It's not often that I find myself praying for a downpour, but with a number of bushfires currently ravaging large parts of the state, nothing could be more welcome right now. We need rain. Plenty of it and preferably for a good few days in a row.
Unfortunately though, that's not what's on the cards. For the moment, the weather forecast is predicting more hot and blustery conditions for the week ahead, which means that really, things could hardly be worse for the fire fighters currently out there saving homes and lives.
For us, 60 kilometres from the nearest fire, it just means there's an orange haze blocking the sun and —depending on the direction of the wind — a distinct smell of burning wood. The kind of smell that, as a European expat, triggers memories of cosy winters spent in front of a log fire, a connotation that is difficult to reconcile with this level of danger and destruction.
It is also a reminder that Australia truly is a country of extremes, where floods and fires are a regular occurrence and where Mother Nature, for all her beauty, truly is in charge. Things happen here on a scale you just don't see in Europe, another aspect of life here that can take some time to get your head around.
And then, on those days when the wind blows in the opposite direction, everything seems deceptively normal, albeit still a bit hot...
For the week ahead, our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the fires, and if anyone would like to provide financial assistance, the Salvation Army is currently running an appeal. In the meantime, we're crossing our fingers for a much needed change in weather conditions,
xxx
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