A warehouse in the valley over the two parallel hills most of Durban’s Bluff comprises got all fired up with enthusiasm. The pall of smoke was most impressive even from home, so after picking youngest granddaughter up from school we nipped to the top of hill number two to find a vantage point. This is what we saw:
The smoke was visible from home; here is a sight of it some seven kilometers away over the roof of our parked car:
I was looking to see my way clear straight after that with a view to meeting an appointment with our opthalmologist the other end of town and on the far side of the fire. In spite of deep forebodings from Much Better Half we set off, and passed only a few hundred metres from some of the fires. Unfortunately the leaping flames would vanish every time I clicked the camera:
The sign to the left here was left by a would-be thatcher. Rather an unfortunate backdrop for his advertisement!
Various roads were closed, but by sticking to a Berea route, we managed to avoid getting under the influence of the nasty-smelling smoke. From slight acrid whiffs we had, I’d have been apalled to have been in a pall of it.
At the opthal-wotsit, we met good friends we haven’t seen for some time. Then I had the good and the bad news. Glaucoma is being controlled so that I have figures comfortably under the average. I have 20/20 vision, even without spectacles. The bad was that there are traces of cataract cells trying to make a comeback after the lens replacements I had a number of years ago, causing a ‘dirty window’ effect in my right eye, so I’ll have to get that sorted by laser on 4th April.
Colonialist's Blog 
The smoke coming from that fire was quite something! Glad to hear that your eyes are in pretty good shape other than the little fixer upper that needs to be done
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Wow! That’s a lot of smoke. Hope no-one was hurt in the fire. Is your 20/20 vision because of the lens implants?
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Apparently minor injuries only.
Yes, the removal of cataracts and lens replacements many years ago certainly did improve my sight! But the blurring in one eye has crept up on me unnoticed until I now actually compare eyes!
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My lens implants were working brilliantly until I got the hole in my right macular. It’s mended successfully, but my sight isn’t perfect any more. 😥
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Sjoe … Die stomme mense
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Kan dit weer sê!
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have a good day writing stories.
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Many years ago in London a paint factory went up. I jumped in the car to find out what was happening. I didn’t get very far. The roads were clogged with the entire population of South London.
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There were less rubberneckers in evidence than I would have expected. Perhaps the reason was that it was fully visible over a wide radius. Also, if one got too close and personal the fumes made one wish one hadn’t.
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Indrukwekkende foto’s
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Dankie. Die aktualiteit was veels meer so!
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Oooh, that smoke! I don’t think I’ve ever seen it so thick and black. Nasty.
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So much so that it seemed solid. Nasty, indeed. This morning it was still going strong.
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Good luck with the laser treatment, I know it can work wonders. My late mother-in-law had it when she was in her 80’s, and she threw away her specs, and never needed them again, she died at 94 years.
Kilometers?
Why not Kilometres: the correct, spelling not the US incorrect spelling? Or do you have one of those automatic American spelling checkers that likes takes over?
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Impressive smoke . . . and glad for the good news and sad for the bad but glad there’s a remedy.
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