Happy New Year !

[Guest guest]

Hi Chris & All,

 

Happy New Year to you all from a very smokey DownUnder in the now notsoBlue

Mountains.

I hope 2002 brings everyone the challenges & gifts you need most to make your

lives rich & happy :-))

 

Down here, we're in the middle of a very nasty fire season that came to us on

Christmas Day & looks like continuing for a few more days still. It's really

devestated the bushland & wildlife over so much of the eastern part of our

state. The last few nights our moon has been very much like our sun - round and

red from smoke haze. It was amazing a couple of days ago to see one setting as

the other was rising, and be barely able to tell the difference between the two.

Today I woke to clear skies for the first time after winds last night blew the

smoke away from us. Now, the winds have picked up again and changed direction

and another pall of smoke is heading our way, no doubt bringing with it more ash

& embers. We were away when the fires broke out, intending to return on Boxing

Day, but the fires by that stage had closed the roads into the Mountains area so

we stayed an extra few days. While it was nice to spend the extra time down at

the farm, it was frustrating to have to leave the task of protecting our

property to others. There are something like 15000 firefighters from all over

the country fighting fires throughout our state, with a couple of the worst of

the fire being on either side of us. While the winds have kept the fires away

from our village so far, I have boxes ready to put the cats in, & my oils packed

so that we can go at a moments notice if we need to. Another town was evacuated

last night, with the residents spending their NY at a nearby RSL club, waiting

to hear if their homes had been saved or not. The firefighters are doing a

wonderful job - the vast majority of them are men & women from volunteer

bushfire brigades from other country town areas. To their credit, there have

been no human lives lost and while about 150 families have lost their homes,

thousands more have been saved. Everywhere there are signs in front of houses

thanking the firies & wishing them well. Yet another situation of a crisis

bringing communities together, and bringing out the best in people.

 

What a year it's been - crisis after crisis the world over & each one seeming to

draw international communities together as well. For us here in eastern New

South Wales, we've seen 2001 out with a real blast - it will be a long time

before the bush recovers from this one & a very long time before the wildlife

population regenerates itself, but like the Phoenix that I identify so much

with, new life will spring from the ashes on the blackened earth.

 

I wish you all well,

 

Blessings,

Jane :-))

 

ps ... did my swap gift arrive safely ? I haven't had time to scour the archives

since I've been back online !