Yes, I'm so happy, 2014!

[johnw]

Some brilliant photography to brighten the gloom of winter.............
http://www.ndr.de/fernsehen/sendungen/expeditionen_ins_tierreich/media/expeditionen441.html

johnw

[arillady]

I am so happy that this is picture does not include our house which is on the other side of the creek. We have had a harrowing few days from Friday. Today is almost normal again. I drove through where the fire started today and it is black from horizon to horizon. Thank goodness for small mercies that we were ok.
A fire started south of us just out of Eden Valley on Friday after 5 days of over 40C weather. We watched it as it moved south east and then it covered our entire southern skyline. It was when the wind changed to a southerly gale that we abandoned ship as the fire was only 2ks away and the wind was the worst I have ever felt and it became so smoky so soon that it was getting difficult to see very far. I have never moved so fast throwing cat and dog in the car and a couple of other things while my son loaded up his toddler,  two dogs, two cats, two birds and we took off for Angaston. Harry would not leave as the fire front was over the ridge by this time but it was a very difficult few hours until we knew that he had stopped the fire from creeping down the hill and over the dry creekbed to our house and the rest of the fire had moved on.
http://www.cfs.sa.gov.au/site/home/eden_valley_fire_information.jsp check out the Eden Valley Public information on the 19th for the best map of how much land was burnt. We are about 32 x 72 in the unburnt finger. on the left of the burnt area. Half our 80 acres is burnt but it was all grazing land. We had to put down one old goat.
We did have another scare the following night at 2.30am as a spot fire was heading  our way but we did have more than 4 fire engines at our property by the time I was up.

[Anthony Darby]

My goodness. Stay safe Pat. 

[fermi de Sousa]

So glad to know that you are safe, Pat! Will asked me if I knew if you were okay when he heard that Keyneton was under threat but I didn't think it would be the best time to send an e-mail!
cheers
fermi

[arillady]

And I didn't even think to put my message in a 2014 thread plus put out seeds that need bushfires to germinate!!
Fire engines still patrolling locally - just had one drive around over the creek. Yeah for the Country Fire Service volunteers and personnel who did so much. A little yellow plane plots the actual fire perimeters.
 

[Lvandelft]

Good to hear you are safe Pat!
Must be a terrible experience seeing the fire creeping onto the property.

[arillady]

Luit after seeing the beginnings of the fire south of us when the wind changed to gale force later in the day I was petrified and did not hang around to see the fire on our property as I knew embers could easily cover the 2ks. . But when we were woken at 2am the next night that was scary too as it was black with red flames over the hillside.
I think I have had enough adrenalin for a while.
 

[annew]

Pat, that must have been terrifying - I'm very grateful that you got out safely.

[Maggi Young]

I thought all we had to worry about at the moment was the earthquakes in New Zealand - and here we have the terrifying news of this huge fire raging around Pat's place.

Too much of a fright even at this distance, Pat. Thank heavens you are okay.  We can only hope the danger passes completely VERY soon.

[Maggi Young]

Some brilliant photograph to brighten the gloom of winter.............
http://www.ndr.de/fernsehen/sendungen/expeditionen_ins_tierreich/media/expeditionen441.html

johnw

What a marvelous film!  Nearly 90 minutes long- but worth  taking the time to view, even if you have no German.    Filmed over 5 years in 70 locations - a  superb story of the life and history of the forests.

In the next couple of days the next film in the series will be available - I intend to watch that also.

Thank you this link, John, via Canada - small old world, isn't it?

[johnw]

Maggi - While my informants in Germany do keep me up to date please do let me know when the next one comes out.

How they followed the ants congregating inside that toadstool is beyond me, to say nothing of the ant falling off the leaf and bouncing on the moss!

johnw

[Maggi Young]

I can't decide whether I was more surprised by the ants inside the toadstool or them moving larvae into the disembodied head of the stag beetle - there was some spectacular footage.
What about the queen bumble bee ousting the hapless mouse from its cosy nest?
The atmospheric scenes of the deer  in the forest were perhaps the most beautiful - and the different emerging flowers were just breathtaking. I listened to most of it through headphones and had to "be brave" when subjected to wasps ( or were they hornets?)  buzzing in stereo through my head!

[Robert]

Pat

I can understand your situation. Here in Northern California we live in fire country. A few years ago a wildfire burned straight towards our farm blown by strong, dry, north winds. A crown fire in the trees is scary! A major understatement! If you have never experienced the such a thing, there no way to really understand. I could have easily been burned to death trying to save our place with a garden hose. The borate planes controlled the fire before our ranch was lost. Thank you God!

I'm glad that you, your family, and all that is yours are safe.

Robert

[Maggi Young]

I should have realised, Robert, that with your area's tendency to drought conditions, that you too would have been subject to such frightening events.  A prospect too terrifying for most of us to comprehend.

[Robert]

Maggi

God bless, we are all doing the best we can. It is my wish that I never pretend that I can completely understand. Most of us are a long way away.

We are all offering our support.

Robert