oh these smoky days.....

Over the last few days, California has been burning up literally. Last weekend brought thunderstorms, which carried the danger of lightning and there were strikes in dry areas, starting fires to frustrate already busy tired firemen who just fought a huge Santa Clara forest fire previously. News sources reported over 1,000 lightning strikes which started over 800 separate fires over central and southern California. So serious is the situation that the governor of California has requested assistance from neighboring states. Now news is predicting possibly even more lightning for this upcoming weekend.

In the Bay Area, the situation for the past few days has been hazy and smoky. The smoke blowing into the Bay Area is coming from a fire north, near Ukiah and winds have been directing smoke from that fire south toward the bay area.

Advisories have been broadcast over the past few days, warning older individuals to stay indoors, and for those who exercise outdoors to take a break and hold off for a few days. The air quality for the northern and eastern regions bay areas have been rated the worst in years, and residents state they can feel and see the difference.

For sunset lovers, this situation has been giving us brilliant red-orange sunsets and the sunrises haven't too shabby also! Tonight I recorded the sun low to the rooftops more than an hour before sunset, and already the sun painted the sky orange through the smoke and haze.

Along the coast residents and tourists alike have been busily snapping the strange sight of an orange sun long before sunset. The area is already known for its golden sunsets that draw many out of their dwellings to capture the golden gate and more, but these days the setting sun is even more orange than normal.

pelicans were flying during tonight's
sunset to my pleasure

28 June UPDATE: As of today, there are more than 1,300 fires, some big but many small. Northern California has the majority of the fires. Starting possibly Monday, wind currently blowing north off the ocean will clear the Bay Area skies which has been draped in smoky haze for over a week.