Not since the two days I was stuck at home during Mt. Saint Helen’s volcano eruption had I such a case of cabin fever.
Spokane was surrounded by fires. Oregon to the south had Eagle Rock fire gobbling up trees, even jumping over the mighty Columbia River into Washington. Montana had over half a million acres burning with no hope of relief until the first snowfall. To the north, British Columbia was burning up and Cle Elum, Washington had its share of igniting up the forests.
I drove home from work Monday night and noticed the bad air quality. When I turned on the news, it wasn’t a surprise to learn that we had an alert. In fact, the weather and news team warned us not to go outside more than 15 to 20 minutes at a time.
No problem. I was home for the night. I made dinner after closing the balcony door and windows. Even the air conditioner fan was bringing in the smoky odor, so I relied on the inside fans for circulation.
A look out the window the next morning showed that the sky appeared even more hazy. Oh well, I didn’t have anywhere I had to go. I began to plan my days-worth of inside activities.
I only left my condo once to check the mail. I couldn’t believe how heavy the smoke odor was in my brief encounter with outside air. That did it! I was staying put. I had plenty of food, housework to do and posts I could finish.
My only communication with live human beings that day came through texts: my friend who had just moved to Pennsylvania, my brother in Oklahoma, my grandson and some writing friends who needed prayers. Outside of cyber communication, my day was spent with me, myself and I. And the Lord, of course. Devotions started my day off nicely.
I sensed a need for a schedule to prioritize, so following devotions, I had a date with destiny to clean my murky fish tank. My empathy for their condition exceeded its usual level since I felt we experienced a similar environmental concern. I think they appeared grateful after an hour’s labor.
I kept occupied with cleaning bathrooms and washing clothes till lunch. As I took my sandwich out of the fridge I spotted my next job–removal of dead and dying produce, followed by the kitchen clean-up. Besides job security, cleaning duties serve to provide a sure sign of an accomplished task, which can be satisfying.
I tackled my post I’d procrastinated, with housekeeping items crossed off my list. It felt good to publish it after a quick call to my blog coach who helped me with a picture.
Now what? Oh, the news. Would tomorrow’s air be as bad? Well, I guess unhealthy air is a tad better than hazardous. The best news was a forecast for a wind shift in several days and even a chance of rain in a week. A week? For now, brown skies and staying inside appeared to be my lot.
Actually, the best news is that we were in the smoke, instead of in the fire itself. The smoky air inconvenienced and in some cases sickened folks with respiratory issues. However, my condo was not in the immediate path of a wall of flames. Nor was I currently homeless and spending my time in a school gymnasium, sleeping on a cot in the same clothes I’d worn for days. I wasn’t busy cleaning up from a hurricane or mourning the loss of my home or family member. What is a little cabin fever compared to that?
Thank you, Father, for my condo where I can stay, shut in snugly away from the brown skies and stench of burnt wood. Please protect those in the fires’ pathway, especially the rescue workers and firemen. And please, Lord, bring your rain.
Dianna
Sharing the Fruit of Maturity
