With the additional fires burning west of Potomac, we have been hit with a pretty thick layer of smoke in the valley. While the lack of breeze is great to keep the fires from whipping into a frenzy, the stagnant air lets the smoke linger and settle. It is not bad enough to really worry about the birds, though they are staying inside until this passes. We hope that the fires are contained quickly and our feathered friends can once again bask in the last few weeks of summer sunshine.