Yesterday was probably the worst day we’ve had this summer. We hit 44 degrees – the same as Marble Bar. Now there is something strange about that! Marble Bar is renown for being the hottest place in WA and it’s in the far north. Esperance is on the south coast and right near the sea!

We had a total fire and harvest ban, and as the strong northerly wind whipped through the trees, I couldn’t help but feel very apprehensive. That feeling stayed with me throughout the whole day – especially since thunderstorms were forecast for the evening. (Thankfully the bushfire radio stayed satisfyingly quiet.)

I had the sprinklers going most of the day (we’re lucky to have a dam, just for the garden), so our dogs and chooks would be okay, but numerous natives birds, including a couple of baby butcher birds, came to enjoy of the water and have a drink. As I cleaned the troughs out in the feedlot, the birds came swooping from everywhere to enjoy the water.

But it was this sight that made me smile: on the way to the school bus, there were about eight magpies in around the cows feet cooling their heels in the only puddle on the farm! The cows took no notice of them, as the maggies ignored these huge beasts! You can see how hot the maggies were – their beaks are open and they’ve got their wings out from their body.

To walk around, unintimidated, by the cows who could squash them with a single hoof, shows that water was a necessity on a day like yesterday!