We are close to Visalia, CA, relatively far from the fires, but air from all over California gets trapped here in what is called the Fresno Eddy, and we've got lots of smoke. The air quality is bad. It's not record ozone levels. It's not record particulate matter levels. But it IS a record to have exceedingly unhealthy levels of both at the same time. In applied terms, it's not good to run or jump or wiggle the way kids need to, especially outside. We have to stay inside.

Right now, we're at 110 for ozone (unhealthy for sensitive groups) and 163 for particulate matter (2.5 ppm, just plain unhealthy). This means that breathing deeply is bad for your health, no matter what your condition may be.

Check out AIRNow and find out how your air is today, all over the country, then take care of yourselves.

I'd write more, but I'm in a scurry, trying to pack for camping so we can go high in the mountains today, where all this is still bad to breath, but at least it'll be cooler. We have 100 degree weather down here in the valley.