What To Do

With this mild warm no rain in forty days winter we are having, the air quality here in this lovely part of the world is the worst air since 1989. Every day we are warned that the air is either unhealthy for sensitive people or just plain old unhealthy for everyone and to limit our outdoor activities. Like all the guys like Keith who work outside all day can just tell their bosses that sorry, they can't work today because they are supposed to limit their outdoor activities. Yeah, that'll go over real well.

So, my question is do I still go out and get my exercise like I'm supposed to every day? Is it worse to not get the exercise on my bike (what little I've been doing lately but hey something is better than nothing) or is it worse to exercise in air that you could cut with a knife? And really, if you find some kind of exercise to do in a tiny house (running in place? jumping jacks?) is the air in your house really any cleaner than the air outside?

I am enjoying not having to crank that heater all day long and having sunny skies up above the smog layer, but we really need some winter weather around here or we'll be facing another drought next summer. Snow in the mountains means water for the farmers. And winter weather with rain and wind would clean up the air and make it okay to go outside again. Except that you'd need your umbrella.

We Did It Again!

Holla! Once again Bakersfield is Number One!!

1 Bakersfield-Delano, CA Population: 800,000
Year-round particulate pollution rank: 1
Short-term particulate pollution rank: 1
Ozone pollution rank: 2

Bakersfield, CA Photo: iStock

Hot, dusty and surrounded by California's biggest oil fields, Bakersfield has all the ingredients for the worst air in the nation.

This is copied from the latest report on the who's got the worst air in America. Out of the top ten, seven cities are in California. We Rule!!

Today we should be able to breathe a little easier although we do need to break out the winter parkas. Thursday was a beautiful day, on Wednesday high winds blew all the bad air somewhere else and Thursday was sunny and the high was 78. Not bad for November. Then yesterday the promised rain arrived and the high was 54. Today is supposed to also be about 54 and more rain is coming for tomorrow. But at least the rain will wash away some of the dirt.