Good Morning Early Birds!

[waterboatman]

Saturday. A clear sky, so it should be warm and dry at the Farmer's Market in Stroud. I'm there for the hospice, to try and sign people up to the Hospice Lottery. It's a good fund raiser. I'll do a bit of shoplifting while I'm there, one the farms I shop at has a stall there.

Just seen the weather report for tomorrow. It's going to be a wet one. Rather Sunday than Monday!

Have a happy day everyone.

[1ozzy]

G'day old mate.

How yer travelling?

[ummmm]

Good morning gents :-)

[1ozzy]

Greetings Ummmm.

[waterboatman]

G'day my friend. How nice to see you. :o}
I'm as well as I'm going to be ta. Enjoying summer, such as it is!

How are you? and how is the recovery work going?

[waterboatman]

Morning ummmm xxx How are you this morning?

[ummmm]

Nothing to complain about, WBM.

The daughter moves into a shared house today. She looks too young.

[waterboatman]

Always the way ummmm. She will always be your baby.

[1ozzy]

Emotionally drained and physically stuffed ;-/

The recovery work will wind up on the 22nd of this month.
.
Over 1000 volunteers so far, 850kms of damaged fencing removed, 900kms of new fencing built, $6'000'000 of materials supplied through charitable donations, the list goes on and there are still some farms & people in need that we haven't been able to assist as of yet.

[waterboatman]

I know exactly what you mean oz. It's an emotional journey as well a physical one. So much to do to help so many people that have lost so much. You and all the rest of the volunteers are doing a magnificent job mate. I'm proud to call you a friend.

[1ozzy]

Thanks Boaty.

First time I've been involved with something of this nature and I've caught the bug.
Won't be my last time ;-)

The camaraderie in a camp like this is nothing short of amazing.

[waterboatman]

You're welcome. And yes, I've been there done that and I agree, when people get together to help others less fortunate the team just naturally developes. Human nature at it's best.

[ummmm]

Ozzy...what's happened? Is it fires? x

[1ozzy]

Yeah Ummmm, massive fire back in February, burnt 55,000 hectares of farming land.150,00kms of fencing destroyed, houses, sheds, barns, equipment, stock plus stockyards, fodder, etc. All gone.

Some of the family's affected were third or fourth generation farmers so the family heirlooms and years of ancestors toil gone in 48 hours.

[waterboatman]

Nature showing she ain't always a sweet lady!

[1ozzy]

Amazingly there are still hot spots on some farms.
Trees still smoldering, tree roots still burning underground after 7-8 months.

[waterboatman]

Reference my last!

oz that could go on for years, especially the underground fires.

[ummmm]

that is so sad, Ozzy xx

[1ozzy]

Sure could Boaty.

Over nearer the coast there is a hill called Mount Wingen, a coal seam has been burning for approx 6,000 years.

The early explorers used the smoke plume as a landmark, it could be seen for hundreds of k's.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_Mountain

[1ozzy]

It is very sad Ummmm.

But moving forward is the only path to take ;-)

We were lucky in this town that the wind was blowing from the west otherwise the town would be gone.

[Islay]

Morning all, had a lovely evening last night took the dogs down the island walkway and played with them on the beach, legs are a bit sore today!
Anyway still no fridge freezer so cancelled that order and have ordered from a national co instead of a local company.
Supposed to be taking it easy this weekend so will see what happens.