Rain, Dammit, RAIN!

Never thought I'd actually pray for rain, but I am. I don't know if this is getting much news outside Australia, but basically the nation's capital (Canberra) is on fire. :(

The top article in the SMH online reads:
CANBERRA ABLAZE:Two dead and 400 homes lost

Unbelievable. I still can't wrap my head around the concept of worrying about my house burning down. I know Australians face bush fires every year, but I still can't imagine that being the norm. The Snowy Mountains are in trouble too - lots of people being evacuated there as well. So I'm praying for rain. I really should get my little grandmother in Springfield on the case. She prays more than anyone I know. ;-) (Hey Mom, tell Babci to pray for Canberra, okay? ;-)

I'm extra nervous because I was on the phone with a pal from Canberra yesterday and then the lines went dead. His house was in major danger and I figured it was the fires that cut our conversation short. He then managed to call me back from somewhere else and said they were all being evacuated and then the lines went dead again. :( It must just be the most helpless feeling ever, for both the homeowners and the firemen. :(

Growing up in Springfield Massachusetts in the U.S., we were pretty lucky. We don't have any annual natural disasters like that. I remember that hurricane we had when I was a kid, but other than that we just get blizzards and those are annoying but don't take people's houses down. I guess it's like people who live in Florida or North Carolina who are in hurricane central, or in middle-america US who are in tornado central, or Californians who get earthquakes and fires etc. But these fires just seem to go on for so long...it must really wear people out. It was 38 degrees (100 degrees F) in Sydney yesterday - a total oven, even in the shade. I hope it rains soon - long and hard!