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Reality continues to ruin my life.


Southern brown bandicoot. Howrah bike path. December 2012.

Theme Thursday and it is bushfire season AGAIN. Every year it seems that the combination of heat, wind and a whole lot of plants that have evolved a variety of strategies to survive/ require bushfires make for a torrid time down here at the arse end of the world™.

Yes, even the plants are against us. A whole host of our native flora posses epicormic shoots or lignotubers that sprout after a fire and have developed fire-resistant or fire-triggered seeds. Thus, they don't dislike fire, they love it! Indeed, the most dominant species actively encourages fire, as eucalypts contain flammable oils in the leaves that have probably evolved as a way to eliminate competition from less fire-tolerant species.

So AGAIN we face the unenviable truth of another period of nail-biting and stressing. Here in Hobart it's been 33°C with strong winds with the forecast of 38°C tomorrow and with 45 km/h gusts spell a whole world of trouble for anyone with a patch of bush around them.

Fingers crossed that we'll escape unscathed and avoid some of the darker events of recent years...
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Mrsupole said…
Yup, we know exactly what you are going through. We seem to have two seasons here in SoCal. Fire season and maybe fire season. All we can do is hope and pray as I guess all of you must do that they put any fires out as quickly as possible.

I will keep my fingers crossed that you are all kept safe during your fire season. It is not an experience anyone wants to go through again.

Have a safe and great weekend. Happy TT.

God bless.
3 January 2013 at 17:16
Roddy said…
I thought the rodent was a rat at first. It still looks like one.
3 January 2013 at 19:26
Louis la Vache said…
Kris, «Louis» thanks you, quite belatedly, for your recent visit to San Francisco Bay Daily Photo and he wishes you all the best in this New Year.
3 January 2013 at 22:29
Janice said…
I understand your concern perfectly. We're in a rainy season now, but fires are always of great concern during the summer and early fall.
4 January 2013 at 09:11
Sanjana said…
you have a beautiful blog! I love it :)
6 January 2013 at 21:58
Kris McCracken said…
Mrsupole, we've made it through at this point!

Roddy, no!

Louis, merci.

Janice, thanks.

Sanjana, my pleasure.
22 January 2013 at 10:02
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