By Donna Westfall – August 27, 2023 My truck was loaded with bags and bags of brush. At noon I took off for the transfer station located off Elk Valley Road. First thing I noticed, the gate was closed. Second thing I noticed, a sign, "CLOSED SUNDAY 11 AM TO 3 PM DUE TO SMOKE" Well, that was a wasted trip. I went on their website to see if they had posted it there. I didn't see anything. Normal weekend hours are 9 am to 5 pm. I'll go back after 3 and hope I can clear out our truck load. This is the season for weeding and clearance and it's been going very well. Certainly the air this morning smelled of smoke. If you check the Air Quality Index for Del Norte County, you'll see the index currently at 155 = Unhealthy. Be mindful of the following: People with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and teens – take any of these steps to reduce your exposure: Avoid strenuous outdoor activities. Keep outdoor activities short. Consider moving physical activities indoors or rescheduling them. Everyone else – take any of these steps to reduce your exposure: Choose less strenuous activities (like walking instead of running) so you don’t breathe as hard. Shorten the amount of time you are active outdoors. Be active outdoors when air quality is better.