Heat and Fire force changes to our feast

The temperature is back in the Twenties today and we have had a sprinkling of rain over night. Not enough to do much except damp the dust a little but still an enormous relief after three days in the forties!  On Saturday we held the, mid- summer feast for our clan.   The plan had been to party in the ruins where the kids could use the pool but we woke on Saturday morning to learn that we were in the red risk category for bush fires and Al was already loading his cars to evacuate.

Ti’s mother put and embargo on allowing him to come anywhere near the Yarra Valley and her worries were not altogether unfounded because fires were starting everywhere.   We all decided that it would make people feel safer if we could move our party to Bo’s house in Yarra Glen.  She has the advantage of living a few doors away from a fire station with lots of trucks just there.

We all know that we would be safe in our new house but the drive here from Yarra Glen would be the problem.   It is surrounded by trees and the road is narrow.   In the 2009 fires it was quickly blocked and the other routes out of our place are rough steep tracks and not a good idea.

The good thing was that we had all bowed to climate change and opted to have a cold feast instead of traditional fare.  I had already cooked turkeys and had them sliced in the fridge on plates.  (I had even boiled up the bones and frozen the stock and dog food that resulted from this.)  Even the tables and chairs were easy to transport in the ute and set up on Bo’s new large veranda.  The plates, bowls and cutlery had been cleaned after Bo’s work party and were all ready in their boxes.   The napkins were boxed and ready too, so we drove it all over to Bo’s place.

Setting up should have been easy but the day before Bo’s eldest son had decided to move around all her furniture.   He had even been under the house and moved the cables for the TV so it could be in the kitchen.    The only thing left in situ was the grand piano, so there was some remedial activity needed.    Luckily Pip and Al came over and kept the kids busy making the Xmas crackers.   I had taken over all the bits, fortune cookies I had made and wrapped, bangers and balloons but they still needed to be assembled.

Josh and R arrived from Queensland, we were lucky to have them; they told us that they had to take a later flight because the machines were broken in the airport.   Wayne arrived with baby Ella and his wife and her mother and the party got underway despite the extreme temperatures.  As it got dark it cooled slightly so we were all able to sit outside and dine.   There were even a few raindrops but we all enjoyed them!

In the end we had a wonderful night with family and friends.    Josh and R came back to stay with us and Wayne and family came round next morning so we all sat round and talked again.  What a joy to see my two youngest son’s so happy with such wonderful partners.  Nothing could have been a better Christmas present.