Watching the sky change reminds me of an analogy in the Platform Sutra. Master Huineng likened the sky to our essential nature and the clouds to be our afflictions. The sky remains the same as the clouds come and go. It feels ominous seeing the smoke from the wildfires blow over CTTB, knowing that at any moment it could be our turn to evacuate. The smoke is like seeing the worst of our afflictions in front of us and we don’t know when it is going to end. Then the next day, blue skies! Breathe in the fresh air! Then hazy days are back again. It is a good reminder that all things will come to pass, good or bad. Seeing the clear blue sky for a day is like taking a peek into our essential nature. It gave me hope, that with every passing day, we are one step closer to seeing our own clear blue sky.