Helen, whomever you ask I bet they will express a deep forboding as if a catclysmic event is expected. Even the news that the great sequoia forest is under the threat of an impending wildfire seems incidental.
We missed an asteroid collision by 2 million miles this weekend. Whatever is coming feels big even if the incremental change is small like the one more gram that achieves critical mass.

On the bright side 'these are the good ol days'.