Cate's Diary

Stay safe, hope nothing more than those few wisps of smoke make it your way and the winds co-operate to keep everyone out of the fire's path.
 
Thanks LaMa, Oaks, K&D, Polly & Misty.
It is still quite smoky, but not as bad. I went out with G to his 8-ball last night & some SES workers came into the bar, after a public meeting. They were saying if the wind gets up there will be nothing that can be done to stop it. Strong winds were predicted, but this morning it is quite still.
The fires that are going are not going to threaten where we live, but many of our younger friends live in the affected area. Last night they were on watch & alert, but apparently the night before was very scary.
We are constantly hearing helicopters patrolling the area, which is very unusual. I don't feel nervous today. It helped to get a plan together yesterday so I can just grab my list & follow it if we need to get out.
Today we're going to Dev for G to give some blood(they won't take mine any more because of the enlarged ascending aorta) & to do some shopping. I desperately need some new sneakers. I have new orthotics but no shoes to put them in. I have been living in Skechers, but know I should be wearing my orthotics :(
I actually played 8-ball last night as our team was a player short (because of the fires) & I played quite well. I had fun.
 
Glad to hear your mind is a bit more at ease now; being prepared is areally all you can do against the forces of nature. Yay for distraction! I´d send you some rain but we haven´t had anything like the normal amount for the past six months or so.
 
I have had such a good day! We had a list & got everything on our list quickly & easily. We got a new stylus for our record player ($40! :eek:), a great pair of runners, new sheets, frypan,a s/s strainer, new pair of capris(not on the list) G gave blood, & then we had a Chinese lunch(delicious) & picked up the chickens for the golf club & took them out to the club. A very successful day & I got new runners!! YAY!
I just looked up the fire service warnings & all the local ones have been reduced. The air is still very smoky. I have needed my puffer more than usual, but I'm still ok. What a relief though. There is a new fire going in a road where old friends live. I hope they're ok. I don't think any rain is forecast LaMa. The weather is certainly changing. I don't know how anyone can deny climate change. It's getting hotter & drier here, that's for sure!
It feels good to be back in control of my emotions & feeling less stress. I haven't had much to do with the golf club & that has been good. I have missed the last 2 weeks of the women's golf, but saying "missed" is a misnomer, as I haven't missed them at all! ;)
We have the 2 littlies coming up for the day tomorrow & then D is going to stay the night up here tomorrow with them as his GF is working. That will be nice.
 
Glad to hear the warnings in your area are being reduced and hope those winds stay away for your friends' sake.

Sounds like your vacation from golf is more relaxing than actually playing golf which is kind of ironic but completely understandable given the previous shenanigans:biggrinjester:
 
This was a very happy post to read, Cate! We love to hear you sound so positive. I chuckled at your "missing" golf comment, haha.
 
I am so glad to hear the fire dangers have lessened for you!

Littles is not a phrase we use here. There was a terrible cartoon series when I was a kid called The Littles. I know what you mean, but it's kind of fun to imagine that you are having tiny elves over.
 
Woohooo, I like this post! But did I miss your explanation for why the golf club needs chickens? Are we talking about the birds that go "cluck", lay eggs a lot and poop even more?
 
Thanks K&D & Oaks. It is ironic but very true. The break has done me lots of good! I haven't missed them at all & I have my happy back! :D That says something.
Q- Our son calls them the "peeps" but somehow the littlies differentiates between the older GS(16) & the 2 younger ones(9&8). They are no longer littlies though & are getting so tall. They are an absolute joy! They are not coming during the day now as the caves where our son works are closed due to the fires. I'm pleased they have shut them as they are so close to the fires & surrounded by bush. They are still coming up for dinner though & probably staying the night. Nice.
LaMa- Thanks, sweetie. It feels so much better to be back to feeling positive again. The chickens(we call them chooks) are frozen & are prizes in our 9-hole chicken run at the golf club, held once a week over daylight savings time. A chook gets paid out to the ones with the best score on the day (1 chook per 6 players). They have a bbq afterwards, which they cook themselves & hang around having a few drinks & socialising. It would be fun to be a part of if we weren't on committee & expected to run it if we are there. We steer clear for that reason. Most of the people who play in it live out where the worst fires are, so not many would have played last night.

We can't see the mountains for the smoke again today & I will stay inside today & tomorrow. Tuesday night was the most frightening for most people but although the fires are still going I think the worst is over. It is cooler today thank goodness & quite still. Embers have been falling on friends' houses but no spot fires so far. Fingers & toes crossed. Tassie has lost a lot of beautiful bush but so far no human lives or homes. Our firies are wonderful! Victorian firefighters are coming over to help. It is at times like this you see the good in people.

Lazy day today. I have to try to master a cash book. I have been handed the books but they don't seem to make much sense to me. G did the books when we had a business & I'm sure he can show me how, but I was trying to work it out for myself.
I have not been doing much in the way of exercise lately & had better start thinking about it again soon. When the smoke clears it's time I got walking & playing golf again.
 
Glad to hear the fires are calming down at least. I can't imagine having to breathe in that. I would be staying inside a lot. Also glad to hear that you're feeling positive again. Have fun with the grandkids! :)



There was a terrible cartoon series when I was a kid called The Littles.
Hey now.. that was one of my favorites. Don't be bashing my Littles! o_O lol!
 
I think one of the worst things is that at least one of the fires were deliberately lit by teenagers or so it said on the news :(
 
They wouldn´t be the first books to make no sense after being run by a single person for several years - many people mean well but have no idea what they´re doing.
Tru: over here we get teens torturing the wild piglets, sometimes I just don´t understand people. On the other hand: animal cruelty was supposed to be "normal" child behavior if I am to believe older kids´ books...
 
It is 7.30am here and I've just read your happy post. It's so nice to start the day with some good news. I'm really pleased for you Cate
 
Thanks Jen, Tru, LaMa & Polly. It could be SOO much worse than it is. Sure, I will have to stay inside until the smoke goes away. It may take weeks. Tru, what is not on the news is that the kids who are being charged were just skylarking with sparklers & it was not intentional. Once agin the media have done a major beat up. Most of the fires in Tassie have started from lightning. There is so much dense bush & it so inaccessible. We truly have so much wilderness. I hope it stays that way. I also really hope that we are not losing much of our wildlife. Our devils are in such peril as it is.

We have had so many helicopters going over & planes & tonight we had a helicopter with water in a big bucket going over our house. Ash has been falling all around our house, b ut it has come such a long way. Our son had to go out to work (he got escorted by the fire brigade) to get the bookings book so that he could ring around & cancel bookings for the "unforseeable future". Tassie is burning & that is very sad. We need some of Polly's rain desperately!

I am fine & just confined to home. My asthma is worse, but manageable as I use my puffers morning & night & take anti-histamines morning & night. We are fortunate to live in a home that is quite well sealed. Tassie has not lost any human lives or homes so far. Our firies & community are awesome!
 
Good to hear it is all starting to calm down and even better that no lives lost unlike the WA fires.
 
Thanks Butterfly & Tru. All of the fires still going have been downgraded to Advice from Watch & Act, which is good. Because so much of Tassie is inaccessible it will be almost impossible to put them out. The smoke will most probably be about for a long time unless we get significant rain, which is not predicted.
My asthma is under control & I am being careful with quickly closing doors. I am going out to do the bar this afternoon for a couple of hours, but have a mask I can wear to get from the car to inside. It's doubtful that someone else can (will) do the bar but G will ring me if I don't need to go out. The barmaid is n/a in the afternoon.
D & the GK's have just left. We had a lovely evening/morning. He & our GS both had coughs. I think our YGS may have asthma, but I don't want to worry them unduly. He gets hayfever a lot & I think is allergic to lots of things, like me. His mother uses lots of smelly stuff.
Time to go time-wasting on FB..... xoxo
 
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