See today and yesterday there are uncontrollable bush fires burning in the Adelaide hills. I have family whose property is directly in the burn zone. I am not sure it is still standing. I have good friends whose elderly parents were evacuated and are awaiting news on their property...I know it was crossing their land....I have friends who worked their way though the night shifting horses to safety and knowing they couldn't save them all and had to leave some behind....
Some photos....
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=photos+of+adelaide+hills+fires&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=UG2rVLOUBuLZmgXB_4Io&ved=0CCEQsAQ&biw=1252&bih=578
My heart aches for these people......It has brought back vivid memories of a time not that long ago when it was us who were evacuated in the middle of the night, rushing to pack our most precious possessions, seeing the 4 big plastic tubs with our irreplaceable things in them. Photos, special jewellery, our sons baby memories, the knitted things my dear Nanna made for us and our son. (she has passed away now) the things we packed were not valuable monetary wise...but they were irreplaceable to us. We were affected by a flood not a fire though. But I remember the roar of the CFS truck as we threw our boxes on. It was too late to get the car out. I remember leaving our cat as I couldn't catch her, the sheep, the chickens and most difficult the dogs. The water was rising too fast and the truck was going to get stuck. There were others that needed help....Thankfully the dogs, cat and most of the sheep survived by finding high ground or things to clamber onto. One of our old dogs got washed away a couple of km's down river as the doors on our house burst open. But he was ok. I remember scooping up our little sleeping son and his eyes wide and frightened seeing the water rushing in his bedroom, I remember being pulled through a window, heavily pregnant as the water was pressing against the doors making them impossible to open and how fast it was rising.
I remember the waiting to get back to our property, to see what was left.....time crawled.....It was agonizing and at first light my husband went back and waded through the water, up to his chest in parts to see the dogs. I remember hearing Tessie bark when he brought her home and the joy she showed us when she realized that she was back with us.
I remember the heartbreak as we saw our property....filled with the rotten stench of silt and mud. Furniture tipped up, things washed away.....the home we had created to protect and comfort our family was just devastated. I remember the nursery. That hurt the most....a new babe on the way and wondering what we would do. I remember looking at the sweet mobile intact hanging from the ceiling as if nothing had happened. Reminding me of the hopes and dreams we had to raise our children in that old cottage.
Setting up the Christmas tree just a few days before....
The uncertainty of where we would live, or what we would do. If insurance would pay.....
But then we were humbled. By the generosity of the Aussie spirit, of our community banding around us and pulling us up. By our family, our friends, of our community's generosity. Of the protective hand of God on our lives. We found a lovely, neat and tidy rental property not 48hrs later for us to live in which allowed our pets. The agent had friends affected by the flood and she handed us the keys without a full deposit, trusting we would get it too her as soon as we could. (we did within the week) We were given basic clothing, people lent furniture, food, toiletries, a new bike for our young son came to brighten up his day. Vouchers, linen.....You name it it came flooding in. We did not have to ask for a thing. We were blessed.
The flood and the recovery from it to get back on our feet taught us many life lessons. We realized what mattered. We knew....but losing it all made us truly realize it in our heart of hearts. It is what started us on our simple living journey. Though we did not realize it at the time. Today I am truly grateful for the experience. I am stronger, I am wiser, life is clearer because of it.
My heart goes out to the people in and around these fires. It aches for their losses, for their tears, for their stress, for the anxiety they face now and for the uncertainty they will face in the coming days, weeks and months. It aches for the time when the worst is past, everyone has gone and they are simply left to just get on with it. Where their lives are not what they were but not yet what they will one day be again. For when they are in limbo, waiting. Oh my goodness the waiting......It aches knowing all to well how difficult the following period of time will be where they are struggling to work out what their "new" life looks like. It aches knowing the hurt they will feel to see everything they have worked for ruined, the safety nest which is a home is gone.
They are in my prayers. For now and that they may have the strength to face what they need to. That they are humbled by the great Aussie spirit as we, their community, do what we can to help pull them to their feet. And I give thanks to our firefighters. There are no words for the amazing work our emergency services do.
xx
The same room the after....
The uncertainty of where we would live, or what we would do. If insurance would pay.....
But then we were humbled. By the generosity of the Aussie spirit, of our community banding around us and pulling us up. By our family, our friends, of our community's generosity. Of the protective hand of God on our lives. We found a lovely, neat and tidy rental property not 48hrs later for us to live in which allowed our pets. The agent had friends affected by the flood and she handed us the keys without a full deposit, trusting we would get it too her as soon as we could. (we did within the week) We were given basic clothing, people lent furniture, food, toiletries, a new bike for our young son came to brighten up his day. Vouchers, linen.....You name it it came flooding in. We did not have to ask for a thing. We were blessed.
The flood and the recovery from it to get back on our feet taught us many life lessons. We realized what mattered. We knew....but losing it all made us truly realize it in our heart of hearts. It is what started us on our simple living journey. Though we did not realize it at the time. Today I am truly grateful for the experience. I am stronger, I am wiser, life is clearer because of it.
My heart goes out to the people in and around these fires. It aches for their losses, for their tears, for their stress, for the anxiety they face now and for the uncertainty they will face in the coming days, weeks and months. It aches for the time when the worst is past, everyone has gone and they are simply left to just get on with it. Where their lives are not what they were but not yet what they will one day be again. For when they are in limbo, waiting. Oh my goodness the waiting......It aches knowing all to well how difficult the following period of time will be where they are struggling to work out what their "new" life looks like. It aches knowing the hurt they will feel to see everything they have worked for ruined, the safety nest which is a home is gone.
They are in my prayers. For now and that they may have the strength to face what they need to. That they are humbled by the great Aussie spirit as we, their community, do what we can to help pull them to their feet. And I give thanks to our firefighters. There are no words for the amazing work our emergency services do.
xx
