and settle softly on our car,

whispering fire's destructive tale

that's not too distant from us now,

reminding us that we still have

the chance to flee invading wrath,

to drive away and tempt not fate.

But then I linger in my thoughts

and turn to those we treasure dear,

who'll stay to fight this raging beast.

And should we leave our bush retreat

to a capricious nature's whims?

Then livestock, should we leave them too -

will they escape a fiery date?

These new concerns ignite fresh fears,

and all around I find the ash

from questions burning in my head,

drifting through my consciousness,

that leave my mind ablaze with doubt:

persistent, hard to put them out,

I'm overwhelmed, they smoulder on.

Dark orange skies compound those fears,

ominous, threatening, always there,

I can't escape the eerie glow

transforming all within my gaze,

like fear that infiltrates my brain

colours my thinking, and upsets

what once was safe and sound for me.

My head is smoked, just like the air,

and foggy thinking blurs my mind,

abandoned half-baked thoughts abound

of what to do, and how and when,

competing with laments so deep

that fill my soul and call for time

to voice my grief at Eden's loss.

Since I moved here in 2013 Bega has had a number of major floods. The reason for these floods has always puzzled me so I asked a local farmer who has lived here all his life. He told me is that it is because the outlet to the sea at Tathra where the rivers empty is always blocked so all the rivers here back up. If this is the case why doesn't council keep the outlet open all the time?

Coincidentally I read an article in the Telegraph headed "A True Aussie Digger" that should be compulsory reading for all councillors. Apparently the residents of the Central Coast have exactly the same problem. "The main entrance to the lake is clogged by sand which locals have begged the council for years to dredge so that excess water can run off into the sea rather than flooding houses (Daily Telegraph)."

During recent floods a local tradie took matters into his own hands and used his excavator to clear the channel to save homes. He is being hailed as a local hero but may now be fined? The same article says Lake Conjola also faces the same issues.

A little common sense please.

My daughter who lives in the Bega Valley area informs me that it has been impossible for the Bega hospital to obtain the services of a mammographer for the past 18 months and that any woman desirous of undergoing this procedure is advised to take herself to either Canberra or Moruya. This would entail a four-hour drive in either direction and is not easily undertaken by young women with families or in employment, so they decide to take the chance that this insidious disease will not affect them.

Breast Screen services are available on an occasional basis, but only to women between the ages of 50 and 75. Unfortunately, breast cancer does not confine itself to this age group. I personally know a 43-year-old who was diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer after I told her of my diagnosis as an 80-year-old and she decided to have a check-up.

Surely the emphasis should be divided between prevention and research. If Bega Valley is any indication of the availability of mammography services in Australia, there are undoubtedly many more areas severely under-serviced of which we, in the safety of big-city health services, are sadly unaware