Fire

This week I have been able to look directly at the Sun without averting my eyes. The sky is grey-brown. The sun is orange. Because of the smoke I can't see the mountains surrounding my valley. We are told repeatedly that the air is unhealthful but what are we supposed to do? Sop breathing?

I just heard that there are 1,200 individual fires burning in California and fewer than 300 of them have firefighters deployed against them. Dry lightning, that is, electrical storms with no rain have been forecast for Sunday afternoon. It looks grim.

The ascetics at St. Herman Monastery and at St. Xenia Skete have been forced to evacuate. Please, pray for them and for my godfather, Gregory, who lives in the forest near Platina, where hot ash is reported to be falling and kindling new fires.