The Fires of Spring

It's a warm, sunny day in the 70s. The tomatoes are ripening like mad. It feels like spring has already arrived. Why is it, then, that I'm beset with the one environmental pollutant my lungs can't handle: woodsmoke. Is it really necessary to light a fire on a day like today? If there were humidity in the air, I'd be alright. But I just keep inhaling little irritants that float endlessly in the wrung-dry air. Oh, for a few weeks in a steamy, tropical clime. . .