Yes, I'm so happy, 2014!

[arillady]

Such great news Maggi.

[fermi de Sousa]

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.

We now know how you feel, Pat!
We had a fire start 200 m away but fortunately heading in the opposite direction. We grabbed the cats and headed to the local hall and met up with other locals who had evacuated. A lot of fire-trucks turned up and they got it under control - as you said, "Yay for the CFA"!
cheers
fermi

[annew]

Scary to hear these stories - makes wading about ankle deep in puddles not even worth grumbling about. Hope you all keep safe. What about the wildlife?

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Anne,
we went down to the Ford where the fire started - a few hundred metres down the road - to watch the "mopping-up" or "blacking out" operations by the CFA (Country Fire Authority) volunteers. A Fire Investigator there said that he found one (cooked) turtle unfortunately, but I think most other wildlife would've been able to escape.
Here are some pics form this morning - unfortunately a few venerable old River Red Gums (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) will have to be taken down as they are still burning! The last pic shows one of the trees with smoke rising from a hollow within!
cheers
fermi

[Anthony Darby]

How did it start?

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Anthony,
unclear at present, but no lightning strikes recently, and there were some visitors seen in the area not long before it flared up - presumably a dropped cigarette, or something similar  . If I say anymore it would have to go in the "moan" thread!
cheers
fermi

[annew]

It says a lot about you and Pat that you are posting in this thread anyway. The bright side is that you are safe.

[Anthony Darby]

I can hear you singing the song Fermi.

[arillady]

Anne most of the kangaroos were able to get to the unburnt side except for one that I know needed to be put out of its misery. A lizard or two possibly were burnt too. Birds usually ok unless they have babies.
We had another heart starter last Sunday afternoon. My daughter rang to say that her local (to here) friend rang to say that there was smoke in the direction of our property. It was a worrying time until my daughter finally got word that it was a neighbours property that was on fire and not ours. A big old gum had been brewing inside since the recent fire and it must have come up out of the roots and got the little bit of grass that was left. It did not take much for it to get the house/shack going and then all the little and bigger sheds. A son and another neighbour went over when it was a grass fire but by the time they got there it was more than grass. The firies did not take long to arrive and there were many back up vehicles from other towns too. Helicopters circling too. We then had dreadful winds on Monday which if there was a tree on fire south of us we could have had embers in our unburnt areas. Have not slept fully for a while now. So much easier at night to see smoldering trees. Harry has been whipper snipping dry grass since the fires so that it will slow down any fires a tad.

[annew]

I hope you all remain safe.

[angie]

Scary stuff. As Anne has just said hope hope you all will be safe.

Angie 

[Roma]

Mixed feelings really I'm now a great granny ......makes me feel so old   a wee girl and both well

[Maggi Young]

Roma,  no-one will believe this is possible - lots of love and congratulations to you and all the family on this happy arrival. 

[ranunculus]

Roma,  no-one will believe this is possible - lots of love and congratulations to you and all the family on this happy arrival. 

Agreed.  Absolutely impossible!  It must be 1st April.

(Congratulations Roma … in case it really is true).

[johnralphcarpenter]

Some 70 years late, my father's Bomber Command Clasp has finally arrived.