Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

Happy Thurdsay!  Another week has gone past and I really am not sure where summer is flying to this year.  Soon, way too soon, that dreaded four letter word "snow" will be uttered by the weatherman and I'll be stuck inside again.

For now, we're stuck inside for the most part anyway, either at the trailer or at home because of this.  Smoke.  You know that view I photograph now and then of Mt. Spokane off of our back deck?  This is the same view.  No Mt. Spokane.  It's been covered in smoke for a couple of weeks now.  Apparently we're getting the smoke from the Canadian fires and the ones by the Canadian border in Washington, along with fires in central Washington.  Since we're only 100 miles or so from the border depending on the roads you  take, it's not very far away.  I took this picture about 10 minutes ago.

Here at the lake isn't any better.  This was the view yesterday and early last month!  See the difference? 

It does make it difficult to breathe and my eyes feel like they are full of grit and sand.  My nose and eyes water constantly too.  Ick!  There is supposed to be a change next week and the wind is supposed to shift everything out of here.  I'm hoping that happens, because it's been several weeks now and we're all feeling the effects of the nasty stuff here in Eastern Washington.

Neal and Jenny have our new trailer in North Idaho this week at Silverwood Amusement Park north of Coeur d'Alene.  See the smoky sky there too?  She sent me this picture of the trailer all set up.  Doesn't it look cozy?  I need to think of a name for it.  Any suggestions?

I'm looking forward to using it ourselves, but I'm very happy that our best friends are having fun with it too.  We're planning to take a drive up north from the lake on Friday or Saturday to check out a couple of campgrounds.  I would like to dry camp, (boondock), on DNR land, but we're a bit hesitant to be off by ourselves with all of the fires.  An established campground would have a better warning system to get us out in an emergency.

I did get some knitting done this week while sitting INSIDE the trailer at the lake away from the smoke.  These are for Hayden made with some leftover camo colored yarn.

Yesterday when I came into town I bought yarn and started this granny blanket for Miss Piper's new big girl bed.  Papa, (Dennis), bought her a new comforter set when we were there and hopefully this will match it.  She loves her new bed and calls it "the cloud" because it's so soft and comfortable.  I want to have this done when I go back there next month.  Wish me luck!

I also started a pair of socks last night for Kale, Hayden's big brother.  I had to buy yarn for them yesterday since I had no "boy" colors.  Look!  See!  They really are started.  Technically anyway.  :-)There are 16 stitches cast on that needle.  I just finished casting on all of the stitches and knitted one round so they are well and truly begun.

A friend just texted me a link about the "Purple Hat Project".  I haven't read the entire thing, but I what I have read sounds like a great charity project.  Here are the links if you're interested in checking it out. 

http://clickforbabies.org/

Also: 

http://www.southernliving.com/news/knitting-for-charity-crochet-baby-cap-period-of-purple-crying

Finally, here is our youngest son, Alex.  A friend of his posted this on face-book and I copied it.  This was taken Tuesday night in Aomori, Japan.  Alex has taken part in this festival in rural Japan since he was 14 years old.  He is 28 now!  It is quite an honor since they usually do NOT allow foreigners to be in the festivals in rural areas.  They take their traditions very seriously.  I truly think Alex is more Japanese than American!  He was born in the wrong part of the world as he loves the Japanese people and their culture so much.  And, can you believe that he was born on Pearl Harbor day, December 7?

He face-timed us the next night to show his Dad the mustache before he shaved it off.  Right after we face-timed he said it was coming off.  His girlfriend wanted him to grow it, but he didn't like it and in the place he lives it is NOT the thing a businessman does if he wants to look professional.  So off it came!

I don't have a lot of news this week.  Just trying to stay out of the extreme heat and smoke.  We will break a record today of temperatures about 90 degrees in a row.  That is so unusual for us here in Spokane.  I'm ready for a cool down, but not ready for fall yet.

Dennis has Fridays off for the next couple of months to use up his vacation or he loses it.  They are so busy at work that he can't take a week or two off all at once, so he's taking Friday's until the end of October, plus the week of our anniversary in September.  We're staying close by, probably at the lake that week or maybe somewhere close in our little trailer, so if they need him he can get to the office in a short time.  Frustrating, when we had wanted to go to the Oregon coast in October for a week.  Campsites are also hard to find right now because of the eclipse.  Even though it will be over by October, it is bringing many people up to the northwest and they are apparently staying around for awhile.

I hope you have a lovely week and are enjoying summer.  The evenings are getting shorter and we have to turn the lights on outside at the trailer again when we sit outside visiting.  Dennis is driving into town in the dark now in the mornings.  Unmistakable signs that summer is waning.  I am NOT ready for it, but the seasons will change anyway won't they?  I'll just have to follow along, kicking, screaming and pouting my way behind it!  Ha!

"Give praise to the LORD, proclaim His name; make known among the nations what He has done."
Psalm 105:1

Blessings always,
Betsy