Shibui
Imperial Masterpiece
More hot weather over this side.
'Extreme' fire danger for us yesterday. Albury weather station recorded 46C from 2:30 pm through to 3pm.
A cool change arrived overnight but winds have brought smoke from wildfires nearby and further away so visibility is down to around 100m like a thick fog.
All my bonsai have been moved into the nursery where they will receive water from the auto system if I don't get back from any fires as I'm a volunteer with our local volunteer fire brigade. Auto watering works well provided we have power. Timer, bore pump and pressure pump all rely on mains power to function properly.
Fortunately no new fires in our local area yesterday but several small townships burnt as the existing fires moved through the landscape.
My daughter works for a plantation company growing pines. She reports they have lost more than 2,200 ha (5,500 acres) of trees as well as machinery and infrastructure. One of their firefighting vehicles was hit by a wind gust on the first afternoon. The vehicle was picked up and turned around by the wind. Fortunately no injuries but those employees cannot face going back in to fight that fire.
I spent all day New Year's Eve with crews trying to steer the fire around Corryong township. They lost a few houses and some industrial buildings in the town but major losses of livestock and houses in the surrounding rural areas which we could not get to.
All the best for those coping with a very hot summer and also to those coping with the extremes of winter now.
'Extreme' fire danger for us yesterday. Albury weather station recorded 46C from 2:30 pm through to 3pm.
A cool change arrived overnight but winds have brought smoke from wildfires nearby and further away so visibility is down to around 100m like a thick fog.
All my bonsai have been moved into the nursery where they will receive water from the auto system if I don't get back from any fires as I'm a volunteer with our local volunteer fire brigade. Auto watering works well provided we have power. Timer, bore pump and pressure pump all rely on mains power to function properly.
Fortunately no new fires in our local area yesterday but several small townships burnt as the existing fires moved through the landscape.
My daughter works for a plantation company growing pines. She reports they have lost more than 2,200 ha (5,500 acres) of trees as well as machinery and infrastructure. One of their firefighting vehicles was hit by a wind gust on the first afternoon. The vehicle was picked up and turned around by the wind. Fortunately no injuries but those employees cannot face going back in to fight that fire.
I spent all day New Year's Eve with crews trying to steer the fire around Corryong township. They lost a few houses and some industrial buildings in the town but major losses of livestock and houses in the surrounding rural areas which we could not get to.
All the best for those coping with a very hot summer and also to those coping with the extremes of winter now.