October Daily 16: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

 

We woke up this morning to the smell of wildfire smoke from fires in our province and in Washington State to the south of us. Another item to add to our strange weather - normally fires diminish during September, but it seems that that was just the beginning. I did a little gardening this afternoon, but I felt the smoke in my lungs and didn't stay out very long. 

A volunteer sunflower has provided an abundance of blooms this year. It grew so very tall and began breaking, so I cut it down and there are blooms continuing along the lower part of the stem. Good food for birds. 

This photo is not of smoke, but of morning fog one day last week. The pink tinge is due to light smoke in the air. This was taken at 7:25 am as I walked to a physio appointment. How welcoming it is to see lights glowing through fog or half-light. Definitely an autumn delight. 

Since I am still picking tomatoes, I use them in various ways. Yesterday, I halved cherry tomatoes and tumbled them into a shallow gratin dish, tossed plenty of chopped garlic on top along with a drizzle of olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Into the oven they went, to roast for 40-50 minutes alongside the chicken thighs I'd put in earlier. In the last five minutes of cooking, I sprinkled feta cheese and let it melt, then tossed fresh basil over just before serving. An easy and delicious side dish, and also great as an appetizer served with a sliced baguette. 

Any plans for this week? Mine will involve time with little ones, and dealing with apples and grapes from the garden. Friends are coming for dinner on Friday. And we're all hoping for rain on Friday, too.