Tuesday 31^st August – Messolonghi (Hill Fire)

38:21.668N 21:25.004E

This morning Lucky was conspicuous by his absence; normally he is asleep or roaming somewhere nearby ready to supervise breakfast arriving in his bowl.  After a look under the nearby boats on the hard, Richard was despatched by bicycle to search further afield.  He returned having been out to the gates and then down past the office, having found no sign of Lucky. 

Things were not looking good – having been left in charge of said dog, it had now disappeared.  We were a bit concerned as the feral dogs who used to sit by the gates disappeared last week, presumed poisoned, as a dead one had been spotted near the roadside.  With strong winds forecast over the Ionian this evening and for the next day or so, Electric Monk and Serenity were due back today and so Lucky needed to be found.  Richard was despatched to search again whilst I continued sorting out the food for Lucky and Pipe Cleaner.  As Richard went past the end pontoon, Lucky appeared from nowhere, totally unconcerned, and then escorted him back to Pyxis.

Mid afternoon Electric Monk and Serenity arrived back and so we went to catch lines and help them in.  We then caught up on what had been happening over the last week before handing back charge of the zoo, together with their food supplies.

This evening we popped around to Blue Elephant for a drink and game of cribbage before dinner.  It turns out that Kath is quite an expert. 

As we were finishing we could hear the sound of a helicopter and planes flying low overhead.  Looking outside we could see the planes were the sea planes used for fighting fires, and the helicopter an air crane with large hose below it.  We then noticed smoke over the hills behind Messolonghi.  It was clear that there was quite a big fire underway. 

As we watched the sea planes flew circuits, flying low over the marina to pick up water from the lagoon behind it and then dropping their load on the fire.  The helicopter kept flying up and down collecting water from the canal.

The hillside was mainly forest and grassland (olive groves) and the fire quickly spread as we watched due to the strong NW wind and everything being so dry, threatening nearby farms and homes.  Soon we could see the flames quite clearly from the marina, not just smoke.  As we went to bed it was still burning.

Messolonghi: Fire

Messolonghi: Lucky & Pipe Cleaner

© Pyxis 2010