Station Quill & Hose Co. No. 1

This week, the winds brought more than just summer breezes, they brought wildfire smoke from Canada, and my asthmatic lungs are NOT a fan. It's the kind of hazy, heavy air that makes you wonder if you're breathing oxygen or a low-grade campfire.

As I coughed my way through the morning, I started thinking: how would Annie the Porcupine handle this?

Well... she'd probably do what any wise, slightly prickly, and overly dramatic fictional porcupine would do. She'd gather her friends and family, alert Station Quill & Hose Co. No. 1, and get the fire out before her carrot cake even had a chance to get warm.

But Annie is fictional. In the real world, porcupines don't have fire departments. When wildfire smoke fills the air or flames threaten the woods, real porcupines are in trouble.

Porcupines quills might protect them from predators, but not from fire. In the face of danger, they might hide in hollow logs or rocky crevices. If the fire is small or moves slowly, they might survive. But if it's fast and widespread? It's a devastating blow to their world. And even if they escape the flames, the aftermath—loss of trees, shelter, and food—makes survival harder.

It's humbling, really. The things I complain about itchy eyes, tight lungs, the smell clinging to my clothes are inconveniences compared to what wildlife goes through. But still, I've had to admit it: I'm not built for this either.

So what should I be doing? Besides imagining names for porcupine emergency services?

Here is my plan:

• Run my air purifiers like they're on a mission from Station Quill & Hose Co. No. 1.

• Keep the windows shut (even though I love that fresh breeze).

• Don't go outside—no pretending I'm a woodland ranger hiking through the haze looking for Bigfoot today.

• Keep my rescue inhaler handy like it's part of my everyday superhero toolkit.

• Check my air quality app before heading out, if I absolutely have to.

And maybe most importantly? Give myself grace. I may not have quills, but I do have limits.

Stay safe out there, friends. Whether you have lungs like mine or paws like Annie, we all deserve clean air and a place to breathe.