Now that Pumpkin Spice Season is back, I finally remembered to post this photo from last winter of — of all places — Wienerschnitzel, best known for its focus on hot dogs — plugging its pumpkin spice offerings.

Or rather, “Pumpkin spice, spice, baby.” 🙄

A Wienerschnitzel hot dog restaurant with a banner advertising Pumpkin Spice, Spice, Baby

Oddly enough, what I find most weird about the picture right now is the bright blue sky. I can’t wait for the end of wildfire season. (Oh wait, it’s year-round now. I guess I’ll just have to wait for the next gap between fires.)

A deep orange sun against a brownish gray sky, palm fronds and power lines in the foreground.

We’ve had some ash fall over the past week, but for the most part, the air quality at ground level has only been awful, not unbearable. Especially since the heat wave subsided.

But the light has just been wrong. Normal clouds in the morning breaking up to reveal a layer of smoke behind them, letting through yellow-orange, almost but not quite late afternoon light at midday. I went out for a walk after work, once it had cooled down and saw this.