We've experienced some nasty days with the Québec wildfires and the smoke that has spread into Ontario and further south (and now, it seems, the smoke has made its way across the Atlantic).
Because I work from home and don't usually stray far, I haven't witnessed the smoke very often. There was one morning, a couple of weeks ago, when I was taking trash to the curb and noticed that I seemed foggy outside, until I breathed in and smelled the burning odour. We've had to keep our windows closed and our cat, Camille, who usually rules in our backyard during the summer months, has had to stay inside.
The most dramatic experience of the wildfires came to us on Sunday, when we awoke from the trailer that we had rented to visit Algonquin Provincial Park. Our plan was to have an early morning paddle before we prepared breakfast and packed up for our return home.
But as soon as we stepped out of the trailer and looked at Rock Lake, we knew that kayaking wasn't a good idea. The view was dramatically different than it had been the previous day.
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| Top photo: Saturday morning; bottom photo: Sunday morning. |
DW and I were so thankful that we had filled our Saturday with the kayaking and hiking activities that were the reason we had chosen this location. Had the smoke arrived just one day earlier, the weekend would have been a bust.
And we wouldn't have seen the moose on the other end of the lake.
I can't look at the bottom photo without a song from Hawksley Workman popping in my head, even though it has nothing to do with forest fires. If you know the song, it might be your earworm, too.
If you have smoke in your area, stay safe. Avoid prolonged exposure and outdoor activities as much as you can, and wear a mask if you have to be out.
Happy Friday!
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