Smoke, Drought, Gardening & Electrical Problems

The Wallow Fire in Arizona is still plaguing us.  We first started to see smoke about 7pm Thursday, June 2nd.  Since then, the smoke is a daily occurrence, sometimes reducing visibility to under 1/2 mile. You can readily see ash floating in the air.  John and I avoid being outside during the worst of it as much as possible.  Evenings are the worst.  It has been hot and unfortunately, using the evaporative coolers is not an option as it only brings more smoke into the house.  The dogs are becoming accustomed to nightly wet towel baths, just to get the dust and ash off their faces and bodies as much as possible to reduce them ingesting it.

Rain would have an impact and would certainly help to improve our air quality, but alas, the drought continues.

Our garden continues to thrive.  Peas have lovely blossoms on them; we are beginning to think they like the smoke.  The broccoli seems to have survived the transplant, but as to whether it will produce is still yet to be seen.  Onions and carrots continue to appear.  John has been busy working to replace worn parts on our irrigation system so that we can automate the process for the summer with timers.  Until then, we are out watering as late each afternoon as we can before the smoke mass begins to smother.

In other news, my dual-sport is suffering an electrical problem.  We've already gotten one part in and replaced it only to find the problem is apparently bigger than that part alone.  I don't have a big issue with not having access to the bike right now - there is another bike I can ride and I really don't want to be riding in the smoke anyway - but John HATES electrical issues in motorcycles and is quickly becoming frustrated with the situation.  He spent a lot of time in the garage last night pulling it apart and testing various electrical connections.  I bought pizza last night to thank him for his efforts.  He is, afterall, my favorite mechanic.