Joy, this is just devastating. As if this year isn't hard enough as it is :-((
Please take good care of yourself, and be safe.

Inge
xxx

My stress level just went up. DH, who had open heart surgery in 2019, had an infected tooth. His surgery involved lots of cardiac work including a heart valve replacement. In such cases dental work is dangerous as the infection can go to the heart. We had a good neighbor die because of this a few years ago. DH is not taking this very seriously.
JAileen, thank you for the bear information. Maggie would certainly bark at a bear but try to herd it, thinking it was a big sheep. I don’t know what Gary (the greyhound and other dog sharing the condo) would do. I have never heard him bark, but he loves to run. Thank you, Inge. It does not sound like any progress has been made on the fires, accept that there is another new one in the county. The sky is full of smoke that looks red.

I'm so sorry to read about big wild fires in your state ( like the year 2020 wasn't difficult enough ).
California had the unusual big fires this year - I think we got something like 4 previous years of "unhealthy/spare the air" time in 2020.
I hope you and your family are getting through this time with care and hope.

What a hectic and awful situation, Joy. I so hope they can get the fires under control asap.
And now the extra stress with the tooth issue :-(( Can you contact the cardiologist and the dentist to see what they say?

Big hugs,

Inge
xxx

Oh, Joy! We went through this a month or so ago and it's so scary! Sending love and good wishes to you and yours!

Oh Joy, I’m so sorry — how scary and stressful! Please do what you need to do to stay safe. We are on the road and considering CO as our next destination but we think we are heading to the low desert instead of the mountains. Sending good vibes.

Thank you all for your good thoughts and prayers. The fire fighters are amazing everyone and they have to do their job with the chance of getting Covid too.
Janet., I think the area west of the mountains and south of Denver are ok now, but that could change. Be aware that the Covid virus is spiking and some strict regulations have been put in place. For one thing anyone 3 or over must wear a mask outside as inside. The governor has made this statewide with a thousand dollar fine plus jail time for non compliance. I don’t think most restaurants are open unless for pick up or outside dining.
If a bar is open they probably have an early last call. People out side even on bikes, are wearing masks. The heavy smoke in the air makes it hard to breathe. The news tonight is telling people to get a Covid test if they are wondering if the breathing difficulty could be the virus. Best to be sure. They also announced the closing of many National forests. I don’t know which ones. They are popular places to camp. Some roads are closed but I think I 70 is open now. We are predicted to have about 6 inches of snow on Sunday and Sunday night. Maybe it is not a good time to travel in Colorado.

Oh no Joy, how awful! Be safe!

Thinking of you, Joy. Stay safe. Can this year get any worse??

Aquamarine, the results of the election may determine if things get worse. I suspect the holidays this year will be non-events with no gatherings.

Joy... The west is burning. It is now a regular thing. When we were looking for a place to camp... I mean, we were starting to contemplate Tennessee, when we realised how ridiculous that was... that’s how much fire we’d have to drive thru to get some place without it. We’re on High Fire Alert again this week.

Hang in there, Ruth! How are things going today with you, hubs and Maggie?

Rachylou, I think of you dealing with meds and the older ladies and marvel.
The stress is giving high blood glucose readings.
Angie, everyone has high hopes of some rain and snow in the forecast. It has remained smokey and overcast and the burning continues at an alarming rate. Today we all head to the Breckridge area which is not yet open for skiers and had fires earlier but I think is ok now. We will see.
There is some easy fun hiking and I hope to see Isaac, a giant troll made by a Scandinavian artist along a trail. DH is on meds and will have an infected tooth removed early next week. Everyone has headaches and shortness of breath due to air quality, we hope. Stay safe, everyone. Time to finish packing.

I am very late to this thread Joy but have now read it all. What a tough time for you and your family. I hope the moisture comes and the tooth is not too bad. The US is having such a horrible horrible year that it is fatiguing. I am pleased you can share with us what you are going through.

Fingers crossed that things improve.

I’m sorry things have been so stressful, I hope it settles down for you soon.

Well DH had his infected tooth pulled today. Here’s hoping he does not get addicted to the drugs he has to take. The corona virus is much worse here. We are told to stay home for our health. Hospitals are getting overwhelmed. No Halloween maybe no Thanksgiving or DGSs 6th birthday party.. No end in sight but the wild fires are more under control. We hope for more snow soon to help.

Sending you hugs. Stay the course - it can get better if we all do our part (I try to remind myself when I have an urge to take a riskier action that doesn't have enough benefit to justify). It rained a little then turned to snow today here in Tahoe. Tomorrow we might get 4-6 inches of snow. It will help with fire risk, but not so much with COID, I'm afraid.

Karen, I think your snow has reached Western Colorado and may get here by Sunday. It is being followed by the local news in hope that it will provide some fire relief.

Part of the reason we are now pretty much beelining back to the ranch and then home, is because of Covid. Cases are spiking in a lot of the west, and more establishments are closing (not that we are frequenting many anyway). But it just makes us want to be home.

One of the children of our ranch manager (in TX) tested positive for Covid, and my husband’s cousin just got out of the hospital after two weeks’ stay in the ICU with Covid. Ironically, his friends are hosting an in-person fundraiser steak dinner to help pay for his medical expenses, and we know they won’t be wearing masks or distancing. Sigh.

Stay safe, everyone!