Re: Pray for rain
Hang in there...as a Californian I know something about heat and fires, although fortunately I do not personally live up in the hills. Well, maybe not so fortunately--those are some damn nice houses up there.
The rain will be back, and so will the grass. Australia has been there a long time. Meanwhile, the people who run the observatory should work on landscaping and other preventatives that will help prevent this stuff in the future. Do ice plants grow in that area, or is it too dry?