Grey skies...

This morning I walked outside with my mug of tea, a habit of long standing. We've been under a cloud of smoke the past couple of days, with winds from the east blowing smoke our way from the Jolly Mountain fire near Cle Elum (and maybe also from the Norse Peak fire near Mount Rainier). This morning we got something new:  ash blowing in the breeze, covering my porch and the cars. We're 50+ miles from both these fire complexes.

I can only imagine what it's like to be close enough to smell smoke all day long, and see the glow of the fires at night. Still, it's an unsettling reminder of just how bad the fires have been so far this season.