And again, but closer

Victoria is known as the "garden state" but for how much longer will the garden be green?..well "green" is a relative word in this instance..pale yellow/brown at the edges/black is more accurate.

Yesterday, in a day of moderately high temperatures and a blustery wind we had another few bushfires erupt in the State with one much much closer to the city, in the remnants of what used to be a semi rural area. Upwey/Belgrave Heights is at the southern end of the Dandenongs and to it's south is a large broad acreage of scrubby bush land which as you go further south still turns into Lysterfield lake park, beloved playground of MTBers and site of the Commonwealth games MTB event.

The column of smoke was visible from work and home. The wind was pushing the fire south into the forested area but a wind change was expected in the late afternoon which, it was hoped, would help by turning the flames in on themselves. The change came as expected and apparently by 0300 this am the really urgent threat was declared to be over. We are expecting a hot and windy day on Friday as well, so the respite wil be brief.

People living in vulnerable areas are now hypervigilant to the dangers and to people behaving oddly but, as previously stated, it only takes one nutter.

Monday is always a rest day from training for me and today it is a (shudder) ergo session. I'd asked my coach give me a break from having to get up early to go the track and instead have to suffer on the trainer.....tut sigh....no rest for the wicked.