Like the song says: “smoke gets in your eyes”, nose and throat.
It’s not really funny. But at least we can get a heads-up on how bad the smoke is.
Oddly enough, despite its name this state’s “Pollution Control Agency” can’t actually control the smoke that’s been drifting past us. And that’s another topic.
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
- Minnesota Public Radio News (Minnesota Weather News)
- “Worst air quality in the world for parts of Minnesota this week” , Paul Huttner (July 30, 2025)
- “Record smoke front slams the Twin Cities and much of Minnesota” , Paul Huttner (June 3, 2025)
Here in Sauk Centre, Minnesota, we’ve got an Air Quality Alert that’s running until 5:00 p.m. Saturday.
This time around, I can’t actually see the stuff that shouldn’t be in our air.
But I can feel it. And I suspect the smoke that’s been drifting through is at least partly behind how I’ve been feeling: tired.
Granted, I’m in my mid-70s. But this “tired” above and beyond the usual ‘not a 40-year-old kid any more’ thing.
On the ‘up’ side, it’s nowhere near as bad as a few weekends back. Several weekends back? Anyway, then the haze here in Sauk Centre was brown. That’s unusual, and not good.
Maybe a cup of coffee will help. Or two. Either way, I’m getting my feet up for a while.
Right. One more thing: I’ve talked this summer’s atmospheric ambiance before:
- “Another Smoky Day in Central Minnesota”
(June 3, 2025)
The closest I can relate to something like this is remembering my parents’ and grandparents’ stories of a certain Mount Pinatubo eruption ashing up their locale, which I never really thought about until I grew up to the point of wondering about the origin of all the white or gray sand all over the places that I still come back to with the family here and there. Also, reading this talk about recently bad air quality in your locale, I wonder if us folks where I’m from are too used to the bad air we have. That, and I’m reminded about how the idea of experiencing acid rain feels foreign to me because I haven’t noticed a close enough warning to me about it. In any case, may we all have fresher air!
A Mount Pinatubo eruption – I’m guessing that was the one in June of 1991? Yeah – that was a big one. And one of the phenomena we do NOT routinely experience, here in central North America.
Wildfire smoke – it’s been a problem, off and on, these last several years – – – I’ve been trying to remember if something of the sort happened during my childhood. If so, we didn’t have nearly the detection technology that’s around now – and I’m not sure where to start looking for records. Or if it would be worthwhile, doing so.
As for being “too used” to bad air – if familiarity leads to folks not paying attention to how we can (reasonably) maintain our health – yeah, that’s a problem. There’s a balance, somewhere between ignoring stinging eyes and hacking coughs – – – and going into panic mode at the latest scary headline. 😉
Finally – AMEN! “May we all have fresher air!” !!