July 7, 2023
Yesterday and the day before, our particulate level was reading in the low end of "Moderate", but I could smell strong smoke both indoors and outdoors, and my asthma was kicked up. This was curious to me, due to the low level of particulates we had on both days. In regards to the indoors, DH and I thought it might be the air filter in the furnace, so we'll be replacing it tomorrow. I was having such doubts about the accuracy of the EPA so I downloaded The Weather Channel app, and it corroborated the EPA's readings. Today, we've dropped in to the "Good" range, and I don't smell smoke indoors or outdoors. 
So my conclusion is that my sense of smell and my asthma are actually that sensitive. 
I have to say I couldn't be more relieved to have gotten a break from the stank and breathing difficulties today. 
I got these African Violets from Lowe's three years ago, and once the blooms were gone, they didn't bloom again for two seasons. This season, I figured I would throw them out if they didn't bloom, and to my surprise, they bloomed! The big deal about this is that I can't keep indoor plants alive, and I've been so proud that these are thriving, but the blooms are why we love African Violets. I'm so glad they bloomed this year!
This shot was taken by accident, which has been happening more often this year than I care to admit 
but every once in a while they're worth keeping. 
