Canberra bushfires – four years on
Yes it’s the 18th January today, and Sharon and I marked the occasion with a by-now traditional meal at our favourite Italian restaurant. It’s a good time to reflect, not only on our good fortune, but also to take stock of what we have achieved in the past year. We toast our survival of the Great Fire of Canberra with the hope that lessons will have been learnt for the future. And we reflect on what that terrible day taught us about ourselves.
Sharon has talked about her reflections in her blog – for myself, the lessons are similar – the importance of our relationships and our good health over any material possessions; that life can turn on a moment and on a breath of wind; And we also learned that in a catastrophic emergency, the Emergency Services can be overwhelmed – and that much depends on our own resourcefulness in the first hours and in the days that follow. We saved the house, but lost the garden – we were lucky. Most of all we were lucky to have each other, both very different, yet each with our own strengths.
We took the usual photos of the house and the garden to mark our continued progress – despite the continuing drought and ever-increasing water restrictions.
Here’s what the place looked like 4 years ago
