Hazy Morning Walk

Even before I stepped outside for my now-habitual morning walk, I could see something was strange. It wasn’t fog I was seeing out my kitchen window — it was haze.

Once I walked out into that haze, I knew we were experiencing some sort of environmental something-or-other. It smelled smoky.

About halfway through my quick lap around the block, I passed a retiree walking down his driveway to get his morning newspaper, appropriately decked out in robe and slippers.

“You should really be wearing a mask if you’re going to be out walking,” he admonished me.

When I asked him what this haze was all about, he told me that it’s smoke from the Canadian wildfires, and it’s likely to be around for the next day or two. I thanked him for the information and assured him I’d check the news when I got home.

Of course, when I continued on my walk and turned the corner to face east, I had to stop and spend some more time in the smoky air to take a picture of the red sun. No filter.

COVID-19 #coronapocalypse

I kept telling people that life was starting to feel like the opening chapters of a sci-fi novel. Schools closed, businesses closed, and “social distancing” becoming the new catch phrase. Shortages of toilet paper and hand sanitizer due to hoarding and panic.

This isn’t fiction. It’s reality. This was our local supermarket on March 15.

Empty store shelves

The days have gone by faster than I expected, and time has gotten away from me before I could properly blog/journal everything that’s going on. Luckily, i’ve been micro-journaling in the Exist app every night before bed, so I have a sort of timeline of the major takeaways of each day.

Exist micro-journal, 3/12 - 3/15Exist microjournal

Continue reading