NEW YEAR LESSON.

Today’s Adventure: Emergency Alert – Fire.

Jam Fact: I am a big time panic merchant – nothing new there!

Hot and gusty winds have been on our doorstep for a few days now and over the weekend they were relentless. It certainly didn’t help the on ground, approximately 150 fire fighters  quell the raging flames that were tearing through the scrub opposite us. Thank God the big water bomber arrived early on in the unfolding drama and saved the day so to speak.

We have had a fire plan ever since we lived here. It is of course a part of everyone’s rural mantra.  Our plan has never been tested, that is until this weekend when we received the Emergency alert. We actioned it – MY J attended to the shed and farm area and I attended to the house area.

The new big water bomber and I believe two helicopters were immediately able to fight the fire successfully so no homes were lost but many hectares and farming lands were ravaged and burnt over the ensuing two relentless windy days. We were lucky, over the road not so lucky, as the winds were blowing away from us…otherwise who knows what I would be writing about, in or on today.

Now that the dust has settled; only one solitary helicopter is still spasmodically circling and checking, the fire has been contained and downgraded and I need now to seriously make some updates to our fire plan.

1. Do not panic UNYOUNG JAM needs to be written several times across the top and down the side of said plan in BIG bold RED letters. It took me 2 minutes to remember where the plan was…  back of pantry door is not the best place. It’s on the fridge door now.  
2. I need to regularly check that our outside water bucket handles are intact and do not fall off when filled.
3. I must add to the plan that the fire case with the designated fire clothing etc in, is located in the spare bedroom. [The ever quietly, calm thinking MY J found it first.]
4. I also need to add to the plan exactly where I have stored the cat cage.
5. Two wash baskets are not enough to throw things into in a hurry. Need to buy and store at least two more.
6. Also need to purchase two more powerful LED Lanterns for when the power goes out. Reading into the night was a tad weary on the eyes with our on hand ones. Existing generator a plus though.
7. Must purchase a portable mobile phone charger. Laptop worked but definitely need a back up.
8. There were some good points of the plan like,  the important documents etc were already packed into an esky ready to go, medicines were easy to get at, all was clear around the house itself as was shed etc. Only minor adjustments required so that is all on the plus side but it definitely reinforces the need for a PLAN big time!

By the time I was actioning number ten on the plan … we were told we were downgraded to watch and act…winds were also definitely on our plus side.

Even after our little episode; the drama is over and all is now well, I cannot even begin to imagine how all those people in the Eastern States last year coped before, during or after. I was a stress bucket and I hadn’t even got to the bit of loading the car and actually leaving. We were literally saved by the wind.

So welcome to 2021. Never a dull moment here in my part of the world!

I hope your part of the world has begun quietly but happily.

Until next time – as Abraham Lincoln once said – “The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.”