The smoke blanketed all of the hills for hundreds of kilometers so I picked a local lake for a one hour paddle.

On the way up I spotted a black bear and on the lake I watched an eagle, two hawks, killdeer, ravens, mergansers, dragonflies, and two grey jays.   There was no wind and no other boats on the water.

A blackbird flock moved around the lakeshore.

With fires in every direction, the chance of a smoke-free day this summer is unlikely.

By keeping the outings shorter and by lowering the intensity, I can still paddle the lakes of the area.    This was my 60th day of paddling in 2021.