SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES...

We have found a little out of the way eatery that has very good hamburgers, among other things.  

Since the two of us, in our opinion, are hamburger authorities, we frequent it quite a bit.

It is located just outside of town

 on a beautiful, scenic country road.

The land is owned and worked by a longtime, local family. 

 It consists of acres of peach, pear and apple trees and garden plots full of vegetables and other fruits. 

 They are well known for their delicious, homemade peach and apple pies.

You have your choice of seating inside

 in the quaint knotty pine dining room with its green and white checked curtains and a cozy corner fireplace

 or outside, on the wood deck overlooking the apple orchard.  

There are also picnic tables on the lawn under the walnut trees.

However, on our last visit, there were no takers for the pretty outside locations.

  The smoke from the fires going on around this area was getting a little heavier with each passing day. 

 On Tuesday, the Air Quality Index reached well over 500 - at the high end of the hazardous range. 

 Schools were closed and respirator masks were distributed to city workers on outdoor crews.

This is the picture I showed you in my post from last week...

...this is what the same view from our front porch looks like today.

  You can see that the trees in the background are not visible at all.

This was the view we saw

 as we were on the way 

for the Captain to walk the dogs at the shelter.

This was the view from my office car window.

Actually, we are blessed to have only smoke.

  Our neighbors have lost so much more. 
 Not only is the land they love changed for years to come,
 but for many, their homes and belongings that they worked so hard to acquire
 are gone
 and can never be replaced.

To think that a human being
 could be so callous and unfeeling
 to set something like this in motion
 is just unfathomable.

After spending a few days with this smoke and feeling the consequences of breathing it,
 we know that the men and women who are fighting on the front lines,
 risking their lives every day,
 trying to keep us safe from this devastation,
 are truly our heroes
 and we owe them so much.

...Judy...

Strangely enough, these clouds were so beautiful. 
 They looked like someone had piled up a bunch of snowballs.
 In reality, they are called a pyrocumulus cloud, or fire cloud. 
 They are similar to the classic cauliflower - topped cumulus clouds,
 but the heat that forces the updraft, which leads to cooling and condensation of water vapor
 comes from fires or volcanic activity, instead of sun-warmed ground.

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What's It Wednesday at Ivy and Elephants