When I headed home from my walk, this scene reminded me of a story my friend Becky told.

Becky was a volunteer at a visitor’s center for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This is the most visited of all the national parks in the US, so visitor centers are very busy there. A couple with children came to her and asked with all seriousness, “When do they turn on the smoke?”

Becky can TALK, but I think she was struck dumb for a moment or so. I have told that story many times, and it cracks me up every time.

There is a chemical reason for the haze we see in the Smokies. The plants not only give off oxygen, but also chemicals that form the haze. My photo shows just mist that would likely be gone before I got home.