Our Small World....

It's not news that Canada is suffering through astonishing wildfires. These fires are so huge that firefighters from other countries are flying in to try to help get them under control. One group from France (about 100 strong) arrived maybe two weeks ago....and their captain was quoted after several days saying that putting the fires out was basically impossible.

Heat and wind and dry conditions make burning season arrive earlier and last longer and fires spread farther. We here in the lower 48 have "witnessed" the fires just by looking to our own once-blue-skies. Milwaukee has had many days this spring where there is an overall haze diluting our beautiful blue ceiling and sometimes the city itself and big Lake Michigan are also "semi-hidden." Air quality is affected....and it's much worse in other big cities here in America. The map below gives some indication of just how widespread the Canadian fires are and why getting control of them is an almost impossible task.

I took Fenway out for his first walk a few days ago and was taken by the colors of our sunrise. Coming up over the trees just east of our building was an orange orb......softened with a sort of grey coating. I still enjoyed the fragrance of the still-blooming lilacs, but there was also a definite under-oder of smoke in the air.

Absolute proof that we live in a small world and it's foolish to think that changing climate conditions in one part of the world won't affect everyone. 

"Our" son is brighter today and the sky is bluer....but still not normal. A smoke-filled lesson for all of us about just how precious and fragile our planet is. 

Scented....

Early last week I walked outside in the mid-morning to walk Fenway. We left the apartment building and turned toward Lake Michigan on the sidewalk out front. I was immediately "overwhelmed" with the sweet fragrance of lilacs in full bloom.

The bushes were bursting with blooms and the scent floated on the breeze....following me to the corner. What a lovely sign of Milwaukee spring.

Today I repeated that same route but something was "missing". No sweet scent outside....at least not from our lilac bushes.

Ah well....next year.

An ECP Addition.....

We now have another connection to our neighborhood. Dave was busy building a Little Free Library and it now hangs on the fence outside our gazebo garden along the sidewalk. He was able to use "found" materials in the area. Someone moved out of an apartment and left a small cabinet and that became the "body" of the library. Another piece of furniture provided the "roof". A discarded picture frame lined with plexiglass and he had a front door. Basically the only things he had to purchase were the hinges, the clasps used to fasten it to the fence and the plexiglass.

ECP staff helped him hang it - Dave hiding in the bushes!

And voila!

We've already noticed people stopping by to check out the books inside....some are disappearing and others take their place. He's happy he was able to contribute this to our community!