(no subject)
You're probably aware of the fires ravaging our state. For those of you not on onlylisa's FList, I suggest you drop by and have a look at her recent posts. She's mere miles away from the worst of it (Kinglake and Marysville being hardest hit). I won't go into it too much, I'll just be repeating what Lisa has already said.
The fires started on Saturday. Many are still burning almost a week later. I am about 200 kilometres from them. This morning I woke up to this:
My throat is tickly, my eyes sting. Outside, everything has a slight dirty orange tinge to it. And I'm miiiiiiles away. I can't imagine what it must be like for those close by; for those in the middle of it. It must have been terrifying.
There were other fires dotted around the state - the closest to me being in Bendigo about 100 kilometres away. Not nearly as ferocious as those around Kinglake, but it also claimed a life. And it claimed the house my father-in-law grew up in. It wasn't in the family any longer, but still upsetting to hear your childhood home has been burnt to the ground.
It's times like this, though, that the community pulls together to help out our fellow Aussies. In less than a week, financial donations have hit $77 million. Coles, one of our largest supermarket chains, is donating all today's profits to to the bushfire appeal. I'll be doing my weekly shopping there later tonight. Donations of clothes, toys, etc, have been so overwhelming, the public has been asked to hold off. I heard through a woman at work of an organisation called BADGER Wildlife Rescue ... one of the many shelters caring for wildlife injured by the fire. I will be donating some woollen blankets and pillow cases to them ... they will be made into 'marsupial pouches'. :)
Prayers of strength and courage to anybody who's been affected by the fires in any way.
The fires started on Saturday. Many are still burning almost a week later. I am about 200 kilometres from them. This morning I woke up to this:
My throat is tickly, my eyes sting. Outside, everything has a slight dirty orange tinge to it. And I'm miiiiiiles away. I can't imagine what it must be like for those close by; for those in the middle of it. It must have been terrifying.
There were other fires dotted around the state - the closest to me being in Bendigo about 100 kilometres away. Not nearly as ferocious as those around Kinglake, but it also claimed a life. And it claimed the house my father-in-law grew up in. It wasn't in the family any longer, but still upsetting to hear your childhood home has been burnt to the ground.
It's times like this, though, that the community pulls together to help out our fellow Aussies. In less than a week, financial donations have hit $77 million. Coles, one of our largest supermarket chains, is donating all today's profits to to the bushfire appeal. I'll be doing my weekly shopping there later tonight. Donations of clothes, toys, etc, have been so overwhelming, the public has been asked to hold off. I heard through a woman at work of an organisation called BADGER Wildlife Rescue ... one of the many shelters caring for wildlife injured by the fire. I will be donating some woollen blankets and pillow cases to them ... they will be made into 'marsupial pouches'. :)
Prayers of strength and courage to anybody who's been affected by the fires in any way.