Advertisement
Published: November 18th 2009
DAY 374
It was already daylight but Andy was still asleep, I checked my watch it was about 6.00 but not long after Andy was up and in the shower. He was long gone by the time I got up, I slept straight through until 7.45, I have no idea why, but I seem to sleep so much here at Woodstock.
I wandered into the kitchen it was completely void of people, the radio was talking, everyone had things to do and had much earlier left to get on with their day. I put the kettle on and made a cup of tea and got some toast on the go.
I went out to our truck and started to get some bits and pieces out that needed dealing with, such as another big pile of washing, I also had a few bits that needed washing up, so I brought some of our gear in, the washing machine is loaded with one lot of clothes that I am now leaving to soak for a couple of hours.
The dishwasher is loaded and chugging away, so I thought the best thing that I could do was get on with
some vacuuming, yesterday when we arrived there were a significant amount of flies around, they seem to be able to come indoors with ease and cluster in areas where there is light. So dragging the vacuum cleaner out of its hiding place I set to vacuuming up all the dead flies from the night before. If I look outside on the lawn where the bright light and the fly zapper is set up, there is a dark patch where the flies now lie, but the birds are making a meal of them, there are birds everywhere.
Helen told us that these flies usually appear just before it rains, but there is no sign of any rain here, just as well while the harvest is happening, a bad spell of rain could easily ruin the crop.
So I whipped round with the vacuum but not long after I finished Helen appeared to have some breakfast. She tells me that she has some sheep to move so if I was interested I can come for a drive.
Sounded good to me, an opportunity to get out and do something different. Soon we have three of the dogs on the
back of the ute, Wally, Jack and Trixie, but that was only after they eagerly greeted me, my black t-shirt already dusty.
I forgot to mention yesterday that when we first arrived on the farm we went up to see the dogs, as it is harvest they are left locked up during the day, until they are needed. The dogs were all pleased to see us, they didn’t even bark, they all stood there tails wagging eager to greet us both, as we walked up Trixie jumped straight up at me, the white t-shirt that I was wearing was no longer white (I had forgotten this when dressing that morning). Wally cool calm and collected as usual, Jack suddenly wary of us, we think that he remembered his pain when we were here last time (read our blog entry Jacks Dangly Bits, Blog Day 95, 10th February 2009.) Toby a big and very strong Kelpie can just about put his paws on my shoulders, he does not know his own strength and jumps up at me, he almost pushes me over he is so strong.
We set off around the farm to set all the gates, opening some
and closing others, then we head off down the long lane to round up 4 errant sheep who seem to have found their own paddock, we manage to get them all but one back with the other sheep, but before long Helen gets a phone call, some equipment is needed so we abandon plans to move the sheep to a different paddock and make our way back up to the yard. Someone is already there collecting the equipment so we head back to the sheep to finish what we started.
Back in the paddock the sheep have all clustered in the shade under one solitary tree in this paddock. We soon drive round the sheep move from the shade, Wally, Trixie and Jack are all on the case, steering the sheep in the direction dictated by Helen.
Miraculously once the sheep are out of the paddock and into the lane they head in the right direction. Helen walks behind the sheep instructing the dogs and I drive the Landcruiser Ute in behind.
We hear the guys out on the farm over UHF talking every now and again requesting and issuing instructions. Then a call comes out asking
about a fire, Helen and I can see the thick black smoke billow up from a field somewhere in the distance. Eventually the location is pin pointed and the Bush Fire Trucks are on their way but Helen and I carry on moving the sheep and then we head back to the house.
On our return, Helen reminds me that the freezer in the garage and the one round the back of the house has plenty of frozen water, “remember to take one with you every time you go out, as you never know when you will get back.” I will soon learn what Helen means by that comment.
A telephone call comes in at some point in the afternoon, we need to head up to where the fire was to drop of water and sandwiches as it seems that Robert and Andy have not had lunch, their lunch was where they should have been harvesting.
So within a few minutes Helen and I were on our way to a farm just a few kilometres away, down a track we could see where the fire trucks were, instructions were given to us on where to go, we
It only took a short while
To turn a field in to thisfind a place where there is a gap in the fence, before us stretches a blackened field, it once had crop in it, but the crop is ruined, but ruined is far from the truth the field actually looks as if nothing existed in it, there were just a few patches where a few trees were just charred ruins.
I could not believe what I was seeing, I thought that there was just a small fire, but this whole field of crop has been erased along with the comb from the header. Several people, fire trucks are hanging around, the fire seems to be out, however a few patches remain where trees still smoulder, we find Andy, Robert and Jason, they are all black with soot from the fire, along with everyone else in this field.
As soon as people realise we have water other farmers and fire volunteers come up, everyone is just looking for water, it seems that the fire had been quite fierce, but thanks to everyone’s help, it is now under control.
The aftermath of the fire seems to be quite a social event, all hands to the pumps and the local farmers
involved they bring their own fire trucks up as well as the local fire service then apart from the sandwiches that Helen and I brought up, someone else appeared with ice lollies for the fire fighters, they looked nice and refreshing in this burnt out and still fairly hot environment.
A tractor with a bucket scooped up the remaining embers of what was once a tree, the stump was still glowing with fire. The local fire service was patrolling the field to make sure there were no further breakouts.
Long after Helen and I left there were people still up there just making sure that the fire was out, the one thing that I have learnt out here is how easy a fire starts and how quickly it can spread. Even when we were standing on the charred remains of the crop the hot wind is just whipping through.
Everyone looked exhausted, covered in black soot, Andy came back with us, there was nothing more he could do so he came back for a shower and a sleep. Talk about initiation by fire! Yesterday he did not know how to drive a tractor, by the evening he
learnt, this morning he expected to be driving the tractor, but for the best part of the day he has been helping fight fires!
Andy will perhaps tell you in his own words about the fire and how it was tackled, I hope that he gets time to write up on things for you. Though he has told me some bits and pieces, which I hope I can relay to you.
Andy sat in the fire truck with Robert driving and Jason manning the hose on the back, like a man on a mission Robert drove straight through a wire fence and into the field with jets spraying from the front of the truck to fight the fire head on, Jason spraying with the hose over the side.
Andy as a passenger said that the flames were about 10 feet high the heat was radiating into the fire truck, the truck itself was full of smoke, when they got out of the truck they were all trying to put out spot fires, but as soon as one was out another, you would turn around and there would be another one behind you.
It sounded crazy, everyone
Jason
Getting down and Dirty, refilling the fire truck was all hands to the pump, I wish that I could have been there with my camera but in reality I would not want to get in the way. These guys fought all afternoon to retain the fire and hope that it would not spread further than the paddock that it was in.
This is one paddock with a ruined crop, but what started the fire? It appears that an electrical fault occurred on the Header, the comb (the bit that cuts the crop) sparked and in turn the spark started the fire in this tinder dry environment.
The guy driving the header had to release the comb to stop the rest of the header igniting but it is too late for the crop, the fire is already taking hold. We can see the header, it looks fine, but may have sustained some fire damage, the comb is ruined along with the crop.
A worn out and sooty looking Andy went for a shower, after half hour rest Jason soon appeared and they were both gone again to finish harvesting the paddock that they started this morning.
That was the last I was going to see
of Andy for a good few hours. So I tried to catch up on a few things that I started this morning. Helen set up the spotlight and fly zapper on the lawn, so that as soon as darkness descends the more flies that are attracted to the light away from the house, the less there will be around the house.
When it got dark I looked out at the light, there were hundreds, if not thousands of flies in the light!
I don’t know where the time goes here, it is already evening and Helen and I indulge in a glass of white while we watched a bit of tv and waited for the hungry workers to return for dinner. It was 9.00 before they arrived but we all sat down to eat dinner, not long after it was bedtime, everyone looked tired and tomorrow was going to be another very early start for Robert and Helen.
The dogs were barking out in the paddock next door, I slipped into bed exhausted, heaven only knows how Andy feels, I am soon asleep.
Until tomorrow when nothing goes quite as planned!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.083s; Tpl: 0.019s; cc: 7; qc: 28; dbt: 0.0466s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Darryl and Sarah
Wallaby Wanderers
Rural Life
Hi guys, fabulous blog as always. What an experience you've had today, crikey mate! Glad that everyone was ok and nobody was hurt. The rural fire guys do an amazing job, we've met a few unpaid volunteers that tell us all about how they have to provide their own equipment etc etc. Bless them for what they do. Continue to get stuck in and enjoying it, I've (Sarah) have always wanted to learn to drive a tractor so that the next person to take the rip out of my west country accent by saying "And does you drive a tracteeerrrrr" can receive the reply "Actualy, yes, I do"!!! All our love WW x x x