The drought tightens its grip

 

Drought, fire and flood - these our continent excels at.  

 

But of these, drought is the most debilitating.

 

Fire can’t happen when there’s nothing left to burn.

 

Flood can’t happen when there’s no rain.

 

Both of these tend to happen fairly quickly, the devastation occurs and we deal with the consequences.

 

But drought is like being caught in the coils of a boa constrictor.  Each day steadily gets worse.  Clouds on the horizon raise hopes, only to be dashed.

 

Yet the property owners and the small bush communities somehow keep going.

 

Animals can be sold off,  moved to where there is more grass, or kept alive where they are fed with massive quantities of hay. Crops fail, the paddocks turn to weeds and dust.

 

Inevitably stock die.  They become weak and  bogged in muddy water-holes.  Crows peck their eyes out while the beasts are still alive.

 

Even if the animals, especially cattle, are dragged out of the mud, they can be too weak to survive.  Having seen all this as a child in the early 60s, (blitz truck and greenhide ropes), it is something that can never be forgotten.

 

Let us hope rain comes soon - enough to break the drought, but not a flood.

 

But that is the story of this heart-breaking wide brown land.

 

ABC.net.au/drought has resources for those interested.  Give to a recognised charity, not individuals.  We chose Lions Need for Feed.

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