Seasons greetings EVERYONE...

Have a wonderful time with family and friends.

(This photo was taken a number of years ago

and I was able to scan the negative!)

Oppressive smoke...

Most days since the fires started we have been shrouded in smoke but Tuesday evening it was really bad..

About 6.00pm.

These pictures are taken near the lake. The first is toward the main bridge and art gallery. The second is on the Stock Bridge.

Smoke...

Went to bed last night to the smell of smoke - and this is the scene over the Benalla Lake at midday.

Drought + extremely dry conditions + lightning = wild fire...

Late Friday afternoon we had quite a lot of lightning and now we have severe wild fires near Benalla. These extend over the mountains to the coast. Many are in inaccessible mountain areas and are burning fiercely. We are expecting temperatures around 40 degrees at the weekend so everyone is bracing themselves...

The first photo is from the edge of Benalla...

This one from a property in Myrhee which is even closer...

sunrise...

This morning (as it has been for the last week) we awoke to a landscape shrouded in smoke - the smell is something else.

THE DROUGHT - Where is the water? ...

The third day of summer and we are all asking what happened to the autumn, winter and spring rain ...

and as for the crops...

due to the lack of rain the crops planted in autumn did not mature, so much has been turned into hay...