A TOUCHING MOMENT

This is one of those photos that come out of dreadful times to show that life is still kind and gentle. It was sent to me the other day by a friend who lives in the Adelaide Hills and I am pleased to report that, in all the horror and tragedy of the bush fires in Australia, at least this Koala has come out of it in one piece.

I`m told that she is now receiving treatment for burnt feet, and doing very well. Koalas don’t usually drink anything, they get the moisture they require from gum leaves, which is why this picture of her drinking from a firefighter`s bottle is even more moving.

My antipodean correspondent mentioned that last Saturday, the temperature was 43C yet again, and the hot north wind was so strong. The bush was tinder dry, and the bushfire warning was on high alert. Lots of praying for protection, and then thanks truly given when the cool change finally arrived and the danger for that period of time had passed.

But the bushfire season is not yet over and people have to stay vigilant. It is the trade off for living in the beautiful Adelaide Hills, it seems, which is not as isolated as some of the small Victorian towns which bore the brunt of the inferno.

And all the while, our long, endless winter over here goes on. I guess the residents of the Adelaide Hills would welcome some of our cold and rain and snow just as much as I would welcome a little of their warmth. Getting the balance right, however, is quite another matter but maybe my middle son and his lady have found it as they laze on a beach in the Maldives for the next couple of weeks. I really don`t know why we don`t all go and live there, even if there are no koalas that might need rescuing.