Rain!

 After close to a week of devastating fires north of the city we finally have respite. Steady soaking rain started yesterday and hasn't stopped. With it we have much lower temperatures - unseasonably low but no-one is complaining about that after the heatwave conditions we've been experiencing. It's quite a contrast to see rain sweeping in instead of the ash and smoke we'd had for days. The rain has washed away all the dust and ash that was clinging to the trees and their leaves are clean and green again, the grey washed away. As an added blessing the rain has doused the worst of the hills fires but there are still serious fires burning in the south of the state. 

While the city is currently safe the toll from the fire has been heavy. We're lucky that there has been no loss of human life but the environmental damage is huge and the number of native animals killed or injured is incalculable. Farmers are just being allowed back to their properties and will face the horrific task of dealing with  hundreds of injured animals, most of which will have to be put down. As well many have lost their homes - 86 dwellings were lost along with sheds and all their equipment. My heart goes out to them all.

In other news the lockdown has now been lifted although we have restrictions on numbers of visitors and face masks are now mandatory outside the home. I've spent much of the weekend trying to find a way to make some extra reusable masks for Pisces and me - arthritic hands limit how much I can sew and my sewing machine has just decided to break down. Sigh. We do have a supply of disposables but if wearing them continues to be compulsory that will run out sooner rather than later. I've also got some on order but how long it will be before they reach us is anyone's guess, postal deliveries being as slow as they are these days.