Driving to work Friday morning, we observed a blood-red sun disc to the east -- made that way by the clouds of smoke drifting from the fires 50-some miles in that direction. Through the day the cloud grew to cover much of the San Fernando Valley and the LA Basin.

Around noon I saw the local pair of fire-fighting planes fly over campus. They're big gold and red things with floats under their wings. We saw them again yesterday while cycling and once more this morning over the Valley.

There's also a rather large fire some 20-30 miles to the west of us. Cycling in the Valley the last two days (especially this morning) we can see the whole western sky, just beyond the valley rim, filled with dark grey smoke. Sometimes it's in giant plumes, others more dispersed as the winds shift.

And gosh, the winds! Gusting, brutal to cycle into -- joyful to have behind when riding. Makes the rides a lot more interesting than just hot. But very, very dry. Going around the house yesterday and today zapping animals, computers, most everything with static electricity discharges is somewhat fun for a while, but becomes annoying.

Annoyoing for us, deadly and devastating for others. Some 250 houses and two deaths to the east so far; haven't heard about the one to the west. The people who set the eastern fire should be subject to cruel AND unusual punishment. I just don't see how we did away with that for such premeditated situations like this.