoke here where I live too. I just keep thinking of the poor firefighters who have to be out there fighting it in this oppressive heat; not to mention all the poor animals. :o(

Ah, I remember that smell! But it may have been a different smell. My fire was much farther north than you are. The year I graduated from highschool, we sat in Biology class watching the water bombers dumping pink fire retardant on the evergreen forest on the mountain across the lake. It was spectacular!
When I got home, Mom was walking around with wire cutters in her hip pocket because live embers and whole pine cones were dropping from the sky. Our farm was about 10 miles as the crow flies, from the fire. When evergreens are hot and dry they give off a flamable gas, which is why forest fires travel like, well, wildfire.
Mom's plan was if the fire caught on our side of the mountain, she would let all the cattle out, cut the fences, and drive them down the valley. I hadn't really thought about the fact that we could have been in danger. It took about a week before the danger passed for us.
Boy, that took me down memory lane.

I hope your wildfires are under control soon.

Isn't that just the worst feeling --- the smell you can't get away from.

Hope they get the fires out soon.

Ack - my first fire season away from California! It is scary to be there but I worry about all my friends. And the animals. Stay safe and outta the way!

Why so strange because when I was going home last night on the Westside I was all a wonder at how clear it was! I think it was last night???

Hears hopin' the smoke and the heat clear out soon!

You know, I've always wondered how exactly you're getting pictures while driving...

Ashley, it helps that traffic is usually at a standstill. Well, it helps my photo-taking but maybe not my commute ;)

We have a lot in common. Share the same sense of humor, etc. Yet I'd rather stick a fork in my eye EVERY DAY than make that commute.

I live in Sacramento and we get the smoke bad too...it makes my eyes itchy and the allergies flare up since I'm typically allergic to everything that is burning! No fun.

Hi. I've been offline for a week, and its making me crazy, but I finally got to some free wifi today, and what did I see but about 4 new posts on your blog. Yay. Plus, comments. I know you probably read our emails, but comments feel more like real communication. So HI! (waves enthusiastically) good to see you (sort of) again!

You should come home to the south where we just have to worry about really big storms!

I'm up in the Central Coast area and we just got through with our fires. I feel for you guys!

I'm in the Inland Empire, and this time of year always makes me anxious. We've had some bad fire seasons in the past few years, and the draught has made everything extra crunchy and dry. I know what you mean about feeling oppressive -- between the heat and fires and bad air quality, I will only start feeling better when we get some rain. Let's hope we get some soon, and a lot more than we got last year.

I try not to complain when we are inundated with rain here on the east coast. I think about you all out there in the desert. We've had our share of wildfires but NOTHING like what you have.

I hope the air quality improves.

Hey, I just realized you've got comments!

I've been reading your site a while now, and often want to post a happy comment like "love your cat photo" or "thanks for the travel tips, they're great" or "sucks that you lost your garden". And now I can.

Totally agree with your right to turn them off, and I promise not to be critical unless you specifically ask "what do you think?"

Scary...doesn't all that smoke freak you out?

Wow, I'm in OC and I wondered how you were doing. We were in the same position two years ago with the Santiago fires and I feel for you sister.

I gotta say I am with NJ on this one: it plain weirds me out that you have a fire season that comes, non-negotiably, every year, just the way we have strawberry season and woolly-bear season and blueberry season and blackberry season and all that. (The three fruit seasons are all in the summer, but not at the same time, so that you can pick yourself silly and can enough to get you through until summer rolls around again, should you happen to be way more organized than I am.) Well, we also have this season we call winter, which I will stack up against fire season any day of the week for danger and traffic-stopping ability, but for me winter packs none of the vaguely cinematic creepiness of knowing that, sure as mayflies die and swallows fly, fire season will roll around and smoke will roll all over the place.

(We also have mud season, but it doesn't slide, it just sits there.)

Also, yay, comments!

I'm so happy that you know your its from your it's!

I'm a Californian - from southern, living in northern (love them both)- so I totally understand. Smoke stinks - in many ways ;-).

Lucia, thank you for making me laugh - my co-worker is (luckily) getting used to this.
"(We also have mud season, but it doesn't slide, it just sits there.)"

YAY comments!
So - keep your smoke on that side of the mountains, please. Vegas is hot enough with out the smokey smog adding to the misery.

I guess it's a good thing somebody loves that city. Personally, i wouldn't live in L.A. again if it was free.

Comments are now close, thanks!