Yakima - Haze is Lifting

Arrived in Yakima yesterday. During most of the drive, the haze was so thick you couldn't see the mountains. Visibility was less than a mile.

This morning, while the smell of smoke is in the air, the haze seems to be dissipating. I can see the face of the moon and clouds.

During the drive, a rock chipped the truck's front window. Was able to go online with my smartphone, schedule an appointment with Safelite, and have the claim approved by Farmers Insurance before we arrived at our campsite. Twenty years ago, this would have taken weeks. Actually, I probably wouldn't make the claim because of the hassle factor. Technology can make your life easier. Take that Ted Kaczynski..

Status Update - Boise

Since a few people have asked about the fires.

Currently, we are in Boise. It is pretty smoky here. Worse than it was in Canmore, AB. The haze has held the temperatures down below 90. The sun and moon are dim orange balls. There is a front with rain coming through the next couple of days which should help fight the fires.

When we left Utah, it was pretty clear. There were only two fires, both north of Salt Lake City.

Our plan is to go to Seattle, then turn south to follow the coast. We'll make a decision as to whether to change our route while in Yakima.

Hurricane Harvey Volunteer Opportunities

The following is a list of various organizations around the Houston area seeking volunteers to help with the Hurricane Harvey recovery.

• Volunteer Houston has a  Virtual Volunteer Reception Center that matches volunteers with agencies providing disaster relief.
• National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters has created a website to sign up to volunteer 
• Volunteer Louisiana has created a webpage for volunteer opportunities and for making cash donations. 
• The Houston Food Bank needs food, water and supplies.
• Help Houston has created a webpage of shelters that need volunteers (some shelters have reached capacity, so call ahead to check).
• A Hurricane Harvey 2017 Facebook page has been created to coordinate and correspond with other volunteers. There are over 125,000 members
• A group of volunteers has created the Hurricane Harvey Relief and Volunteer Opportunities Map to find volunteer opportunities, shelters, resource drop-off locations, medical aid and other relief efforts.
• Call 281-656-1533, a hotline for Volunteer Houston, to find volunteer opportunities