Harder and harder to breathe

As some of you might have heard, we're not doing so well in Russia right now. There aren't any fires in Kazan's immediate vicinity (though there are fires in some parts of Tatarstan, as well as neighboring Mari-El), but the wind has picked up in the past few days, carrying a haze of smoke to the city from points west. (When I checked the weather this morning, Weather Underground said "88 degrees and smoky." Eww. I did not know that "smoky" was a possible weather condition.)

I'm not worried yet, although I did advise the students not to do much physical activity outdoors (besides the visible haze, the smell of smoke is quite noticeable) and I'm planning to discuss with my superiors how to determine when a public health threat becomes evacuation-worthy. I'm sure it won't come to evacuation, since we're leaving in (exactly!) a week anyway, but a Young Pioneer is Always Prepared!