Red Sky

This is what sunrise looks like these days, seen peeking through my neighbor's Japanese Black Pine. During the day, the sky stays red, with the sunlight filtering through the thick layer of smoke in the air. 

It's depressing as hell, actually. It feels post-apocalyptic. Then I think about the folks who live near, or in, the fires. For them, it really is post-apocalyptic.

This isn't a political blog, but I must say it doesn't help when the president tweets out falsehoods about why California is burning. I've come to believe that there is a large part of the population that believes every word he says, and he knows this. And that's why he says things that are deliberately false, to spread this dissension and hatred. So the fires, or the air quality, or the true reasons behind them, aren't the only thing depressing me (although God knows, that's enough to depress anyone). It's this horrendous idea that California has brought this on itself. The truth is bigger than that. It's that it's happening to all of us, everywhere. Our events look different, but they all stem from the same thing. And at the moment I just can't see a way out for any us. And it weighs heavily.

It's hard to focus on the harvest, or what we're cooking, or starting seed for a winter garden, when this larger issue is (literally) hanging above our heads. I try to remember that all I can control is my immediate sphere. I try not to read the news more than once a day. I try to find the real science behind the 'why' and try to imagine a future where we are all okay. But friends, I must be honest, I'm struggling. And I wonder if you are struggling too? Am I alone in this feeling?