Saturday, December 30, 2006

Christmas 2006

We left for Melbourne around 7.30am, drove through the pouring rain which was a first for ages and arrived at the hostel where Marj was staying for the moment after breaking her hip. She was pleasantly surprised to see us. Then on to Chris and Jim's for lunch with Margaret, Graeme and Nin, (Gerard's family) for a hot dinner which was appropriate seeing they woke up to a white Christmas day, although not snow it was so much hail.

Then on to spend tea with Kate at Matt's home with his family and friends. It was a huge feast of seafood for us all.

Got to Machele and Tamyka's about 11.30pm a quick sleep and up and off to Paynesville at 6.30 in the morning. Had a great run once again, obviously beat all the traffic.

Have been to the pictures and had a good laugh with Happy Feet, just soo cute and also had a trip with Jamie the clydesdale horse around Raymond Island.

New Years eve is almost here, will go down to the foreshore for the annual fireworks display which is just beautiful and it is amazing to see so many people here in Paynesville.

Jamie the Clydesdale Horse on Raymond Island

Jamie took us on a tour on Raymond Island searching for Koalas and we were not disappointed. Took many photos of them and also managed to see three Tawny Frogmouth Owls which was very exciting for me. Just gorgeous!

The Koala just looks so cute and cuddly, but those claws look so dangerous!

So sleepy, comfortable and unaware!
Just cannot imagine it being comfortable enough to fall asleep in the fork of a tree!

Paddocks burnt out in Cowarr Victoria
We drove to Melbourne via the back roads and came across these burnt out paddocks in Cowarr, the fire just spread for miles and the mountains in the back ground were also all burnt out. Unfortunately farms were burnt and homesteads too. Just awful.

posted by Jill @ 10:38 am 0 comments

Friday, December 15, 2006

Changing of the days with smoke

These are some pics of around our place with the effects of the smoke from the bush fires, just real eerie!














Above are pics of the changing smoke conditions over the past week!


posted by Jill @ 12:50 pm 0 comments

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Fire report! Thursday 14th December 2006





































These are some pics taken below of how the sky looks at 2pm. It is now 4pm and it is so dark you would think it is about 10p.m.

The wind has just come up so hopefully it will blow the fires back on themselves.

The car after going to Bairnsdale

Today at 2pm

Looking outside from the loungeroom.

I am sitting in the loungeroom at 2 in the afternoon, it is summer!!! I have just turned on the christmas tree lights cos it is so dark here. As I look out the windows the sky is a dark orange/red no sunshine and a real orange haze. The island across the car park is covered in an orange haze. The street lights have turned themselves on and are glowing white! It is real scarey to tell you the truth. Not knowing what is going to happen around here!! Have not heard a fire report lately, it is hot here with no wind to mention.. The water is as flat and still as glass. The birds are no where to be seen. The silence is deafening, my Tinnitus is real loud!! A boat has just gone by with its lights on! Feel like it is time to go to bed. The smell of smoke is affecting my eyes and it is just awful!! Will post some pics to my blog later today. Apparently in 1975 the fires did reach our end opposite us where there is bush!! Hey who is worried???? Nuh not much.. Hope you are enjoying your day!!

My friend Narelle lives in Lindenow which is closer to the fires and they have been put on alert cos the wind change is due about 5pm.

Gerard's friend Geoff has a house at Coongulla and the closest town is surrounded by fire!

Here are some pics! They are above this!!

posted by Jill @ 3:34 pm 0 comments

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Victoria's Bushfires are getting close to us!

This past week has been quite worrying as we are in the midst of a drought, water supplies are down and bushfires are raging through Victoria, Tasmania and NSW.

The Victorian fires are more of a concern for us because they are only one and a half hours drive from here in Paynesville.

In 1975 the bushfires did reach Paynesville and came right down to our end of town and burnt all the bush next to us! So it is possible and could happen again.

Each day is so different, some days you can smell the smoke, others you cannot. The smoke has not been as heavy as it has been in Melbourne which seems odd when it is four hours drive from here!

When I get up in the mornings the sky is so different to the day before. At least four times in the day the sky has changed along with the colour of the water.

The sunrises of late have been so unusual, the sun is a dull orange with the smoke covering the rays of light, giving off an orange sheen over the water, just spectacular. All day the sun is covered in the cloudy smoke and looks more like the moon than the sun, with no bright glow.

The sky has been white to grey to orange to red to black, amazing how the smoke and sun can change it so much. The street lights have gone from the usual yellow to white and blue.

One morning when we got up the windows in the verandah had not been closed the night before and there was black soot all over everything. Yuk. The outside of the house got a light sprinkle of rain and so the soot stuck to the walls of the house, it is awful not to mention the car! Gerard rinsed it off and we went to Bairnsdale and I noted how dirty everyone's cars were, they must be nearer to the fires, but when I got back to mine it was as bad as everyone elses. The sky turned black and we had a lot of thunder and lightening, a little rain bur not much, only enough to make the muck on the cars look even worse. Black leaves were all over the place and at home too.

We got home at 1.30 in the arvo and had to turn the inside lights on coz it was so dark inside. It is summer here and the days seem to be so dull all the time. It is so hazy and quiet at the moment very still which is good, hopefully the same where they are burning.

There were two main fires, but now they have joined together and are heading south which is where we are at the end of the water. I only thought we would have to worry about a flood, not bush fires!

It is a scary feeling. A friend of Gerards has a house in a town called Coongulla which is in the fires path. So it is a worry for him too.


Will post some pictures soon.


posted by Jill @ 2:42 pm 0 comments

Sunday, December 10, 2006

I Know it has been a long time

Yes I know my last post was some months ago when I went to Melbourne for the ten week spurt helping out at the shop. I ended up house sitting for Marie, one of the ladies who went on the overseas trip and enjoyed it immensley being on my own.

Since then, I have been back and forth so many times, the ten weeks ended at the end of September and after that I have been back to Melbourne for the Paperific Expo at Telstra Dome, running some workshops and serving on the stand. Such a huge three days, mentally and physically exhausting, takes about a week to recover, also have been running back and forth with mum as she has moved back to Melbourne about two weeks ago. Packing up and moving Mum was very exhausting and down and back a few days later for Kates birthday in 24 hours.

I had a great birthday in October, I had hoped we could go to Queensland early October to visit our ex-Paynesville friends, but Gerard had been unsuccessful in getting time off un benown to me, it was planned Kate and Matt were coming down for four days. I was devastated at not being able to go away but did not know about the visitors. I really needed the break and was looking forward to seeing Annette and Paul and their new place and celebrate their pregnancy. Looks like it won't be till the new year now after the baby has arrived. Who knows when it will be...Had a wonderful four days with Kate and Matt here, they bought down their double kayak and we went out on the water a couple of times, which was fun. The rest of the time, we played cards, chatted and just relaxed. Which was lovely.




posted by Jill @ 6:21 pm 0 comments