I was recently contacted by a high school teacher in Western Australia, who said her year nine class was doing a project on the 2009 Victorian Bushfires, and having found my own diary entries on the ordeal, asked if I would be kind enough to read and respond to their reflections, as somebody who was [...]
Would you believe that smoking saves lives? It does. It really does.
(Never mind that the habit takes a few more than it saves).
The fires on Black Saturday took many people by surprise. As the hottest day on record, many Australians did what you do in such heat: they stayed inside, drew all the curtains, cranked [...]
After being home for a few days in the wake of a month-long evacuation due to the Victorian bush fires, we hear/smell/feel/see something that makes our hearts sing: rain. It pours overnight, and drizzles through the next few days. Although naysayers worry about erosion and the negative long-term restorative effects of too much rain, we [...]
Home, Sweet Home
Tuesday, February 24, 2009 – DAY EIGHTEEN
Home, Sweet Home
After an extremely hesitant but positive response from a local authority that we could return home but must remain vigilant about the fires that are almost too close for comfort, we return home.
Enjoying the ocean, and a different kind of fire…
Friday-Sunday, February 20-22, 2009 – DAYS FOURTEEN to SIXTEEN
Too many “last straws” have come and gone…we need a rest. My own small break in taking a trip to Melbourne was not exactly restful, and Kelly has worked two full weeks in a highly-charged environment with just one [...]
Thursday, February 19th, 2009 – DAY THIRTEEN
It seems like every night I sleep somewhere else. I wake up in the middle of the night – as I do, to pee – and have to re-orient myself before trying to get up. I struggle to remember where I am, how I am oriented (is the [...]
Although this image of charred ground may not look dramatic, you may think differently if you knew what it looked like before.
Wednesday, February 18th, 2009 – DAY TWELVE
The pleasant distractions of last night end when I cough and sputter my way into reality from a solid sleep; the smoke is thick and full. [...]
In addition to the hundreds of pumper trucks coming in and out of the Alexandra staging area, armoured personnel carriers are now part of the flotilla. These guys are serious.
Tuesday, February 17th, 2009 – DAY ELEVEN
Apparently we are not the only ones living out of our car…we pile our belongings into the car [...]
There are over 400 tents pitched at the showgrounds, with over 600 emergency workers sleeping in shifts. (And this is not the only base camp established in the area). That’s allotta fire fighting going on.
Monday, February 16th: DAY TEN
As we pull up to the DSE/CFA base camp in Alexandra for breakfast, I see yet [...]
A panorama of our smoky “stomping grounds” in Rubicon…
Sunday, February 15th, 2009 – DAY NINE
8:00am
Waking up in and living with smoke takes a toll over time. Your head constantly feels foggy, keeping headaches tenuously at bay. Your throat is raspy, sore, and dry, except for that little chunk of mucus in the back you [...]
