"A week or almost two" Is that all it has been!!

Fires near my little town.

500 hectares burnt and we must put into place our fire plans. Do we stay? or do we go?

The road to the north is blocked - cut off by the fire!!

But it is OK! was ok!!

The fire came within 1.5 kl of our little town.

Rushing forward enough to have many friends phone me "get out" they would yell down the phone. but you know while it was very hard to see your hand in front of your face it was OK! I felt safe.

They worked very hard, the CFA, and many others to stop it dead in its tracks, as it rushed towards out little town. Helicopters whirl overhead looking for dams to fill from.

All I could think of was not my grandmothers beautiful clock or my husbands family treasures but the trees that have stood in the main street of our town for over 100 years.

But in the end many very tired CFA men and woman saved our town and................then it all started again, in another spot further away. But this time it did take 29 homes, destroyed so much history those walls held within. 64 sheds were lost too, farms. and homes all destroyed only to find that arson was the reason, is the reason many stand before their blackened homes.

The heat of the past days has been more then I have ever known. Hot beyond anything I have ever felt. The sun would rise each morning and bring with it a sting that lasted all day and into the night, first reaching 44deg.C (111.2F) the first day then 43deg.C (109.45f) the next and yet still another day of 45deg.C (113F).....................but out the back under the hot tin roof it reached to top of the thermometer 60plus (149F) and beyone.............................O! how I hope the cool Autumn weather could come rushing up to great us many months earlier then it should.

A possum died falling from the hedge..............there is no water for them, Animals come almost begging at your back door even field mice and rats take chances, they just need a drink.

There is not enough power to go around so as we sit watching the fires on the other side of our state................it becomes very dark, we sit there hoping the fan will start whirling around again but it doesn't happen...............they turned off the power to us from Melbourne and beyond to save others. We must sit here in the dark waiting................in the end we waited for over 8 hours.

The fridge................my gosh don't open it! keep the cool in, everything will melt like we are if we open the freezer.

Lets see our elderly friend is he OK? lets go for a drive in the car its cool and take him with us. So for three hours we drive around, him sitting in the back relaxed in the cool breeze that flows around the inside of the car but knowing when we get back to our homes it will be like walking into a hot dark oven again...............for now lets just enjoy!!!

As it gets dark and the streets and homes are all just dark shadows, it feels very strange and very! VERY! quiet almost as if we all just sit and wait but cannot find words to say how we feel and if we do talk its with hushed tones.................why I am not sure.

As the poem starts;

"I love a sunburn't country.........................Yes this is Australia sunburn't and warm beyond anything we have ever known.

AND........We are the lucky ones Adelaide still is in the 40's +++

To all my Aussie friends keep cool and take heart knowing that Autumn WILL!! arrive one of these days.

Looking good my friends!! Yes this snow filled street is looking real good. (smiles)