Smokey Haze and other stuff!

Melbourne sits under a browny-grey smokey haze today and has done for a few days now. Fires continue across the state, but in a 'manageable' fashion and no more property or lives have been lost in the last couple of days (to my knowledge!).
The sun has been a hazy orange globe in the sky during the day and the moon, a hazy orange ball in the sky at night.

Spence is his lovely self, crawling like a little champion, eating lots more new finger foods this week and sleeping better again since returning from holidays. He is going through a 'spitting' phase at the moment when he eats, which is really, really annoying....he decides half way through a meal that he wants to spit everything at you and continues to do so with every mouthful until we crack it and give up! Hence - the new finger foods this week!

We visited a day care centre nearby last week and have enrolled Spence for one day per week starting from next week! We don't especially need to send him to daycare as our working situation balances out ok for looking after Spence, but we thought it would be good for socialization. We liked the place and the people so we are going for orientation this Thursday.

I am doing the Weightwatchers thing again this week after falling off the wagon a couple of months ago! I had lost about 11 kg since starting WW, then lapsed somewhere in November I think and over the Christmas and holiday break I have piled about 5 kg back on!! Anyway, have been pigging out this week trying to fit every possible sort of junk in before i get back on the fitness train tomorrow!

Still Going

Thankfully there haven't been any more people dying. The death toll continues to rise though as more bodies are found. There are currently 181 people confirmed dead with something like another 80 people still missing.
There are still a few large uncontrolled fires going at the moment.

We are still in Toora. I've attached a pic that we have taken of Wilson's Prom, which is also on fire. Tidal River was evacuated the other day so this fire is just going along uncontrolled and inaccessible in remote bush locations.

The other pic is by Stephen Henderson, a CFA volunteer at the Taggerty fire.

Still another day of sad news

Every morning we get up and hear how the death toll has risen dramatically. This morning the news says 173 people dead. Whole towns are wiped out. It is just awful. The TV station (we can only get one at the moment as we think the TV towers nearby must have been wiped out) shows dramatic pictures, tells stories of horror and death and luck and survival. There are still fires burning. Yesterday Wilson's Prom camp site at Tidal River was evacuated and we could see the smoke from the fire down there and also from the Churchill fires still burning out of control nearby. We went up the hill at the back of Kylie's parent's place at dusk last night and watched the orange glow of the flames from Wilson's Prom.
The photos we are seeing - like those I am posting - I am finding are just amazing, you can't even imagine standing there and seeing this looking at you.....

Photos: Cara Frankish -Healsville, Andrew Bukolt - Drouin West, Rhys Smith - Churchill, Nick Hill - Labertouche Rd

Devastating fires

Photos - Simon Bourke, Fiona Hamilton, Mark Smith, Andrew Brownbill (x2)

It is just so devastating. 108 people confirmed dead. Men, women and children. Many trying to flee their homes at the last minute and finding themselves stuck in paddocks, in cars, in houses. The worst fires this state has ever seen, if not this country.

They have been sending MFB crews out to help in some areas. I am so glad that Kylie hasn't been called back to go to the fires and that we are all safe. I feel so sad for all those families that have been affected.

A world on fire.....

Victoria is burning. Yesterday was the hottest day on record in Melbourne with 47 degrees and hot strong winds fanning the state. Walking outside was like walking into a hair dryer. It was predicted to be a day of extreme fire danger and this prediction proved to be true with fires across the entire state that are well up there with the Ash Wednesday fires of 1983.
Entire towns have been destroyed in massive fires all around the state. So far news reports have confirmed 36 people dead across the state and many many more houses and property burnt to the ground. It is scary to see the images of the fires on TV and on the net.

We have been down in Waratah Bay camping for the last ten days and yesterday went to Kylie's sister's wedding. What a hot day for it! We could start to smell the smoke during the wedding ceremony and then could see the smoke from fires nearby in the hills. The fire caused evacuation of nearby Yarram and lots of people at the wedding were concerned about their own properties and the houses and lives of friends and family.

It seems every year some ridiculous people see fit to light the state on fire on days like this one - I just don't understand how some peoples heads work and why you could want to cause this sort of loss and devastation to people.

The day we left Melbourne to drive down here our own suburb had fires in the Paddocks behind our house. We had packed up the car to go camping and as Ky, Spence and I drove off I looked behind us and could see the flames from the fires just a kilometre or two from our house. But you know, I thought to myself, everything that I care most about in this world is here with me. I don't care about the house and our possessions as long as Ky and Spence are with me, it's all ok.

But we were lucky. In comparison to the fires of yesterday and those that continue to burn today, ours were nothing. I feel for all those people who have been involved in the fires and really think the CFA volunteers are amazing.

I've attached some pics - these are from the herald sun website and were taken by Chris Sheffield and Jake Valance.