A week...

A week has passed since the excrutiating heat wave ended in an inferno in parts of Victoria. The devastation of last Saturdays fires is still being counted...over 1800 homes gone, 181 dead & 80 still missing. Those directly affected have been doing it hard, in temporary accomodation & relying on donated goods to get by. They are hovering close to what was once their community & each night on the news we see their pain & suffering.

I have donated, volunteered & cried with each story that unfolds. Some of the stories are not of tragedy but how people have gone to amazing lengths to assist or of survival of soul & spirit. They make me cry even more.

I am lucky not to be directly involved but still the whole thing is affecting us, draining our spirit, & question the fickleness of nature & circumstance.

I've struggled to put anything on to the blog this week as you have noticed. Haven't had the heart to really. I tried with the photos of Hayley & her birth story but it seemed a bit frivolous somehow. I had some girls over last night for a distraction of a previously booked cookware demonstration. We had a very pleasant evening (thanks girls for coming over) but the conversation would turn back to the bushfires very quickly. "Did you hear about ..." " did you see story/photos showing..."
So today being St Valentines day, Chris & I celebrated as we usually do & had a very ordinary day!
We headed out on the 'red dwarf' for a ride & spend some time together. Chris loves taking me out on the bike because I can't talk! communication is limited to a few hand signals, taps on the leg & the odd squeeze if it gets a bit fast!
It was a really good riding day, we haven't had many lately, its either been too hot or too windy.



We went down towards Geelong then right, up through to Anakie & on to Ballan. Everywhere is really dry & brown, dusty with trees down after the heatwave. I saw many dried up dams & stock eating what looks like bare dirt.


The smoke haze gave the whole landscape an even drier, gloomier atmosphere.
We startled a few horses & cattle as we burbled along the road. As we rode slowly through Ballan a gutsy little dog came out to chase, & bark at, us.
When I was telling Erin later we laughed about the size & behaviour of this dog, she said maybe he though Dad was the postie!! Only 1000cc difference!

Erin & Tayla had some fun with some of the tiles I had when I dabbled with mosaics. They were very pleased with their efforts.





I think the bits & pieces are still out there. Erin loves to create but cleaning up afterwards is another thing.