Week of Jan. 6, 2014

Lifeblood
Photo: Max Odland

Returning to Northern CA from the northeast, the most immediate and pervasive difference is the water. The dry air has a different feel to it. It’s lighter–and sharper–as you inhale. It even has a different smell to it. Something about the dry air and moisture-less soil give each breath an almost metallic tinge.  It’s not a desert, but the ongoing drought makes it seem a little more like one every week. Living in a place like this, I find I need water more than ever… And not just to drink.