 In the summer of 2021, smoke from wildfires in the West drifted over Vermont. The pandemic was still raging, and Steve and I were back for a second summer. But this time the air was hazy with soot. I feel it's going to be hot today. My throat burned. I had trouble breathing, and I was scared about the future. It's already warmer than when we started out. And that's when Nancy and I picked up our conversation.