The Australian bush fires have claimed lives, towns and wildlife. People are missing. This is the worst bushfire in Australia’s history. It is still burning.
The Red Cross is appealing for money, not goods. I have a site link to this Australian based company trying to raise money and you get 5 of their PDF books for $29.95, regularly $149.95, and they will donate the ENTIRE $ 29.95 towards the Red Cross fund. The DEADLINE is this FRIDAY, FEB. 13. I have chosen my 5 PDF books and paid by Paypal. You can also pay by credit card.In 24 hours they have exceeded their $50,000US goal and are on their way towards $100,000US.
Here is the link; see if you can help them. If not, please consider donating to the Australian Red Cross. A link also below.
http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/02/11/70000-usd-in-the-bag-with-two-days-to-go-%e2%80%93-help-us-hit-100000-usd/
http://www.redcross.org.au/vic/services_emergencyservices_victorian-bushfires-appeal-2009.htm
From The Australian Red Cross Website:
Red Cross response (2pm, 11 February)
- Over 160 lives lost with the number expected to increase as authorities access more homes and discover vehicles in which people attempted to escape the fires.
- Currently we are involved in the response phase providing temporary accommodation and food in around 20 evacuation centres. We have registered 7,500 people and provided 4,500 first aid treatments.
- We have a team at Kinglake with medical supplies and food — they are visiting a community who chose not to leave when the fires came through and who have not had any contact since. Priorities will be medical help, food and registering their names so family and friends know they are safe and well.
- Another team are focusing on the Whittlesea evacuation centre as people are able to return to their homes for the first time. Our team will be offering personal support as this is going to be a very difficult time for those returning.
- People from around Australia and around the world are phoning through to our Inquiry Centre to check on family and friends. Volunteers who are trained in personal support are relaying heartwarming as well as heartbreaking, stories as the calls come in. In the past 24 hours alone we have answered 6,000 enquiries.
- Over 400 volunteers and staff continue to work in rotating shifts. Red Cross call centres in WA, ACT and NSW have opened to help deal with the volume of calls from people checking on the welfare of evacuees.
Checking on friends and family in the area
- people should ring 1800 727 077 if they are unable to contact someone in the affected areas
- for people overseas enquiring about family and friends in the bushfire affected areas, please call +61 3 9328 3716 or
+61 8 9225 8880.
These lines are very busy, so we ask that people please be patient when calling.
And I really like that here in north Texas spring arrives earlier than it does in Kansas. We may have a late, errant cold snap around Easter but starting in February we can usually count on mild days sprinkled in with some colder ones. The warm, windless days are the best and we take full advantage by getting out and doing as much as we can around the place. Today I am off to get more chicken feed and then do some more “pasture maintenance” (alpaca’s poop pile cleanup).
Alpacas and Poultry 