The sky here in McCall is so smoke-filled this morning that we can’t see the mountains on the East side of the valley1. Usually2 I enjoy seeing the early morning sunrise3 and its colors on the mountains, but this morning it isn’t possible. The smoke, of course, is due to the forest fires that are burning on nearby mountains. The fires are in wilderness4 areas, where the forestry service5 doesn’t try to send in fire fighters unless some homes or tiny villages are in danger. There are some fire retardants6 and water dumped7 on the areas, but the fires keep spreading and the smoke keeps building up and descending into the valley8. It has an acrid9 smell and it is irritating10 to one’s eyes and lungs11. Consequently12, I don’t mind it that we are leaving to return to our home in Iowa in a few days. Our little paradise13 here has just too much smoke for comfort.
Iowa is not a perfect place either. It will probably be hot and humid14 during the next month or so. There is also the chance of tornadoes15 in the spring and summer. We waited in our basement16 earlier this summer as a tornado passed over our town. Also there will be snow and ice storms this winter. However, I know that on our coastal17 areas of the U.S. people are hoping that there will be no hurricanes18 this late summer and early fall (hurricane season).
Many Midwesterners19, including Iowans, think that they would like to move to California or Florida for their wonderful climate. However, those areas are not perfect places either. There is the constant fear of earthquakes20 in California and hurricanes in Florida, and recently there have been both forest and grass fires that have destroyed many homes and even a few small towns.
I really hate to see the beautiful forests destroyed here in the mountains. I also hate to hear of the flooding21 in Texas and Oklahoma. Realistically22 there can be no perfect place to live because weather extremes23, floods, tornadoes, fires, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc. occur all over the world, so people everywhere have to learn to value24 the positive aspects25 of wherever they are and to cherish26 them, just as I cherish the forests and mountains of Idaho and the green cornfields and rolling countryside of Iowa.
Notes:
1. valley: a low area of land between raised hills or mountains (山谷)
2. usually: in most cases; the most common; normally (通常).
3. sunrise: the time of day in early morning when the sun appears on the horizon.
4. wilderness: a large area of land that has never been developed or farmed (荒无人烟的地方)
5. forestry service: a governmental agency which oversees the forested areas in the U.S. (林业局).
6. fire retardants: 不易燃烧物
7. dumped: dropped from an areas above; in this case in containers suspended or carried in airplanes or helicopters (投放，倾洒).
8. the smoke keeps building up and descending into the valley: 烟不断地生成并向山谷漫延
9. acrid: unpleasant, stinging sensation or odor, often present with smoke (难受的，刺鼻的)
10. irritating: causing discomfort to the skin or other part of the exposed body (有刺激的，引起疼痛的).
11. lungs：肺
12. consequently: as a result of; because of or in view of something (结果)
13. paradise: a place highly desired by a person; heavenly place; a place of delight (天堂，令人向往的地方).
14. humid: a weather situation in which there is a high level of moisture in the air (潮湿的).
15. tornadoes: violent storms over land, characterized by funnel shaped winds, capable of damaging property or life (龙卷风).
16. basement: the lower part of the house; underground level, dug into the soil (地下室).
17. coastal: in areas along the oceans or seas (沿海的).
18. hurricanes: strong winds arising in the oceans and capable of moving onto land to produce damage either by straight force winds, or by tornado-like winds (飓风).
19. Midwesterners：中西部地区的人
20. earthquakes: geological events in which cracks form in the Earth’s surface causing possible damage and shaking of the adjacent land (地震).
21. flooding：洪灾、水灾
22. realistically: actually, truthfully (现实地，实际上)
23. extremes: the higher and lower limits of some weather conditions, i.e. temperature, storms, rainfall, etc. (极度状况).
24. value: appreciate or assign positive worth to something (珍重，看重).
25. positive aspects: qualities which are desirables or good in a given situation (好的方面).
26. cherish: hold as important and good for oneself and others (珍爱，珍惜).