Smoky Day Six

The Air Quality Index lists Santa Rosa, and most of the rest of Northern California, as 'unhealthy'.  The schools are closed so Dana is at home refinishing her bedroom furniture. We had a good time at the home furnishing store yesterday picking out new bedding for the bed in their newly painted bedroom. Now, of course, everything else looks like it needs a face lift too....

Here on Wildwood Trail we are getting cabin fever. OilMan finished his puzzle and finally donned a mask and went outdoors and pulled out the skeleton of a dead leucodtendron. 

A cheerful message from the dermatologist informed me that the culture from the hole in my leg came back positive, so, although all of the cancer was removed, the resulting wound is now infected. I'm instructed to soak it in vinegar and water compresses twice a day for five days. I'm feeling somewhat less cheerful as I head back to the knitting.

The terrible atmosphere is extremely depressing, and I keep reminding myself that the particulates in the air are all that remain of the town of Paradise. I am so sad for the people who are going through what so many went through in our town a year ago. It is a devastating experience even for those who don't lose everything. It is almost impossible to get one's head around the scope of the disaster for those who do. The man without compassion in the White House, after blaming the fires on 'bad forest management' is now belatedly offering 'prayers'. Guess what? We don't want your prayers...we'd rather you just did our homework and admitted that the majority of the forest land in California is 'mismanaged' by the Federal government.

Many survivors say that they are/were overwhelmed by the kindness of strangers and the willingness of those who went through it here last year are now doing what they can to help those who are going through it now. 

Increasingly, the question is becoming, what do we do now? So far, we haven't gotten beyond collecting lists and putting a few essentials in a bag. Perhaps tomorrow, I'll start taking pictures of all our stuff...a useful indoor activity but one I resist....