Its wildfire season.
Personally, I enjoy the way the smoke softens the sun, so it doesn’t feel like its drilling into my brain with UV rays.
Smoke
Category: Observations
10/17
There’s a steady breeze from the south, cool enough to prickle the skin on my arms where I’m sitting in the shade. The grass is dry and rough, unpleasant on the areas of my legs that aren’t protected by my skirt.
In the distance I can hear the undulating hum of a lawnmower and the whir of a leaf blower. A woman is sitting on her porch and talking on the phone, the sound of her voice clear but her words indistinct.
There’s a small line of dead trees behind an old fence, the wood gray from weather and age. The playground is made of metal, painted brown and yellow.
Smells of dead leaves and grass.
The children run around yelling, while the two-year-old begins a tantrum on the grass.
Thank you for sharing my work!
9/8
Dark and windy.
The crickets are giving a steady chirp, punctuated by wind chimes and rustling leaves. The roar of motorcycle engines pass by in the distance, and a dog begins to bark. A cat yowls.
The light from the neighbor’s porch is blaring in my eyes, and the haze of smoke is holding the city glow in the air. The street is empty, and no one is sitting out on their porches despite the pleasant coolness of the night.
The cat’s voice sounds almost human, and it’s easy to imagine why they were once thought of as witches’ companions.
The dust in the wind is triggering my allergies.
Occasionally the wind stops, leaving an eerie silence filled only with crickets, followed by an even stronger gust.
I need to find that cat.
Thank you for sharing my work!
8/22
Waiting in the car. The air conditioner is blasting loudly at full speed, and the 8 year old has control of the music. She’s skipping through songs like there’s no tomorrow.
The 2 year old is crying for daddy, but he’s getting the food for our picnic. I remind her to be patient.
There’s so much smoke in the air, the mountains are obscured by a white haze despite it being a sunny day.
There’s a line of green trees to my right. The pine is my favorite, because it has a lovely shape against all the deciduous trees.
A scuffed up truck with a missing back window is driving backwards through the parking lot. It pulls halfway into a stall, idles for a minute, then exits onto the road.
My husband knocks on the car window. I help him with 2his the drinks and bag of food.
…
There’s a couple making out under a tree at the park, but the place otherwise empty. My husband asks is we want to find a different spot.
I reply, “Nah. Let’s show up with our gazillion kids, and let them see what they have to look forward to.”
Thank you for sharing my work!
Observations
It’s one of those hot and sticky days.
The advertisements in my inbox assure me that this is the last weekend of summer, but the weather feels like it has other plans. I’m sitting outside with a floppy crocheted sunhat, freshly washed hair spilling everywhere, and a bunch of kids completely ignoring their new splash pad.
Smells like cats.
Crows are cawing in the distance, cutting over the music I have playing on a bluetooth speaker. The neighbor’s door slams as they let their dog out. A semi truck rattles by. The baby starts to fuss as she achieves a death grip on my hair, and the two-year-old informs me that she needs a new diaper.
…
The air conditioning inside feels nice and cool. The baby is settling down to nap as the kids beg for ice cream.
Sounds like a great idea.
