Black Cockatoo in the smoke!

It's a very eerie day in the Blue Mountains today.  I woke to a thick blanket of smoke from the fires and most of it I'm sure is from the fire that took off from Anvil Rock on the Grose Valley side of the village.  Many blippers who have visited the Blue Mountains and Blackheath will remember standing at Govetts Leap and looking out over the Grose Valley.  Hard to comprehend the ferocity of the fire that then travelled through to Mt Victoria and then into Hartley Vale.

I had just come home from dropping old paint tins at the tip and depositing two gas bottles there as well.  I don't want them on the property over the next few days.  I noticed a rustle in the banksia bushes off to the right and noticed a Black Cockatoo having a feast on a banksia flower.  I thought if I can just be patient he's going to fly off and that he did.  I have added an extra of him sitting on top of the banksia bush.  As you can see the air is full of smoke.

Fortunately today there is little or no wind but tomorrow will be horrendous.  47 degrees down in Becketts part of the world and 39 in the Blue Mountains and this will be accompanied by a strong wind from the West.  It honestly couldn't get any worse than this.  We are now all bunkering down.  We are all praying that the rains they promised us on Tuesday and Wednesday (Christmas Day) will eventuate.  How wonderful would that be.