---
title: "Taped to the Counter"
canonical: "https://anchor.is/docket/issue/42/futures/article/32782/taped-to-the-counter"
publication: "The Docket"
publisher: "The Docket"
language: "en-US"
guide: "https://anchor.is/docket/llms.txt"
author: "David Kern"
author_url: "https://anchor.is/docket/team/36"
issue: 42
section: "futures"
section_name: "Future Tense"
published: 2026-07-23
updated: 2026-07-24
word_count: 313
source_links: 3
---

# Taped to the Counter

*By [David Kern](<https://anchor.is/docket/team/36/markdown>)*

*July 23, 2026*

[Read on the website](<https://anchor.is/docket/issue/42/futures/article/32782/taped-to-the-counter>)

*A note on a kitchen counter in Longmont, Colorado. July 2037.*

K—

Back by 6. Smoke's orange now, forecast says red overnight.

**Sensor** is on the hall shelf. Glows the color. If it goes red, switch the thermostat from Auto to On.

**Don't run the swamp cooler.** It pulls outside air in. Box fan's fine. Windows stay closed.

**East window** seal is bad. Towel's already on the sill. If you smell smoke in that room, move Lily to the back bedroom. Purifier's in there. Use the closet outlet, not the window one. Window one trips.

**Lily** knows the colors. If she says it smells funny, believe her. Inhaler's on the nightstand.

**Juniper** goes out once, two minutes. Wipe her face and paws with the cloth on the back door hook. If she's coughing, call Dr. Reese. Number's on the fridge.

No candles. No stove. No vacuum.

**If it goes purple** — everyone in the back bedroom, door closed, purifier on. Stay there.

She ate. Dog didn't. She'll tell you otherwise.

Text me the sensor color at midnight.

—M

**The sensor colors:** [PurpleAir monitors](https://www2.purpleair.com/products/purpleair-touch) display AQI as a glowing ring. Green is good. Orange means children and pets stay inside. Red means everyone does. Purple means seal one room and stay in it.

**"Auto" vs. "On":** Switching an HVAC fan to On runs it continuously through the filter, even when the system isn't heating or cooling. [Cuts indoor particulates roughly in half](https://www.epa.gov/emergencies-iaq/create-clean-room-protect-indoor-air-quality-during-wildfire).

**The swamp cooler problem:** Evaporative coolers, common across the dry West, work by pulling outside air through wet pads. During smoke events, they pump particulates directly indoors.

**Why wipe the dog:** Smoke particles settle on fur, especially around the mouth and eyes. Coughing, fast breathing at rest, or red eyes are [veterinary warning signs](https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/riney-canine-health-center/canine-health-topics/dog-safety-during-poor-air-quality-alerts-or-wildfire-smoke).

**Why overnight:** Smoke doesn't clear after dark. Valley locations can read worse at 2 a.m. than at dusk.

## More

- [Future Tense — Issue 42](<https://anchor.is/docket/issue/42/futures/markdown>)
- [Issue 42](<https://anchor.is/docket/issue/42/markdown>)
- [Publication guide](<https://anchor.is/docket/llms.txt>)