Fires burning out of control

have left the air smoky even here. 
Yesterday was a "catastrophic" fire danger day for this state. The temperature rose to above 40'C in many places. Our outside thermometer (which may not be very accurate) was reading 44'C at one point.
I was up early. I planned on watering to save what I could of the garden. (The Senior Cat had put some very young seedlings into "self-watering" pots but the words "self-watering" are a misnomer if ever there was one. They needed water.)
Before I did that I had to write a card and slip it into the letter box of someone who lives a short distance away. She has just lost her husband. I wanted her to know I was thinking of her and that I will call in to see her in a few days. She will understand that I can't get to the funeral.
The garden is a mess. More of it might have survived the heat if the wind had not been so strong. As it is we have lost all the sweet peas. If there had been time yesterday morning I should have cut some of them then. At least we could have enjoyed them inside. I don't really care for cut flowers inside. I prefer flowers to remain in the garden. 
My mother used to be given great swathes of gladioli from the old man who lived at the back. His backyard had hundreds and hundreds of them - perhaps well over a thousand. Growing them was his hobby. His backyard was like a Monet painting come to life. It was all very beautiful but I would have been happy to leave the flowers there. I can't help wondering what yesterday would have done to his flowers.
And this morning I can see and smell smoke - almost certainly the smoke from the fires more than a hundred kilometres from here - as the crow flies. The sky is a pale grey-brown colour. Summer doesn't officially begin for another ten days.
Yesterday afternoon Middle Cat collected me and we went to visit the Senior Cat. He had already phoned me. A young male nurse had spoken to me first and said, "I think he's homesick."
I had tried to call the hospital in the morning to reassure him we were thinking of him but the lines were all engaged. The poor darling probably thought we were ignoring him! 
   "What do you want me to bring?" I asked him. The nurse had already asked me to bring some shoes ready for prior to his release.
His electric razor he told me. He hates "looking like a bush ranger". Fortunately I had found that and plugged it in so it was charged. 
I took him his toothbrush and toothpaste and some clean pyjamas. And most important of all I took him a book to read. He's on the last Ian Rankin "Rebus" novel. 
He pounced on that and purred. Ian, thank you!