Antidote

Blossie and I live in Portland, Oregon. You know, the city with the worst air in the world, and most recently the worst violence in the country. Whew…..It’s pretty much hell here. I’m just waiting for the locusts.

In addition to the suffering of the pandemic and most everything still closed, people sit scared at home or masked everywhere you look. Economic uncertainty still lingers around every corner with no end in sight. As if that wasn’t enough, our lush green trees, blue skies and gorgeous hiking trails are now fuzzy outlines of unidentifiable shapes obscured by thick smoke and haze so hazardous we have been advised to keep our windows closed and stay inside. The sun is that horrible orange ball we only see when there are rampant fires. It’s so depressing and upsetting I can hardly stay conscious. 

I moved here to lush, green, rainy Portland nine years ago to escape sun-baked, rain-starved, forest-fire prone Southern California, and now we have this devastation here too.

Nature is such a huge part of my psyche. It’s where I get my inspiration. It’s where I sit and write most of the words I share with you as I enjoy the birds and squirrels that frequent our paradise. In normal times my backyard is heavenly. Two huge Maple trees shade the entire garden and preside over the hum of creation and the buzz of life.

Now I cannot be outside for more than a few minutes. It pains my soul. Today is Tuesday. Over this past weekend the weather reports said the smoke should start to dissipate by Monday or Tuesday when there was a forecast of rain, which hasn’t come. Now it appears we may not have relief till the end of the week or later. 

I’m the active sort and going stir crazy, rapidly advancing to antsy and whatever comes after that. I wanna sit outside. I wanna take Blossie for a nice long walk at one of the many parks and trails just outside my door. I wanna skip. I wanna….I wanna.

What is helping me cope in this craziness? Instagram. Yes, Instagram. Six months ago, I wasn’t even remotely interested in social media. Five month ago I started this blog and embraced Instagram. Blossie has over 1700 followers and we have connected with wonderful dogs and their people all over the world! People with heart, people with a hilarious sense of humor, people with huge doses of humanity. This experience is beyond anything I could have imagined! There’s nothing like a photo of @snoopythebasset in his Dumbo costume to make a girl and her dog forget all about smoke and fire as we double over with laughter. He is a hoot!! 

Here’s to less smoke….. more giggle! We gotta have it!!