To our neighbors to the north and northeast, I wish the wildfire smoke problems riding the air stream dissapate quickly. Please stay healthy!
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Yes to wearing masks!
And if you have CPAP, other breathing-assistance devices, and/or AC units, remember to clean or replace the filters - they clog up fast with the particulate matter.
~ From a Californian Who’s Breathed More that Her Share of Wildfire Smoke
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Thanks @mts It is eerie here in Philly. The weather has been great and I’ve had the windows open enjoying the fresh air. Then it got hazy, but was ok. Then it got really hazy and smelled of smoke. Mom lives with me, so I had no choice but to close the windows and turn on the air. I don’t ever recall anything like this . . . Philly isn’t exactly in Canada’s back yard.
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I ended up canceling our travel plans in Canada for early July because of the fires.
Here’s to another summer without travel . Welp.
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That’s so sad. We finally get past Covid and its masking policies and restrictions, and now this.
If it’s bad here in Philly, I can’t imagine what Canadians are dealing with,
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It has been awful in Ottawa and Toronto. It hasn’t been that bad in southwestern Ontario where I am right now , although I can smell the smoke and it is hazy. My vacation was going to be in northern Ontario, and 5 nights would have been in cottages with screens and no HVAC, so not a great idea.
Toronto Public Health put this notice out yesterday
https://twitter.com/topublichealth/status/1666539736138170370?s=46
Kids are wearing masks when they go outside at recess in Toronto and Ottawa.
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I understand that Canada hasn’t even hit peak fire season yet, so I’m sure it’s wise to cancel a vaca with no HVAC. But wise doesn’t make it less disappointing.
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I’m sort of in the “what now?” state of mind . LOL.
I haven’t stopped living like it’s May 2020, so it’s not that much of a disappointment. I still mask, I still social distance, I only see people outside once in a blue moon. LOL
Must be harder for everyone who has gotten over the Pandemic, and back into travelling for fun every couple months. 
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Me, too. Still masked like a ninja. I have to go out to the doctor today. PM2.5 fills the air? I got this (and my face) covered. I guess that N95 gives me a 2 fer today. It’s how I live now, sadly for us all.
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We actually wore our N95 masks just to walk from the car to the bar yesterday. It’s not CA, but it’s pretty awful out there. Our new present.
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We went through this just recently in the Rocky Mountain west and those of us who are compromised just had to shelter in place until the jet stream got movin’. I imagine more urban areas are having a really tough go with this combined with all the stuff in the air already. We have many portable air filter/ air circulators in our home that we’ve pulled out over the years when the smoke from fires blow in from the west and then get stuck in our valley. Now it seems it is a regular occurence. This was the earliest I can remember putting them in use. Be careful out there!
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Yep, masks back on for us in the DC area. I didn’t realize how bad it was until I took the dog out and saw the orange sunrise and smelled smoke.
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The videos I’ve seen online for the time lapse of smoke on June 7th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. dark orange sky was harrowing to watch.
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It’s disturbing. H & I traveled to see the total eclipse a few years ago, and I got the same eerie feeling that the sky is NOT RIGHT. Other people I know are reacting to the smoky smell, which is reminding people of 9/11.
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It’s all over the news, and sadly is affecting so many people. I do hope the air clears soon, and ya’all in the thick of it can be breathing some clean air. We’ve had similar experiences over the years, to the point of ash on the ground. It is eerie, and claustrophobic to be in it.
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i hope this is overkill for most parts of the world, but i invested in a quality air purifier years ago and it has made a significant difference in interior air quality.
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Consider wearing goggles as well.
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I don’t own any. But I’m not outside much.
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