This morning, like every weekday morning, SJ & I got in the car around 7.45am to make the drive to work.

As we were heading out of town and into the Pass (a winding road that makes its way through the ranges) I commented about the haze sitting over the peaks and across the flats. The further we travelled into the Pass the thicker the haze became, and took on a brown-grey tinge. I asked SJ if he thought it to be dust.

Smoke, he replied.

As we came out of the Pass and over the last few hills and down onto the plateau of the Gulf the smoke stretched as far as the eye could see. The hills we were leaving behind were seemingly being swallowed by it.

There are no fires in the area and we do not live in Victoria.
In fact, we are thousands of kilometres away from the nearest bushfire currently burning over the border.

Yet on an otherwise clear, cool and calm morning, with the wind having blown in just the right direction, remnants of the devestation came to settle on my little town.

And as the day continues, so does the haze and its smell.

An eerie reminder.


[I had the camera in my bag and was all poised to take some photos of this strange event this morning whilst travelling to work, when I realised the front windscreen of the car was covered in dead bugs, and so didnt bother].

Incomprehensible.

[Photo from http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/]

Make the decision to stay or leave, they say.

What happens when Mother Nature wont let you prepare for either?

181 men, women and children confirmed dead, and counting.
More than 80 people still remain unaccounted for.
Over 900 homes destroyed.
More than 330,000ha of countryside left ash-covered and smouldering.
Please donate: Red Cross, Salvation Army, and please dont forget the RSPCA.

PICTURE: Limestone Road by Pro Hart

So, the heat continues.

In this part of the world the weather has been dry and hot, with temperatures reaching 40*C and beyond on a daily basis. In fact, it was only yesterday that the temperature dropped below the 40-mark, "only" reaching 38*C. Yet the rest of the week is expected to be 40+, before a cool change on Saturday night and a more bearable temp of 31*C on Sunday.

BRING ON SUNDAY!

Constant heat like this makes you feel drained, tired, nauseous, and grumpy. Aircon struggles and swimming pools are too hot to swim in. Eating requires too much effort, and no beaverage on earth is completely refreshing. Sleep is consistently calling...

I've spent far too much of my time this past week or so doing very little. Still unpacking boxes and sorting rooms after our recent move (I plan to do an entry on our new abode as soon as I get my computer back and find some motivation); no time to establish any sort of routine, although I have been lucky enough to squeeze in some stewing of fresh plums and peaches (home-grown, of course).

I am learning to live without television at the moment as a freak thunderstorm that hit last Wednesday seems to have interrupted our reception. It drives SJ crazy, but I am discovering that no tv means no distractions and I am instead finding myself busily organising our new house and possibly doing too much reading (although, The Life & Death of Anne Boleyn really is a fascinating read. And here I thought I knew all there was to know!).

When the heat subsides, and my laptop has returned to me (hopefully working as it should and no longer deleting random things from the hard-drive, such as its control panel!), and the house is finally unpacked and organised (please let this weekend be the last!), I will finally be able to establish a routine that includes regular blogging.

In the meantime, if it's hot where you are please stay cool; if you're suffering the cold, ice and snow, please rug up and keep warm; and if you are suffering floods (like the poor souls in Queensland), try not to get too soggy!

Until next time...

~S.