26/02/09 To Dream - Perchance to Sleep

I'm not sleeping very well and not dreaming either. Perhaps there's just a little too much reality like the ever present smoke to remind us of our dependence on a benign environment for survival.

Last night at a CFA meeting I was struck by the comment of one of my colleagues who speaking about last Saturday fortnight said, "It was just nature's way of reminding us who really is controlling this planet". A pause for contemplation would be appropriate here ... because it sure isn't any of us. It doesn't matter if we'd planned for 365days and had wall to wall firetrucks and a commensurate number of fire-fighters, there wouldn't have been enough!

And while I'm on the subject - If I hear one more time, "there wasn't enough warning", I may not be responsible for my actions. I'm truly sorry for all the people who have died and all their surviving kith and kin, but what do we have to do to get the message through!!!

Well I'm sure better brains than mine are thinking about just that and much much more, in preparation for the forthcoming Royal Commission .

ooOOoo

On a more positive note - after surveying my two blackened little paddocks, I wondered what I could do to prevent being overrun by the ever-expanding capeweed. Because as soon as it rains and in bare paddocks the bloody stuff will thrive in any bare space. Went looking for the Ag department on the web and discovered it under DPI (Dept of Primary Industry).

Thanks to the persistence of a bloke called David who answered the phone and understook to find someone and call me back and did!!

I was able to speak with Erica Schelfort who has ben appointed to the Rural Recovery Team and is working on just such problems. Don't let anyone tell you that public servants aren't helpful. Erica gave me some immediate advice and undertook to send some more info in the mail. They are working on a strategy and there will soon be more info on their website.

In the meantime, if you have any similar questions, I'd give her a call on 9217 4471. But be prepared for a bit of a wait - or a call-back, she's one busy woman


This little mind-map is the shape of things to come. I'll be writing a lot more about this over the next couple of days. To have a good look at it, right-click and select image in new window.
















It's time for bed - cheers Q