One might suppose that as long as this region, as well as other areas around the country, remains suffused with the effect of smoke from the wildfires burning just about everywhere, we won't be seeing the sun for a while. We could use some rain, and perhaps by the weekend we will. I'm amazed at the amount of both fine granules of soot along with seasonal pollen scattered everywhere. Yesterday when we were walking up the street to the ravine entrance, wind whipped this matter up from the road and anywhere else it had settled and sent it in clouds of grey flecked with black into our faces. That's when a mask could come in handy.

As a matter of fact health authorities are actually recommending the use of masks as protection against the pollution. Evidently emergency departments are being burdened with people showing up suffering from lung problems exacerbated by the plunging air quality. Respirologists are quoted as warning the public that this kind of exposure can increase risk of heart and lung problems and create misery for people with chronic illness.

I believe that our direct proximity to a forest diminishes the risk for us, since trees act as a carbon sink. And truth to tell, we were out for much longer on our forest walk than usual this afternoon, went further and stayed out longer. I can recall how our lungs were affected the last time we spent a week in Toronto on what was supposed to be an ordinary weather occasion. We felt nothing like that now. The air, it's true, is permeated with the odour of burning wood, and that in itself is a symptom of the particulate matter floating about.

What we do notice is that the environment seems darker than it normally should, and that's attributable to the haze scattered everywhere. In some areas, without a doubt, more so than others. I don't think the east end of the city where we are is as affected by the smoke and the resulting haze as the west end. It's been a very cool day after a night where the temperature sank to 10C, and rose to a high of 15C today.

Strange the light seems so dim in the house, and not much brighter in the out-of-doors. I've found layers of pollen throughout the house from the windows being open on previous days, and likely there's some level of accumulation of particulate matter that entered the same way as the pollen throughout the house. What's odd is that although rain has held off, when you're out, bare-armed in the cooler temperature it almost feels as though rain is imminent, so much so, it seems as though it's falling.

We enjoyed our trek through the ravine. And because we went along to trails we haven't used in quite a long while, that piqued the interest and enthusiasm of Jackie and Jillie, leading them to run about back and forth, re-acquainting themselves with areas unfrequented. There weren't many people out, though we did come across a few with their dogs, happy to see Irving, the Cookie Man.