Care Package: 1. A parcel of food, money, or luxury items sent to a loved one who is away. 2. A digital gathering of cultural touchstones on ethandezotelle.com, put together to brighten your day a bit.

WELCOME TO FRANKLIN: Smoke from Canadian forest fires has plagued the atmosphere this summer. This photo of Lake Carmi was taken yesterday from Route 120. There was heavy, smoky haze, but it wasn’t the worst it’s been this summer. This morning when I woke up around 5:30, the air quality was at 145, which indicates a high risk for kids, the elderly, and others with respiratory issues. The thing is, while none of this is good, it’s far worse for those living with the actual wildfires. It’s way better here than it is there.

POEM: Smoke by W.S. Di Piero
We loiter in the cobblestone alley,
Beans, Clams, Yom-Yom and me,
smoking punk. Snip the wiry stem …
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FOOD:  Barbecue-Spiced Hot-Smoked Salmon

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QUOTE: “Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs.” — William Shakespeare

SONG: Cinder and Smoke by Iron & Wine

TRAVEL: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina & Tennessee

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