refuge

Been in town since Saturday morning when it was clear that staying at home would have been at the very least f***ing uncomfortable.Beau and I headed for a swimming pool then back to my brother and sister-in-law's place at which point one of our neighbours kindly phoned to suggest that going home wasn't such a good idea. Not long after, we realised the devastation that was already underway 15 minutes from home and the death toll started rising. I finally drove home this morning, both Beau and I hoping to stay and see the neighbours and be close to our community. I stopped at the local Store to buy bread and burst into tears as soon as I entered. It's all too sad and the whole community/state/country is in shock. We changed our clothes, looked out for signs of the neighbours, I chucked out the manky veges, tried the radio and when there was no power I felt nervous and packed a couple of bags. There was still smoke in the air and what felt like an unpredictable wind. Tahli arrived and we decided to leave again, the neighbours too. It feels better to be with friends in the city than to be worried at home. Hard to believe how big this is. Too sad.

For news http://www.abc.net.au/news/events/bushfires
For updates http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/incidents/incident_summary.htm
For donations 1800 811 700 or www.redcross.org.au

Fires are still burning in Beechworth and Churchill. My thoughts and prayers go to everyone affected.