Trapped Inside

 

Today was a very strange day. I didn't leave the house at all, which my regular readers will know is highly unusual. The heat is slightly less problematic, but the air quality was terrible and just got worse all day. I could smell smoke in the house and decided I needed to close off our our three-season porch, so I brought Keith the Dracaena in and set it next to Greg the Other Kind of Dracaena. They are both sitting in front of our east-facing living room windows, which stretch up so high that they are about the only thing taller than Greg in our house. Just going onto the porch, which was itself closed off, made me cough, and my throat is still a bit sore. I only have half my steps for the day, and I'm still sore from Saturday's forced march during the heat, so it's hard to make myself get them. 

Travalon did leave the house, to go to work. One of the kids drew this picture - he's not even sure which one. It's so pretty.

I heard the train go by around six, so I checked the social media page where that guy always posts, and it was a short train with only one car that had graffiti, but it's bright, cheery graffiti.

I was talking to Seabird when Travalon texted that he has caught the sickness that is going around, which means I will probably catch it too. It also meant we are not going swimming tonight, or even to my office building to take care of my plants, but that's probably for the best with the terrible air quality. Poor guy, he went to bed right after coming home from work, but he just got up so maybe he is feeling a little better. What an entirely strange day this has been.

PS - I did go outside in my N95 mask to water my outdoor plants, Lazarus the Dracaena and the ponytail palm and the black calla lily. It was like a post-apocalyptic hellscape, all dark from the smoke with little pieces of ashes falling on me. It hasn't rained in days, so the plants needed water, but they actually look fine. The calla lily is so pretty that I'm sad I don't get to see it regularly, like I usually do when working from home and going on my walks. I hope they, and everything else outside, are okay. 

Famous Hat