when skies are gray...dont take my sunshine away

In August and September, Salmon (a town with mountains all around it) was surrounded with forest fires to the north, the west, and the south. The air quality was terrible and depressing. It was unhealthy and everyone was instructed to stay inside as much as possible, and even then, lots of people got very sick. In the middle of August, we went camping in Montana and we breathed smoke-free air while there, and it was such a welcome reprieve. But when we came back to Salmon, the fires to the north/west of town had worsened, and so did the air quality. I documented how poor it was. There was ashes all over our cars, the trampoline, and the outdoor surfaces. The sky was orange and the mountains that are a mile from our home were not visible. It stayed this bad from the middle of August to the end of September, with only a few days in the afternoon when the winds cleared it out.

This is the orange reflection of the sun on the trampline. See some of the ashes?

 

More ashes on one of the cars:

The sky was so dark and dreary all day, and the sun felt like a furnace--the heat was radiating in a strange way.

The mountain to the west of us was not visible, but you can sort of make out a hill in this photo:

At the end of September, I was SOOO happy to see clear skies again! I was so grateful that the kids could FINALLY have outdoor recess again. I was glad to breathe fresh air. I was so pleased when it rained and when the wind blew to help the fires and smoke go away. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my soul. What a true blessing it is to see blue skies again!!!

 

 

Just to give a greater realization of the difference between what we lived with compared what we have now, here are some Before/After shots:

 

Field & Mountain to the west BEFORE:

 Field & Mountain to the west AFTER:

Fields & Mountain to the east BEFORE:

 Fields & Mountain to the east AFTER:

 

Trees & Mountain to the south BEFORE:

 Trees & Mountain to the south AFTER: