Ashes, Smoke and Headaches

As many of you know by now all the SoCal bloggers are accounted for and okay. Interestingly we are all impacted to varying degrees by the fires because they are all around us. It's hard not to have so much focus on the fires when the very air you breathe is so horrible. The sooty air is a constant reminder of what everyone is going through. The fire that most likely was set by an arsonist is directly affecting thousands of people.

Thank you all for your kind words, thoughts and prayers. Please send some of those prayers out to Rowena. She reported in today that her sister-in-law's mother and grandmother lost their homes in San Diego. I can't even imagine it.

Thank God, and I do, most of us still have our homes but everyone living in Southern California will be affected for weeks to come by these fires. For one thing is the very air you are trying to breathe sucks. There's just no way to describe how sickening it is. The least of problems is like the horrendous headache I have that nothing I've taken or done for it seems to help. The worst of it is for the many people who have respiratory related illnesses or conditions. This ashy smoky air makes it very difficult for them to breathe. My nieces who both have pretty severe asthma are just miserable and exhausted from the strain and stress of trying to filter this garbage and breathe.

More people with respiratory problems needing help puts a greater strain on our already stressed emergency services. It's a vicious circle. Our local schools muddled through the day today, but have closed tomorrow hoping that winds and/or rain will come through and help clear some of this out. Never thought I'd be wishing for wind. Wouldn't you know today the air has been still as can be. Not a flutter of a breeze any where. Anyway we are all hoping it will be better on Monday for the kids to get back to school.

I've taken a page out Wendy's book and GG is out right now trying to buy us an air purifier. I've got my fingers crossed. My silver lining is that while Shmoo has a red and irritated throat his allergies haven't kicked up. Me with a headache from hell and Shmoo with an allergy flare up are a recipe for disaster.

I'm flouncing my irritated self into my room with a very large glass of ice water and my Anne Stuart book. Thank God for books. They're a great distraction even with a headache.