SO TIRED

 

Herald photographer Phil Hearne captured this moment where exhausted firefighters collapsed for a moment's rest. 

 

 

NSW BUSHFIRES

None of today's photos are mine, they are all taken from the Internet.


The photos today speak  for themselves.



Terrifying bushfires are sweeping through huge areas of NSW bush

burning all in their path.

Firemen and women,
  Heroes,

are all that stand between these awful fires and people's homes and possessions .
 

 

Putting their lives on the line in awful conditions.

Fighting blazes like this.
 

Not always winning the battle.

A huge pall of smoke comes in from the west
 

 

 to blot out the sun over Sydney. 

Terrible times.
Let's hope they are over soon
without loss of life.

 

BUSHFIRES

"The 150 merino ewes lie in a twisted clump, their fleece charred black by fire that swept through a paddock at Talmo, outside Yass.

The animals are almost entirely camouflaged by ash, though pink flesh protrudes from the undercarriage of one.

In death, many have rested their heads on each other.

The odd survivors are dragging broken legs, their eyes and ears burnt and mouths foaming.

By the day's end, they'll be shot and a front-end loader will be used to bury them.

A bullet will spare them slow death from starvation, dehydration, infection and organ failure.

 

The NSW fires have claimed 10,000 sheep across the state, according to early estimates.
One farmer has lost 700 sheep from his flock of 3000 and estimates the cost at $100,000.
Then there's the kilometres of fencing that will need to be replaced at his 1500-acre property in the NSW southern tablelands.
Ninety per cent of the property is fire affected, and it could be more than six months before grass regenerates."

Source: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/thousands-of-sheep-and-cattle-lost-or-badly-injured-in-fires/story-e6frg6n6-1226550561812

You won't see many photos like these.
Too gruesome for public consumption I expect.
I was prompted to look for them today after seeing footage taken of the 150 sheep mentioned in the report above.

Who'd be a farmer in Australia?
If it's not bushfires, it's terrible floods.

They are such a strong resilient breed, these farmers. They have my utmost respect.


Of course the stock losses aren't the only animals to suffer.



The native animals are suffering too.

.... and if you'd like to read an amazing story of this family's survival

click here :

Not too cheerful today !