A local farmer opened his peach orchard yesterday for picking because the fruit is ripe but most of the migrant workers left during the wildfire evacuation. Mom went out and brought back 2 large bags. Today’s breakfast: fresh peaches and vanilla bean ice cream 😋 #gm #foodstr

Despite not being watered for over a week while we were evacuated, with multiple days of the worst air quality measurable, the following documents my mom’s garden: 1. Snap dragons are back 2. Strawberry plant grew in every way possible 3. Tomatoes DGAF 4. Something ate all the grapes #garden

Home again! Thankfully no damage to the house, minimal ash/debris to sweep up, and the house interior was far less smoky than I expected. Slowly getting back to normal… while still going to the next town for groceries and anything else because the local businesses need a few weeks to clean up, restock, and re-open.

Smoky morning, but cleared up later, so Mom and I went for a treat down by the beach. We try and get out of the hotel at least once a day if the air isn’t too bad. The latest official word is the next re-entry back to town, under an evacuation alert because the wildfire is still classified as “out of control,” will be a large group of folks, so here’s hoping. 🤞 #touchgrass #beach #coffeestr

Some more properties were downgraded from the evacuation order to alert …. but Mom’s house was not one of them. We’ll likely be the last batch let back in, as the fire perimeter reached just across the street from her cul-de-sac. So I bought an embroidery kit. 😬 Never done this before, and am changing the words and colors, but it is legalized stabbing, so also therapeutic. 🪡 #artstr #embroidery #stabbity

I haven’t kept up on the Marvel TV pipeline, so was surprised to see this trailer for VisionQuest: I watched WandaVision and skipped Agatha All Along (don’t like horror), so I read a recap of that series to be ready for VisionQuest in October. #tvstr #marvel

Rare, non-smoky day, so we visited a Japanese garden in the town we were evacuated to; lovely place with a pond and looping gravel path. A small area of our town was reduced from an evacuation “order” (you must stay away) to an evacuation “alert” (you can be here, but be ready to leave if the fire gets to close). The latest official news said it’s the first of a planned, phased re-entry. Today is our 1 week evacuation anniversary. Hopefully we won’t celebrate a second one. 🤞 #garden #photostr

Some books be like that. #bookstr #reading

GM! Could see the actual sun instead of just a glow through smoke today. Wildfire still out of control, but saw a photo online of a street near my mom’s house that wasn’t burned, so I have more hope she has a home to return to whenever they let folks back into town. 🏡

My new best friend: one of four air filters left in the store/possibly the city. Been running it for an hour and can already tell how much it has helped the hotel room. Makes a huge difference to my mood and state of mind if my lungs aren’t aching. The Bald Ridge wildfire grew to 15,590 hectares last night, and is still being actively fought on multiple fronts. If you are inclined, please pray for those on the front lines who’ve been working since Friday night to save what can be saved.

Would have been playing Scrabble with friends, but they evacuated north and we evacuated south, so here’s our game board from last week. Everyone loved that 9 tile square near the top right. And grudgingly admired the person who used 2 blanks to make a 7 letter word. #gamestr

So late yesterday afternoon, huge amount of smoke was billowing over the mountain ridge seen from Mom’s backyard. By late evening, the whole mountain was on fire. By 2 am, we evacuated to the nearest, bigger town, and about an hour later, the entire district of 12,000 people got an evacuation order and the town lost power. Mom and I are safe in a hotel room. Very grateful to get their last one so Mom has a bed and accessible bathroom, compared to being at one of evac centers on a plastic chair or cot. No idea when we can return home, or how much home there will be to return to. Still feels surreal. Even the smoke and ash in the air this morning is like something from a movie.

Another smoke-filled day, but Mom’s roses (second bloom this year) DGAF. #blooming #flowerstr

Local fruit stand raspberry pie with vanilla bean ice cream. #foodstr #summer

When in Canada … order stuff from Canadian #artstr 🇨🇦🎨🖌️ Art by Tiu available at

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GM! 1000 pieces worth of breakfast jigsaw puzzle 🧩 🍳🥞🥯🥐🍎🍊🍓

My first from-my-own-photo cafe drawing! I really like it. 💖🖊️ Going to add watercolor tomorrow. 🎨 #artstr #proofofwork

Swatched a lot of watercolors today, learning the whole warm/cold color combo thing. #artstr #watercolor

Keeping the goal of 8,000 steps/day for August. Still have some right foot pain by the end of the day, so don’t want to increase the daily goal just yet. Checking in on my 2026 goal, I was ahead, so I increased it from 900 to 1,000 miles. 🎉 #proofofwalk #fitnessover50

‘Allo, ‘allo, aloe! Mom got a new house plant. 🪴 He’s more of a GFY than a GM kinda guy.