Well, I just couldn’t do it. I just couldn’t stay trapped inside another day even though the air quality warnings said I shouldn’t leave the house.

It was either risk a reaction or go crazy so I doubled up on my medicines, put on my Vogmask and headed out into the smoke filled air to run a few errands. I promised myself I’d come straight back home, back to the safety of my boring little mast cell deactivating bubble. 🙄

Of course once I was out there I couldn’t bring myself to do that either and ended up taking the long way home, stopping by my favorite spot near the river…

Yes, I am such a rebel. Especially now that I have my driver’s license back! 😄

I saw an osprey fishing and a cormorant swimming and was hoping to see the beavers but they apparently didn’t want to be out in the smoke. I stayed as long as I could before I knew I better head back, just in case my medicine wore off and drove the back roads all the way home, taking in the views of the countryside that I love so much.

Well, what’s left of it at least. So many new homes and subdivisions have went up the last few years around us here it’s mind boggling!

After being welcomed back with a group howl and reassuring the pups that I hadn’t abandoned them, I gathered up the daily cache of eggs to share with them then opened up their kennels so they could run laps and get their crazies out while I headed back out to the garden (or what’s left of it) and grabbed a few more onions…

And a few more pumpkins including a dozen or so of the “black” ones…

Some of them are still quite greenish, but overall I am so happy with the way they turned out, especially considering the summer we had.

There are still plenty more but they’ll have to wait.

By the time I was finished with these my medicine was wearing off and I was starting to really react to the smoke. I could feel the hives forming across my torso, I was getting dizzy and my lungs were on fire so I forced myself back inside before things got worse.

Back where I belong.

Sigh.

Not long after that the rain came and is supposed to be here for a few days so hopefully I’ll be free again to get back out there and enjoy the last few days of summer. Or at least get to see the fall colors changing on the Tetons, which is only a couple weeks away now!

And after that the snow will come and we’ll pull out the dog sled and… yeah. I can hardly wait!

I am sure the pack feels the same. They’re going a bit stir crazy, too! 🙂