Smoke

We managed to get through the night without the whole Peninsula going up in flames. There appeared to be a grassfire going out on East End Road when I closed the station last night but it looked as if it had been attacked pretty vigorously--the smoke was fading away even before I got out of town. Homer smelt faintly of wildfire smoke.

I didn't sleep easily.

This morning, the air is hazy--hard to see the mountains at the head of the bay. I haven't heard anything more about the Bear Cove fire. The news last night said that smokejumpers had responded, so it must have been threatening some of the cabins in that area. Can't see any smoke from here.

The TFR on the Anchor Point fire was cancelled about seven or eight last night, so that fire is under control. CC said that a fire official from Soldotna who was down for the emergency drill yesterday said it will be a miracle if the whole Peninsula doesn't go up in smoke this summer. All it would take are dry conditions and a good day-breeze. We sit amidst thousands of acres of beetle-killed spruce forest that have been drying out slowly in the sun for several years. One way or another, it will burn eventually.

Clear skies today without a sign of moisture. Temperature 60, dewpoint 36 at ten am. Yes, FSS Specialists are preoccupied with weather.

The hills around town are all gray and brown. The trees down at sea-level are showing the first leaves. Over the next week, we can watch the line of green sweep up the bluff to the thousand-foot level. I also saw a mosquito today--the first of the season for me, though Larry killed one last week--I guess that's the official mark for the year.

The scent of Cutter's Evergreen mosquito repellent smells like summer to me....

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