Saturday, September 22, 2012

SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES




Mike and I packed up and left the town house for the farm about 8:15 Friday morning. Driving up the Clearwater corridor we noticed the smoky haze but didn’t think much about it. It’s been hazy for days.

That is, we didn’t think much about it until we came to the Gilbert Grade where those wonderful vistas of Orofino and the Clearwater Mountains were supposed to be. They weren’t visible due to smoke. As we reached the top of the grade, smoke obscured the distant view and hung in the air. Sometimes it appeared to move as fog, creeping along the low places and resting on the hills. As we descended Plank’s Pitch into the homestead, we were greeted by a house shrouded in smoke. “I wonder if we ought to stay here,” said Mike.

So we unloaded the Dakota and then pursued our chores. I put away the things we brought, watered the vegetation, and did a little housework. Mike tossed the one trapped mouse, wound the clock, and completed a leatherwork task.
 
Mike had intended to meet cycling friends in Kamiah today (Saturday) for a ride to Grangeville and Mt. Idaho (rural communities of the area), and it occurred to him that he should check his email for confirmation of the ride. Sure enough – the ride was postponed due to the smoke and air advisory. And then Mike rode out on the 4-wheeler to renew the orange paint on our “no hunting” stakes. “I think we should leave after lunch,” he announced upon return. “I could hardly take a deep breath.” He noted that the smoke smells like wood fire -- burning trees.
 
I was momentarily unconvinced of the need to leave. After all, the neighbors are permanent residents of the area. They probably aren’t leaving. But Mike pointed out that we don’t know their circumstances. And since the bike ride was cancelled and outdoor activities were out of the question, Mike needed a new plan of action.

But wait! The big box of pears on the porch still had to be dealt with. I had planned to dry any that were ripe.  So, after a hasty lunch, I selected the best of them to take back to town for some sort of processing. I guess leaving them in the big box on the porch wasn’t such a bad idea because they did ripen. Our daily temperature spread is 40 degrees now, so maybe we tricked them into thinking they were ripening on the ground.
So, we loaded up and headed out. Mike stopped at a viewpoint near the top of the grade so that I could take a picture of the obscurity. 

We stopped again on Orofino’s Riverside to pick up a geocache where I took the picture below. Mike and I agreed that the smoke was much worse than earlier in the day. Visibility was somewhat limited and traffic crept rather needlessly.
Back at the town house by 3:00, we once again dealt with our packing boxes and then I started to work on the pears. Eight cups of chopped pears went into the big pot to simmer with four cups of sugar, one teaspoon of cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves. Mmmmm – the spicy autumn aroma permeated this little house. Once it had thickened, I packed it into three pint jars.  I can hardly wait for Nick to taste it!

The smoke here in town is worse this morning. Sports activities have been cancelled or moved indoors. I maintain that the air quality can’t be all that much better inside, can it? Maybe the “particulates” in the exterior air don’t affect us inside.

Today? – more pear processing and maybe more work on the quilt. Mike says the smoky conditions are getting him down. Unless things clear a bit, outdoor exercise is out of the question, so he’ll probably work in his shop. KW

[The pictures: 1 & 2) The farmhouse. 3) To the north from the field behind the house. 4) To the south. The view of Little Canyon is totally obscured by the smoke. 5 & 6) From Gilbert Grade. 7) On Riverside. 8) From the town house.]

3 comments:

Leah said...

Please stay indoors. If you see & smell smoke all around you, it's bad. Ash will probably be covering everything outside. Leave it for now.

Several years ago in So. Calif., we had a similar smoke event. Wildfires had destroyed many many acres & houses east of here. The smoke hung over us for about a week along with ashes which turned the ground an eerie gray. We were warned to stay inside. I didn't and went to work (volunteer job) only to learn later that the AC was sucking air from outside & bringing it in. The room looked clear, but the fine particulates were creeping into my lungs. I was in a lot of pain (lungs) that night and for several days. Lesson learned.

Sadly, all the beautiful canyons around you in town & on the farm are trapping the smoke filled air.

When you get ready to wash things down outside, don't sweep! Use a hose which will wash the ash away and not move it into the air around you.

Keep safe.

Hallie said...

That pear stuff sounds good! We once had a vanilla pear butter or something like that which was delicious.

The smoke is just crazy!

Kathy said...

Leah -- Thanks so much for the advice. Mike didn't ride his bike, but we did take Nellie for a short walk.

I saw a "vanilla pear" recipe -- called for half a vanilla bean in the mixture. I didn't use that recipe since I don't have any vanilla beans -- never have had. Also saw a recipe that called for crystallized (candied) ginger. They have that in bulk at Rosauer's, but I didn't drive up there today.

Today I made a pear crostata and froze about seven cups of pear slices.