Went outside last Wednesday, around noon, got in my car & turned on the air conditioner before I closed the door. This is something I don't normally do but it was so bloody hot out there - the heat singed my eye lashes before I got into the car!! I started coughing before I got the car out of the drive. Two doses of my puffer later, I was able to get to my cafe for lunch. They ended up delivering to my car since I couldn't stop coughing to go in to eat it. By the time I got back home, I felt like I'd coughed up my entire right lung, run out of energy & strained all the muscles in my neck, shoulder & upper chest in the process. I had to lay down under the fan & sleep so lunch became supper. Not a good day at all. It's all that smoke from Washington & California that blanketed my corner of the universe. Too bad we can't stop THAT at the border!

I haven't been out since - I even closed all my windows & doors except for the back one that's only open wide enough for the cat ! At least I can see the houses on my street today, it was a dirty grey haze out there all weekend. Friends on the 14th floor of their building across the river report they are only a beacon in the middle of a grey cloud, they can't see anything at all. I think I spent most of my weekend with running, red rimmed eyes & bright red nose from the non stop wiping. Then more smoke poured down the river from the big dock fire a couple of miles away on the other side. More toxic chemicals added to the wild fire smoke & I even closed the cat door .  .  .  .  .  My little corner by the river is now a cauldron of chemicals. I'd hate to be living rough outside in a tent in all this mess. 

I still have wet & dry cat food, tea & enough frozen stuff for a couple of weeks so I think I'll be okay - until the wet cat food runs out at least .  .  .  .