At the end of 2019, much of eastern Australia had been in drought for three years. Then a huge portion of it burned down. It was a fire season of epic proportions, with huge swathes of land completely burnt out. Smoke blanketed huge portions of NSW and Victoria, and some days, all you saw or … Continue reading Catastrophe
fires
It’s Hot…Again
It's 10.54am as I type these first words. It's already passed 38 degrees on a day forecast to reach about 45 degrees in our town. (Celcius!) That would be 113 degrees Fahrenheit for those who are not au fait with degrees C. Our local fire danger is listed as 'Severe' while further south, areas are … Continue reading It’s Hot…Again
Dear Retailers….
Dear Retailers of Australia, It is not Black Friday. You have emailed me repeatedly about your sales that do not encompass Black Friday at all. You've also flooded the television with your ads. Are you confused? Why are you doing this? In case you're having calendar malfunctions, I'd like to inform you that it will … Continue reading Dear Retailers….
Tomorrow
If you look at the image above, you can see the fire danger ratings across NSW tomorrow. We live in number 3. The Greater Hunter. Tonight isn't hot, just comfortable, and there's no wind. Tomorrow's forecast is for 36-38 degrees (C), and high winds. It's going to be hot, windy, and the fire danger is … Continue reading Tomorrow
Remembering
Tomorrow is Remembrance Day. At 11am, we pause to Remember. From its beginnings as Armistice Day in memory of the First World War, to a time when we remember the both the dead and all of those who have fought, and still fight in conflicts across the globe. Yesterday was also a significant day for … Continue reading Remembering
A Country of Contrasts
I'm sitting here in NSW, in a drought stricken town, refreshing my browser intermittently to check on the status of Townsville, in far north Queensland, where our daughter lives. It's so dry here that many of our local farmers have sold the vast majority of their stock. Our watercourses are dry, and the landscape fluctuates … Continue reading A Country of Contrasts
Ominous
Today has an ominous feel to it. It's the second day of extreme heat here, and now there's a howling gale. The fire danger is described as catastrophic, and there's just a hint of smoke on the breeze, which is probably coming from Cassilis/Dungog way. There's a fire out there, which is burning with so … Continue reading Ominous
As I Sit
As I sit, I can hear a myriad of birds proclaiming their news to the world. In the background, the washing machine is ticking away, sloshing the dirt from our clothes, and every now and then, one of the dogs peers hopefully through the flyscreen, trying to entice me out of my writing chair and … Continue reading As I Sit
Leonie Rogers 