Pyrocumulus sky.

Photo copyright Aji, 2022; all rights reserved.

That's what it looks like out there now.

The plume is at least as big as yesterday, as dramatic and as dangerous. It's a pyrocumulus sky, with smoke that is cresting its own internal weather systems right before our eyes. Part of the southeast corner of the county was put under evac order yesterday (i.e., not just a suggestion), and it's spread far enough that they shut down 518 at Sipapu until further notice. Now the big worry is how far it comes our way, and how fast.  There's a ridgeline between us and it, but that won't hold with twenty-foot winds. At the moment, the wind direction is pushing it almost due east, so we're seeing it, but it's not coming this way.

The winds here are terrible. I was outside a few minutes ago to collect a couple of thing for the studio, and even with my K95 firmly in place, the wind drove such much dirt over us that it filtered through the mask, and I coughed myself straight into a bout of hiccups. No, there's no rain in sight. And we have seven extra horses to cope with now (my b-i-l's; they dropped them off in the southwest field last week).

And still the work has to get done. It's harder than ever; I'm largely housebound now, walking is extremely painful, and we both have to mask just to go outside, even here at home, because of the pall of smoke. But we have to make a supply run before the boosters mid-month that will send my symptoms further into warp drive, so I'm going to have at least one more episode on my feet in the near future, pain notwithstanding (it would have been today, but see fire and wind and animals, above). If you've never dealt with acute pain that is also chronic, you are blessed beyond measure and you won't understand this. If you have, you will understand when I say that I literally do not have the mental, never mind physical, space for anything more right now. So, to the one think I have to keep doing, because it's what pays the bills and keeps the lights on and keeps the Tax Man off our backs (four figures left on '21, two more 4-figure prepayments for '22, and $4,500 in the offing for my upcoming treatment, assuming that it works).

Wings did finish the first collection in the next round of his "Elementals" series, this one the first set for spring, and I did manage to get it posted late Sunday. You can see it here. We will need to make consistent sales all year to cover the medical stuff, (I just got another unexpected bill for another ~$360 I wasn't told about, and I have to call, but I suspect I'll have to pay it) but mostly to cover what the feds are taking. Links are here:

• Sales here; 
• Testimonials here; 
• Amazon wishlist here (priorities are first and foremost, the other ladder, the Thermacell lanterns [the flies are already out, so the mosquitoes won't be far behind], and the liquid soaps, which prevent our hands from cracking and bleeding given that we're forced to wash them fifty times a day;
• Patreon here;
• Ko-fi here.

We're still hoping to put aside enough for a new well when the ground thaws enough to drill in the spring, too, Nah, we've given up on the well. No one's available to drill before the latter half of summer, and the tax burden means we would never be able to afford it anyway. But it's perhaps even more of a good time to make a purchase, because Uncle Sam is a vindictive colonizer, and my current stress levels about paying it all are off the charts. And there's lots of fabulous work, so please share all of the links. 

All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.