Pandemic: Life on the ground

[Jersey Girl]

My evidence: 113 US AQI

The AQI went as high as 115 today. It's now at 67. Anyone up for a little moonlight gardening? I think my friend Bob might go for the idea!

This is Bob.

[Res Ipsa]

Bob looks like he could use a biiiiig hug.

[Atlanticmike]

My evidence: 113 US AQI

The AQI went as high as 115 today. It's now at 67. Anyone up for a little moonlight gardening? I think my friend Bob might go for the idea!

This is Bob.

Why would you name a pine tree Bob? Have you named all the other pine trees?

[Jersey Girl]

Bob looks like he could use a biiiiig hug.

Big hug or a little snack.

[Doctor CamNC4Me]

So, we’re gonna risk it for the biscuits tonight. We’re going to an open air concert where we can have a little stand off from the coofers, and then afterward we’re going to stealth camp on some BLM land. We’ve been more or less cooped up for a week, so it’s time to adventure. That said, we’ve started wearing masks again when we have to be around other people, and we went back to doing online orders for groceries.

- Doc

[Jersey Girl]

AQI 119.

Stop. It.

[Res Ipsa]

AQI 119.

Stop. It.

Damn. AQI is fine here, but hot and muggy, and the next few days promise to be worse.

[Res Ipsa]

So, we’re gonna risk it for the biscuits tonight. We’re going to an open air concert where we can have a little stand off from the coofers, and then afterward we’re going to stealth camp on some BLM land. We’ve been more or less cooped up for a week, so it’s time to adventure. That said, we’ve started wearing masks again when we have to be around other people, and we went back to doing online orders for groceries.

- Doc

That sounds nice, Doc. Hope you both have a good time.

[Res Ipsa]

And the hits keep coming. Red flag warning issued for the North and Central cascades. Maybe a hike this weekend just isn't in the cards.

ETA: And right on cue, smoke is on its way from BC via the Frazier River canyon. Yay. AQI is only 69 right now, but the forecast for tomorrow is 137 (Unhealthy for Res Ipsas). Should only last through Saturday, so I'm singing "Count Your Blessings."

[huckelberry]

Obsessing. Air quality is "moderate". Uh huh. I got one coat of paint on the piece I'm working on and had to come back in for a breath of fresh filtered swamp cooler air. Literally, felt sick to my stomach. I guess if we're breathing it, we're swallowing it as well. Masking up next go round.

There are a couple of forest fires some 20 miles east of where I live. The wind is from the west so many days have seen little smoke. A few days visibility dropped to a mile or so. That may have included some smoke from Oregon. A couple of years ago smoke from large British Columbia fires settled in my area to the point visibility dropped to below 100 yards at times. We set up a box fan inside the house with air filter attached. That helped some. I have extra air filters and a couple of fans in case the smoke gets bad again. Still I am hoping smoke will never do that again.

Jersey Girl , Thankyou for your observations. You got my curiosity going about air quality index and I found a website showing current local measurements. Interest information to follow. It was about 60 a few days ago but smoke started increasing. Number went over 220 last night and this morning. It is 174 now with the weather person forecasting improvement tomorrow and the next few days. After that it could go up again. I was advised it was just last summer when it got much worse than this. I am obviously trying to distance myself from that memory of reddish yellow air.
.......

My my, I see the site has world map. I can see where the smoke is and is not. This here appears likely to be smoke from California fires. I notice nothing but green spots and low numbers for Colorado. Must be some help from water you mentioned. The last substantial water we got was white and had to be shoveled off of streets and sidewalks. (early March)