Smoke came on little cat feet, drying and graying the green mountain folds. Where is our beloved southerly wind, we cried? Day over Mount Shasta breaks orange while we mourn the skies of yesteryears.

(Sorry, folks. But there’s nothing like the comfort of a melodramatic moment.)

Time’s Up! Chris and I have no views of the usual mountains or valleys, so our trained eyes are beginning to drop to ground level, where we spotted a beautiful gray feral cat this morning. It seemed to be munching one of the many exotic weeds, and I wondered if hunger was the issue, so I set out in the smoke with a handful of cat food.

This makes three different ones I’ve seen lately, cats that is–all of them stopping by periodically to run the gauntlet of manzanita along our 300 foot driveway. I figure they’re hunting for Oregon Towhees, Scrub Jays and Quail. This is the first year out of eight that I haven’t seen many bevies or covies of quail motoring down our pathways. The word must be out now. Foxes, coyotes and cats sure are plentiful.

The word must be out about heavy smoke, too. Chris and I have a retail store in Mount Shasta, and our summer business is lagging behind last year’s by as much as 26%. Some wildfires are burning unchecked, I’m told, and I believe it. The 1000+ acre blaze seventeen miles west of Fort Jones forced the closure of 16 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail and would require smokejumpers. Sad to say, the smokejumper base at Cave Junction, Oregon was closed down to save money. I read that in the Mount Shasta Herald in a letter to the editor but found no information on the net. I can confirm that we have the latest technology in air pollution monitoring, though, thanks to a well publicized Homeland Security grant.

To allow fires to burn themselves into oblivion with little care for air quality is one of the many controversial policies of the Forest Service. Federal officials call it “reintroducing fire to the landscape.” National Park Managers call it “appropriate management response” or “wildfire use”. Politicians call it budgeting, but most folks around here call it just plain scary.

I remember back about twelve years ago when they let a wildfire “use up” a whole bunch of Yosemite National Park, and many people got upset. It’s touchy business–deliberately setting fires, even by the so-called experts. A sudden wind shift or gust can not only burn too much forest but turn an entire town into small particle contaminants. Hence the reason, local pollution boards are sometimes asked in advance to relax their standards for air quality. (That’s not exactly what I meant, but you get the picture.) As a person inhaling contaminants from these fires, I have mixed feelings. Unfortunately, burns both prescribed and otherwise often get out of hand. I could list a dozen or more, but that’s why we have the Los Angeles Times. Click on the word ‘dozen’ and you’ll see what I mean.

In any case, authorities said most of the remaining 33 blazes are on remote federal forest lands and pose little threat to homes–just to the many wildlife homes and the lungs of those who live in homes. Thanks to our new equipment, the California Air Resources Board issued a health warning late Monday for Northern California. The S.F. Chronicle also gives a bleak outlook: This month-long fire event now dubbed the Northern California Lightning Series wasn’t the only one expected for ’08, as California continues to be plagued with drought. September and October typically bring the most devastating blazes.

But, but, but, wait a minute, folks. What will be left to burn?

For a picture of Mount Shasta in its better days, email me and I’ll send you an exquisitely beautiful specimen, complements of  (SendOutCards). Just say the word and I’ll even throw in some fancy poetry.

Laura signing off.