Hoppo Bumpo (n): A children's game. Played by folding one's arms and hopping on one leg. Aim is to bump opponents, so that they lose their balance. Last person standing wins.


February 14, 2009

Smoke



Yesterday the smoke started to drift in earnest across Melbourne. Visibility lowered; the sky yellowed. The sun turned an unusual shade of red.

I cannot begin to imagine how horrible it must be where the fires actually burned. The acrid smell. The eye-stinging air. The irritation to the lungs. Day upon day.





13 comments:

  1. It's so surreal and eerie, isn't it? Suit the zombie mood we're all in...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your pictures and words are beautiful. My heart goes out to everyone.

    ReplyDelete
  3. We have the smell of the smoke down here by the beach this morning, a horrible reminder of such a shocking event. It's just so devastating, the enormity of it, very hard to comprehend really....

    ReplyDelete
  4. It's full on. I've been coughing all night and can't get the taste out of my mouth. It's just brings it home all the more. Like you I can't imagine what it must have been like to be in the depths of it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am sure smelling the smoke must make the reality of what happened hit home a lot quicker.
    I am from South Australia, I stumbled across your blog on a search for eggless royal icing. I was amazed by these eerily beautiful pictures.
    I have been so touched by the strength and generosity of us Aussies, the amount of money we have been able to put together, despite the 'bad' economic times.
    I keep reminding my friends to support the people who are out there helping the animals too.
    And to think someone deliberately lit those fires...

    ReplyDelete
  6. I thought I'd escaped the smoke, but it's made its way out west today. I can't even go outside, it's just horrible.

    ReplyDelete
  7. The smoke is awful! I agree..it must have been so horrific to be right in the midst of the fires

    ReplyDelete
  8. It's beautiful and frightening.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Last night's sun reminded me of Ash Wednesday which was upsetting. And that smell is a constant reminder that there are people still working so hard out there. Haunting yet amazingphotos.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Great photos that capture the surreal light.

    And yes - the smoke... haunting.

    PS. Thank you SO MUCH for coming to the sewing bee today!!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Such beautiful photos from such a horrible cause. :(

    ReplyDelete
  12. wow, amazing pics, especially the top one.

    it has been surreal... the smell, the light, the energy. everything.

    ReplyDelete
  13. ooo, you captured that eerie red sky so well. Can you imagine being closer?!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for dropping by! I love hearing what people have to say. Leave a comment if you like.