Today is so much better than yesterday. Today I can breath without coughing. Yesterday, not so much.
Smoke from multiple wildfires in northern Washinton state blanketed the area (Eastern Washington). 
Smoke even seeped into the building where I work. It got so bad, some people left early. Me included as the inside of my house was smoke free.
The news reported a nasty air quality index of 287. But a couple of hours later, it peaked at 330 – hazardous!
Most outdoor activities were cancelled, including the city’s minor league baseball game. It was supposed to be fireworks night, but the fireworks part had already been cancelled due to winds and extreme fire danger. Now the game will be played today and it is Wildfire Relief Community Night.
This is a nightmare. There are so many fires. Firefighters have died, many homes have burned. Several small towns have been evacuated. Roads are closed. And it is only August.
Please send good thoughts to the Pacific Northwest. And RAIN! Lots of RAIN! (No wind or lightning though).
Ms. Mouse Cleans House 
Comments on: "Cough Cough" (4)
This is so horrible and frightening. Sending hopeful thoughts your way. Stay safe!
Sending thoughts of rain and clean air to you! I suppose folks in the NW feel the lack of it worse than we in CA do, since summer is typically our dry period.The air quality was also bad here earlier in the week, but we get breezes out of the Sacramento River delta that sweep it clean every night. I do wish it would cool down soon. I am fed up with hot, dry weather and don’t even like my summer clothes anymore. Jacket weather please!
I’m with you about wanting jacket weather. I am soooo over the hot hot summer we have had. And the smoke is frying my throat. Kind of looking forward to winter. But El Niño may have some sort of impact on that too. Oh well, still better than living in south Florida with humidity.
I heard you might get the “massive” El Nino and it may skip us. Good luck… well, good luck with reasonable rain and not unreasonable rain.