See that cloud? That’s not a cloud. It’s smoke from a wildfire about 20 miles away from our house. That’s from yesterday, and this morning all that smoke had spread out over us like a fog. When the wind blows our way, the air smells like a campfire.

We’re lucky compared to neighboring states so far. Less property damage, no deaths that I’ve heard of, and the fire’s unlikely to reach our house. But we’ve been hiding inside from the smoke, so I’m doing more inside stuff than I usually do this time of year.

I’ve been catching up on the latest by A. Lee Martinez–The Last Adventure of Constance Verity and Constance Verity Saves the World.  If you enjoy light humor mixed with sci fi and fantasy I recommend pretty much everything Martinez has ever written. My favorites are The Automatic Detective and Divine Misfortune, but pretty much all his books are fun and quick reads.

I’ve also been working on a lacy sweater. I need a bit more yarn to make the arms, but I already have a couple styling ideas and I’ll take pictures once it’s done.

And last but not least, Halloween is getting close. On my morning walk I spied the first house to put up Halloween lights. I had to drop by the local craft store today and I couldn’t resist a few pumpkins on sale and a cute Halloween candelabra. My 9-year-old helped me pick them out. She knows what I like.