If it's not one thing, it's another.

Now it is the smoke.
Inspiring statistics: largest forest fire in NM since the Ice Age. Right on our doorstep. The road to Los Alamos is closed (town evacuated), Carol and Lizzie lingering at home, I do no art when people are around.
Shy?
Lizzie is inspired: Let's hit the road. Let's go to Denver. Let's go to Las Vegas. We'll take all the cameras, you can take lots of pictures.
Yeah, right. Thanks.
The smoke comes only in the mornings; it clears before noon leaving us with a regular scorching summer day. There were signs of rain yesterday. Clouds swirled ominously overhead (or was that billowing smoke?), big blobs of water splashed down here and there, hissing and evaporating as they hit the parched ground. No relief for the few veg that dared rear their tender little stems into the arid air. Something ate the geranium, which stood outside.