Where a lot of Aussies used to take a 'sickie' from work, I think that will soon, hopefully, be changed to taking a 'scommo' instead.
I realise that it sounds sick and very nasty, but it would ironic, would it not, IF perhaps either the Lodge or the Hillsong Church was on fire and when Scummo rang the Fire Brigade the receptionist were to answer with, " I'm sorry Sir, but we are very understaffed at present because 50% of our Fire crews and Firefighters have Volunteered to help fight the Bush-fires you went to Hawaii to escape from but we will send a crew as soon as possible, in the meantime you could just offer those thoughts and prayers or simply try using the nearest garden house until we have a crew free to attend."

@Triphid lol tempting.......very tempting!

This is such a big country. Everyone i want a natter with lives miles away. What on earth are you doing in Broken Hill? It's a long way from the beach. What's the temperature like out there?

@MsDemeanour Nearest 'beach' is just over 520 kilometres from Broken Hill, though we DID ONCE have a nice fresh water sort of beach about 120 kilometres from here UNTIL successive Governments allowed the Menindee Lakes Water Storage Scheme, fed by the Darling River, to become nothing more dried out, dead dust-bowls caused by permitting the Cotton and Rice Growers around Bourke and further north to literally suck the river dry.
As for the temp. out here, well it's summer but this year the heat is far worse than I can remember.
Used to that December was tolerable, heat -wise, and the worst of it hit in January and February but in the last few years it started getting much hotter, much earlier and for much longer each year.
Around here, like almost everywhere else in Australia, it is a dry as a Dead Nun's nasty, everything that was once covered with native grasses and scrub is now brown and dead, even the trees along the creeks are struggling, the highway sides are littered with skeletons of 'roos, emus, etc, as are the paddocks, etc.
But hey, how are this up your way around Brissie ?
Here's hoping the Bush-fires don't get that far up and are dealt with very soon for the sakes of the people, properties, animals and, most importantly, the Firies who are battling them 24/7.

@Triphid Broken Hill sounds heartbreaking as does much of the country. So much history there, especially with labor and the unions despite or perhaps because of being a mining town. I hope you get rain soon.

Been a bit cooler here in Bris last few days. Fingers crossed for a coolish xmas

@MsDemeanour Thanks for that BUT 39 is predicted for Wednesday unfortunately.
But we will do what we have always done, make the most of it anyway, here's hoping the weather is nicer for you.

@Triphid better than being snowed in.

Anyway, expect the worst but hope for the best.

@MsDemeanour Geez wouldn't mind a bit of snow out here at least it be a whole cooler until it melted....LOL.

@Triphid Holiday in New Zealand?

@MsDemeanour Nice idea BUT going on what my nephew Henry and his parents have endured since leaving for N.Z. last week, lost luggage, cancelled flight, having to find accommodation for the extra nights needed to await another flight, losing 2 days of their planned trip around N.Z, and ALL courtesy of Virgin Airlines I think I'll stay right where I am.

@Triphid Omg. That's disasterous. But on the bright side it will give them a funny story to tell in about oooooh...........20 yrs.

@MsDemeanour They also had to 'shop around' to get enough clean clothing for everyone to wear while waiting for the next available flight.
Virgin informed them on Sunday that a container load of lost luggage was due to arrive on Boxing Day, be sorted through and their luggage would be forwarded to the Motel where they are staying.
Henry's Dad, Matt, told them to forward it to them in N.Z. because he had already booked a flight with N.Z, Airlines and they were flying out that Sunday afternoon and Virgin would be getting a Bill from their Travel Insurers for the WHOLE costs incurred, including the costs of the NEW airline tickets, replacement clothing, Taxi Fares, etc,