Where there’s smoke…
There’s very little sun. The word “hazy” sounds romantic until you realize it’s because Cali is burning! There is nothing romantic about an open fire in a forest. Okay, at the risk of sounding like somebody’s grandmother again…we can put a man on the moon so why can’t we can find a way to harness all that flood water in the Midwest and get it on these fires out here?! I’m just saying. Of course if I was so smucking fart I’d have already invented a system to do so instead of crabbing about the obvious.
I guess part of my concern comes from the fact that this is one of the few weekends I’ve chosen to do something outdoors. Al’s coming into town and I’ve promised to take him fishing. It’s something we both like and we’ve both done, just never together. I hope we can enjoy it without coughing up a lung first.
Here’s the thing, even though I’m relatively new to the area, I’m very proud to live here and I don’t take it for granted. Much of the charm of the Bay Area for me (besides the people) are the natural surroundings. I love the majestic mountains and the sparkling waters and the rich land that produces the delicious fruits, vegetables etc. and until recently the fresh air. I’ve never considered myself an enviromentalist. I would say I’m aware of the environment but until moving here I didn’t feel really strongly about protecting it. However over the months I’ve become more conscious and in my little ways I try to do my part. I use totes for my groceries and recycle my garbage. I actually look at the packaging of the products I use and try to buy brands that are biodegradable. I walk and use public transit whenever possible and unplug appliances when I’m not using them. I guess the point is that I think every person lucky enough to dwell or visit the Bay Area should be able to enjoy all it’s beauty clearly and not through a haze of smoke. If these fires are from natural causes then so be it, it’s an unfortunate occurence. If however, there are some idiots out there playing pyromaniac, may they burn in the inferno they created. You don’t have to love the nature here but I think we should at least respect it.
That’s it. I’m (cough!) gone fishing.