Smoke and Fire

Alaska is on fire.  I am in Fairbanks so we are okay but there are fires around us and we are getting smoked out.  I was feeling really bad yesterday and couldn't get to sleep because I was so achy.  I couldn't find any way to lay where I could get comfortable.  I had body aches all over.  I finally fell asleep and didn't wake up until 6 pm the next day.  Wow, that's so late.  I slept all day.  I feel like I've been run over by something.  It turns out that it has been raining and that is what triggered a Fibromyalgia flare up.  You know, I'm okay with that.  Alaska needs the rain right now.  I really hope it helps the firefighters get further in their efforts.  Hopefully there wasn't lightening to cause more fires.  Everything is so dry and we haven't been getting enough rain thoroughly wet everything. 

I'm not sure what I can do today.  I can't even think clearly and certainly can't concentrate to read.  I've been knitting though and the baby blanket I'm knitting isn't a complicated pattern so maybe I can continue working on that.  I hope so.  Here is a dark picture of the blanket I'm knitting.  It's more blue than it looks and that was about half way finished.  Now I'm working on another row of whales.  The pattern is called "Arthur" and it easy to work.  I'm also going to make a stuffed whale toy to go with it. 

This next week I am supposed to go to Anchorage for a doctor appointment.  My husband planned to drive us.  I am worried about whether the way will be clear or not.  I heard yesterday that Anderson was given evacuation ready status 2 and a nearby neighborhood is being evacuated because of a growing fire.  That is along the parks highway which is the way to Anchorage.  I know there will be smoke but I hope it isn't too much for me to breath or for us to see. 

I wonder how the animals fair that are in the smoke.  I'm not talking about the fire but just the thick smoke that is hard to breath.  I know I haven't seen any moose this year.  I've had to stay indoors several days with the house all shut up and an air purifier running.  My doctor gave me an inhaler to help and if I step outside I have to use it.  I found a dead rabbit in my yard and it doesn't appear to have anything wrong with it.  They are actually domestic rabbits that someone set loose some years ago.  They have been spreading and seem to do okay in the winter.  I enjoy seeing them in my yard since I'm allergic to them and can't actually have one as a pet.  I did have rabbits when I was a kid so I really miss that.  Here is what they look like.  I had one that was really friendly and kept coming up to my front step looking for food.  I was putting out carrots for him.  I named him Charlie but then several others of different sizes started coming and I lost track of which one was Charlie.  Now I call them all Charlie.  Some I call Big Charlie, one is fat Charlie, and one little guy born this year is little Charlie.  It was so sad to see the one that died and it could have been the one in the picture.  It was that size. 

I wonder if someone put out poison.  I know some people in the neighborhood don't like them and try to run them off or kill them. A few were caught and taken to the pound.  I wanted to try that but I'm too allergic to them.  I hope those did okay and they were able to tame them.  I am pretty sure some people shoot them.  I don't know how you could poison a rabbit but that really worries me because then a dog could get it and get poisoned too.  At least I know my dog won't get one.  I keep my dog with me and he doesn't run around loose.  Knock on wood, he's never gotten loose yet anyway. 

I guess the rabbit could have had some sort of disease and in that case I sure hope he didn't share it with the others.  I would miss seeing them.  I love seeing them laying around outside.  The stretch out real long on the asphalt, sometimes right in the middle of the road. I haven't seen any hit my cars though because they are quick to move when cars come. 

Take care everyone and be safe if you are in the path of the storm (Louisiana).  Prayers for you. 

Donna