Smoke from Canadian wildfires suffuses our world, the briefest intimation of so much happening so far away. Sunday afternoon, I crouch in my garden, weeding, while talking on the phone to my brother. When I stand, the sun is a pool, the hue of fresh blood.
Later, before twilight, we swim with a friend, the smoke like a mist. On our way home, my daughter and I drive up the hill across our town, to the hillside where we often walk and look for the sunset. It’s after eight, but these are the longest days of our Vermont year. The sun is utterly absent, swallowed up in smoke and humidity, the light meager as November.
This, she says, is not good.
The following morning, our air clears. At dinner on our porch, a light rain patters. We keep eating, talking a bit here and there, lacing together our days. As for the humidity, I keep thinking…. bring it on. The myriad leaves and blossoms reach out, sucking it up, summer in all its messy intensity.
Stony Soil Vermont 
“… summer in all its messy intensity.” what a lovely and accurate phase.
Oh, summer, my heart.
This is really lovely and very vividly written! We’ve had some smoke here in Virginia, too, but it’s cleared up, so I’m thankful for that. Definitely made for some hazy days.
All the way down in Virginia…. Definitely makes you look at the planet differently.
It definitely does! It’s hazy here again today. Looks like it might rain, so maybe that will help.
Sure hoping so!
Lovely description
Thank you!
Let’s hope there will be an end to these horrendous fires–and soon!
Oh, summer. My heart! ❤️
So agree!
Love your plant, Brett Ann. What we need is lots of rain. The problem is that the smoke from the fire blows the rain away.
Wish I could send some our rain your way!! Sending all my positive thinking….