the scariest night of my life...

I have often wondered what I would do if I was faced with a situation where I had to evacuate my home. How would I react, would I panic? If we had to leave the house in a hurry what would I save? Would I save any of my fabric? My precious fabric...

Last night I was faced with the fearsome reality of a bush fire. I was putting Zavian to bed about 7.30. I had turned all of the lights out in the house and I was pretending to go to bed too (extravagant but sometimes necessary) when I heard sirens. I looked out the front window and noticed a lot of action on the street. it was really very spooky. Then I smelt the smoke, actually saw the smoke in my living room, noticed the heat in my tiles, and then I looked up through the back window and was faced with the red glowing sky and the fire.

My heart was in my throat and my hands instantly began to tremble. From the look of it this morning the flames reached about 400 meters away from the back of my house. Last night the flames looked as though they were about to leap over my back fence! I grabbed Zavian, jumped in the car and drove to my friends house. From there I could see that the lightening had started fires in every direction around the town.  My friend was not home as she had raced to another locals house to help her evacuate her children. I felt so lost and I genuinely feared that the town might be completely engulfed by flames in an apocalyptic fashion and that I might never see my family again. It was at this point that my friends husband found me breaking down in the middle of their driveway and invited us in.

I know this sounds incredibly dramatic. The more experienced Pannawonican's seemed to maintain their calm much more than me. I have never experienced fire before and although I was being told that it was under control, it was hard to believe. I had already fled by the time they came to evacuate my street. I tried my hardest to remain rational and cool for my babe, but she really was my little rock through the whole ordeal. I clung to her warm little body and covered her happy little face with kisses and I really didn't want to let her go. She did not freak out despite my panic. Thank goodness.

Once we returned to the house I couldn't stop checking over the back fence to check out the distant glow of the embers. Before I went to bed I made sure that everything was ready to go, just in case for some reason we had to flee. I slept fully clothed.

Levi was on site at work and they were not allowed to travel because of the lightening. The crew out there catch a bus on and off site each day, so he was stuck out at the mine. They were being told that everything was under control, so I don't think he comprehends how scary it was being right here among the flames.

I am still a bit shaken. I have never associated lightening with fire before and I have always enjoyed electrical storms, but I have the feeling that from now on lightening will make me nervous. Another experience under the belt. This is one that I will be happy to never encounter again.

It is business as usual today. Sort of. I am going to try to calm my nerves and get some sewing done... Over the weekend I made some really awesome dresses and I can't wait to show you...

Time for a cuppa!