Clear Skies!

From this, taken on 7/11/2008 at 8 am:


To this, taken on 7/14 at 7:40 am:



Although today is Tuesday, I am thinking of Monday right now--Monday is not my favorite day of the week for varous reasons, but yesterday was the absolute best Monday!  We woke up to blue skies and puffy white clouds, the sight of which no one in our area of northern California has seen in too long.  The photos above are ones I took when I awoke yesterday morning--I felt like jumping up and down, I was so happy and grateful!  With all of the awful California wildfires the past few weeks, the air here has been horrible.  I've never in all my life seen it this bad, and for such a long stretch of time, too.  Day after day has brought smoky air, a blood-orange sun both at sunrise and sunset, and burning eyes and throats, not to mention breathing problems for so many.  My youngest grandson has asthma, and at the tender age of 2, has already taken more trips to the emergency room than I can count--so naturally, we were very worried about him during the smoky days.  Fortunately, even though she had to use his inhaler a few times, my daughter was able to keep him indoors and out of the hospital during the past couple of weeks.  I have similar issues due to too many bouts of bronchitis over the past 15 years (and, no, I am not and haven't been a smoker), so I was very uncomfortable and scared, too.  I just kept thinking, Jann, you need to think about the poor firefighters and the people who have either lost their homes or have been evacuated, and pray for them and stop worrying about yourself.  So I did try, but it was still very depressing to see the ugly gray and brown skies day after day.  At any rate, my hubby and I were able to go back out and start our evening walks again last night, and although it was such a simple thing, I was just filled with joy at being able to do that!  I think we tend to take so much that we have for granted, and yet are terribly upset when we don't have the things we're used to.  So today I will just be happy for what I have right now and not worry about what I don't have, and I will breathe a sigh of relief and pray a big Thank You to God, over and over!