Air quality

 When it is cold here in Allentown, I check Long Beach, California temperatures. When I was living in Long Beach I would check temperatures where my son/daugthers/siblings lived in PA and NJ. Some days they were identical within a few degrees. 

Today I checked Air Quality, Long Beach, CA. Google answers said "moderate," including Signal Hill, moderate. I then checked "smoke and ashes from wildfires." City of Long Beach is issuing warnings about low air quality due to wildfire smoke. Did not say if the fires are raining ashes on Long Beach.

There were 3 wildfires, in a triangle when I lived there. One along the 91 Freeway, another in Anaheim. No longer recall the 3rd. Those fires did rain ashes in our town, that time. Forced to stay indoors, due to heavy smoke. That was the only time the wildfires affected me.

Feel for unsheltered homeless in Long Beach. My street days, it rained.  A lot. Myself and others hung out in restrooms to keep dry. Others hung out at the library. The lucky ones were able to stay  in Winter Shelters all day, due to inclement weather. Maybe today they wear face masks?

Many miles from Canadian wildfires, but could smell the smoke here. Step out on balcony and eyes immediately stung; sky covered with smoke. Different than, say, low hanging clouds or fog. Sunny day, hidden by the smoke cover. I think about my nephew in El Segundo. He is closer to those wildfires, including the recent Malibu one. 

I do miss California.