Tuesday 7th of January will see a round of the Australia championship for senior solo speedway bikes at a place called Undera which is just a short drive from where I am living, I have been hoping for the last week that I will be able to go and see the racing, It looks like I will have the time. (7 pm till 11 pm I believe) I am excited about the event but also sad, the area is covered in thick smoke from the wild bush fires that are burning in many parts of Australia, I am safe away from the fires, I do not know of any fires that are within 100 kilometres of me it was just that there was so much strong wind in the previous days it has blown a lot of smoke here, now the wind has gone the smoke is just staying like a thick fog, could be a few days until another wind change in direction to clear the smoke, it must be a nightmare for those that are closer to the fires and for those that have been directly affected by the fires, my heart aches for the thousand of animals that have been lost in the fires and the thousands more that will still have to suffer for months to come because of the damage caused by the fires, 20 people have died so far from the fires and there are still some missing. Tonight at the gate to the race track I expect to see volunteers collecting money to help the people affected by the fires and it is important to remember that most of the fire fighters are volunteers and have already been away from their homes, jobs and families for more than 30 days fighting the fires and there is no relief in sight yet. The smoke is all through the house now, it can be seen by torch light at night, woke up at 2 am with a headache and the smell of smoke, a frightening time for all. Genre ???? not sure, but this is a real story in real time reflecting on real life's events update: 5pm and the smoke is clearing, just a few chores and a quick bite to eat and off to the races I go.