I am sure the subject of the fires is all over the evening news, but since I do not watch local news I still have to get my information somewhere. I have been referring to the www.sparetheair.com website several times a day just to see if our air quality here in the Sacramento area has improved. It seemed to improve this evening, although earlier I dared not venture outside. Every time I went outdoors my eyes would water- not a good sign.

Young children should be kept inside when the air quality is really bad. They are included in the “sensitive groups.” I think many people forget that little children are more sensitive to bad air because they actually breathe in more air than adults do, and their lungs are still developing. I have had a number of children knock on my door earlier in the day asking if my child could play outside, and the answer was a kind, but firm, no- with a reminder that the air is just too smoky.

I truly hope that all of the residents that were evacuated from there homes will be allowed to return, and that they will be able to go on with their lives as they used to.

Thank you to the hardworking firefighting crews from all over the state who are working on putting the fires out. Be safe.

My first tip for saving fuel money is to visit such sites as www.sactogasprices.com, and http://cbs13.com/gasprices to find the cheapest gas prices around town.

Second, rsimple maintenecne can make a huge difference: keep your vehicle well maintained, keep air in the tires per manufacturer guidelines, and slow down!

Third, slow down! The optimal speed for the best fuel efficiency is said to be around 55 MPH.

For more gas saving tips check out the U.S. Department of Energy’s Fuel Economy website: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/

The Walking Sticks is a group of people who have organized weekly walks in various parts of Sacramento, as well as outings to other cities such as Truckee and Santa Cruz. Walks are free, and membership is very cheap if you choose to become a member.

Tonights walk takes place in the Gold River area at 5:30pm. If you can not make this walk, do not worry as there are many more walks taking place this summer. Check out the Walking Sticks website for more information about their group and events: http://www.sacramentowalkingsticks.org/

Many of us have great memories of the Sacramento Six drive-in movies, and it is somewhat sad to know that the screens will soon go dark. What is in the works will be a new strip mall and new indoor movie theatres. As nice as this sounds, it seems to be a repeat of the same types of stores and the same type of expensive movie theatres that we have all over and around town. I really hope that a lot of people make an effort to get out to the drive-in to say good bye to the movies screens, the 70s-ish snack bar, and ultimately the end of an era.

More information is available at http://www.fandango.com/sacramentodrivein_aacet/theaterpage.

Admission is only $5, parking is another $5, and children under 12 are FREE!

If you are interested in taking a bus from the Sacramento Convention Center, visit www.travel.meetup.com/1199 .

The Crawdad Festival begins Friday afternoon, and lasts until Sunday.

For more details, check out the official Crawdad Festival website http://www.crawdadfestival.org/

If you need a lifejacket, I personally recommend a local big box store. They are priced relatively cheap at Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart stores. For a loaner life jacket, you can check out the California Department of Boating and Waterways website, which lists locations that loan jackets out for no cost. The website can be found here: http://www.dbw.ca.gov/BoaterInfo/LifeJacket.aspx.

Keep those life jackets on, and good luck getting a free sandwich!

The WCA was formerly located on Auburn Blvd, near Interstate 80, but recently changed locations. They are now housed at McClellan Business Park, in the North Highlands area.

Please do what you can to help the birds and other critters that end up at the care center. Many are injured because of human activity, and deserve the chance to recoup and have a second chance at life. Just a couple of hours a week of volunteer time would be helpful to the WCA.

I always recommend Regional Transit, or riding a bike if you are going to the midtown area. However, for those who are driving, parking on side streets is not difficult to find.

Also, there are art galleries open on Del Paso Blvd, and there is decent parking there, too.

There are quite a few picnic spots along the Parkway, as well as convenient parking (for a fee), decent restroom facilities (no fee), picnic tables, and barbeque grills. Since the weather has been so nice lately, my family and I decided to have a picnic dinner at one of these local parks. It was one of the nicer evenings we have shared together in a while, and we ended the outing with a stroll along the river.

I have yet to visit all of the different parks along the river, however, from personal experience I have found the parks in the Fair Oaks and Sunrise Blvd area to be enjoyable. Check out Sacramento Parks for more detailed information about the American River Parkway and all it has to offer.