Moscow. Red Square. St. Basil's Cathedral. When I first saw these pictures next to each other, I didn't notice anything striking. Only later did I realize that they were taken one year apart, and consider the differences between the two years, the two days, the two photos.

Usually, in the first week of August as my birthday approaches I'm thinking about the past year and what lies ahead, as I've written in past newsletters. I love the month and, being a true Leo, I never underplay the excitement of a birthday! This year, that first week of August was quite different. This year, my visit to Moscow coincided with the horrific fires surrounding the city, which were major news around the world. The picture you are looking at was taken on the only day during my visit that the Cathedral was clearly visible from even a few meters away, due to the fires and smoke that covered the city.

Moscow was already suffering from a heat wave. The extreme heat of over 100ºF lasted longer than ever recorded, in a city where air conditioning is a pure luxury, rarely available. Then, as devastating fires surrounded the city, it became shrouded in smoke. Each morning that I was there, I woke up with the windows shut tight against the choking odor of burning turf, which smelled like a mixture of poison and dirt.