blogging while the state continues to burn

Life carries on as usual for those of us not in the front line. While there is the usual round of eating, sleeping (kind of), work and even catching up with friends – I have a new companion, ABC radio, the official emergency broadcaster.

This morning the sunrise was the kind of deep orange that I associate with a smoggy LA sunset. A super-real shade that would be pretty if it didn’t forebode the presence of smoke and as the saying goes, where there is smoke there is fire. This time the flames are licking the edges oft Healesville, the town that hosts my favourite winter retreat hotel. They’ve been on alert for days, the locals must be exhausted remaining vigilant for embers night and day.

With life going on as usual, the monster tomato plants (survivors of too many days in the mid 40’s Celsius) are ripening more fruit that I can use. Of course, the SE - the tomato lover, is away. A bowlful of tomatoes a day, not enough to bottle though a round of oven drying is a possibility depending on how hot the weekend is. But it is a nice feeling to give away more produce than I can eat.

I feel uncomfortable blogging while the state burns, people die and lives are devastated. I can find little joy in food right now, so will just leave you with a picture of tomatoes in the smoky morning light.