The rains came!!!!

And boy, didn't it rain!!!

Our drought broke on the Australia Day long weekend.  In just 4 days, 544mm of rain fell from the sky via our rain gauge.  Yep - more than half a metre!!!

Along with it came intense winds on one day, flooding both locally and in Gympie where I work, and some people in my town without power for 5 days.  We were fortunate - we lost power for only 18 hours, and we do have a generator, so just as we had decided to unpack it and get it organised, on came the power!

Gympie did not fare well - they had a 21.3 metre flood, and then just this past week have had an 18.5 metre flood.  I so feel for the businesses up Mary Street and on River Road that have been inundated.  It's terribly terribly difficult, and even though the local Gympie community bands together and supports each other, there are many businesses who will not open again.

Do you recall the Traveston Dam debacle?  One of the reasons that the dam was stopped was due to the endangered lung fish that inhabits the Mary River that flows through Gympie....  Check this picture out of one of the carparks near Mary Street...

Do you remember the crocheted ripple blanket that I have been making for Ken's nieces' baby?  Bubs was due to arrive this week sometime, however arrived about 4 weeks ago now, which was good as mum is about 5'2" and dad... well, he's 6'7"....  Baby was never going to go full term!!

Anyway, the gorgeous little soul arrived, a little girl, Gracie Elizabeth.  Woo-hoo!!!

Yesterday I managed to finish off my cot ripple blanket.  It was inspired by Lucy's pattern over at the Attic.  I have done mine in 8 ply Bendigo Cottons, it is just sooooooooooooooooo soft and yummy!  I hope they all like it!!!

 



Last weekend it was mum's 70th birthday, so we hired a houseboat in the Noosa River & went away.  She didn't know about it, although she was a little suspicious that something was going on when they were running late and instructed to meet us at the Noosa Marina!!!  All was good though and we had a fantastic weekend...

 

 



Well - my chook pen awaits my attention... it's flooded, and the chookies are wandering around in mood and slush.  It's not going to be nice, but they give us such gorgeous eggs every day, we have to have responsibility to keep them nice too.  Off to get my gum boots on!!!!

Summer ramblings of a hot woman!!!

Phew – gosh it’s been so hot!!!

My poor little plants that I planted in my herb garden got frizzled, so we had to get out there with some shadecloth and help them along...  they’re doing well now, and the added bonus of putting them under the shadecloth is that the chickens haven’t been able to get in there and dig, dig, dig as chickens do!  The plants haven’t needed as much water either, as the evaporation is much less...

I can hear the ground almost screaming out for rain... the grass is dying, big trees are dying, and the birds and other animals are also suffering.  I’ve put out some grain for the birds, and I have a large bowl of cold water under the back patio for the chooks when they visit.  We seem to be the visiting spot for all the chooks in the neighbourhood, as they all get under the patio to shelter from the heat of the day. 

On the other hand, when the rains do finally come, I am looking forward to seeing the garden burst forth into life.  The garden out from the front door/ensuite is now looking fantastic, and the rest I’m sure will be just as beautiful when it gets some rain into it.  Going to need to buy some more plants sometime soon...

Ken is doing well, he’s back at work and operating effectively.  Can’t wait for his brain to spring into gear and him to start remembering stuff....  it’s difficult when you have a grown adult who needs supervision like a small child at times...  But – we’re getting there and that’s the main thing!!!

Heading off this weekend to the coast – it’s Lindsay’s baby shower on Sunday!!!  Should be loads of fun – I’m looking forward to it.  I might even be able to catch up with another couple of friends, Tracy at the Psychic Fair, and Lesley from SS who is visiting from up north...

Ahhhhh....  gotta love a weekend!  Particularly seeing as last weekend I did nothing.  Zilch, zippo, nada, nothing.  I lay on the couch under the aircon and snoozed.... not very practical!  Good for the soul though...

Happy Australia Day!!!!

Ahhh... the day we celebrate being us, being Australian.  What does that mean to you?  Not to "be Australian" if you're not an Aussie, but to be who you are?  Belong in your country???

Are you proud of who you are?  Do you have that sense of belonging?

We have a student here from Norway at the moment, and I am having real trouble understanding his fitting in.  He doesn't like to associate with "kids younger" than him, which has effectively left him with no "friends" to hang out with around the estate at all (god knows what happens at school).  He associates with the neighbours, but they are grown adults, so he can't spend all his time hanging out with them either.  He basically spends most of his time laying on his bed, doing stuff or watching movies on his computer. 

Today we had a BBQ and the Sue & Hugh and Brent came over (we can't go out to do anything for Australia day because it's sooooo wet!!!)  Henrik doesn't want to hang out with Brent because he's only 13, so not "grown up enough"... the thing that he doesn't realise is how much he misses out on, by not associating with all ages of people.  Brent has his own boat, which he and his Dad go fishing in regularly - Henrik won't ever get an invite, because he's simply not friendly enough to them.  After he'd finished his lunch, Henrik simply got up from the table and left.  Didn't even say goodbye to anyone when they left!!!  He just doesn't get how rude he actually is and how much that will impact on him, as nobody will want to go with him places, so he then complains he's bored on his own!!! 

Ahhhh - teenagers! 

And as for going everywhere, and I mean EVERYWHERE with headphones on...  Grrrrr....

Vent on teenagers over now....  but I think he may be our last student through YFU.  I'm basically a cooking, cleaning, washing person for a teenager who lays around.  I'm not getting any "feel good" out of it, and I feel a bit used up - so I don't know that I'll be doing it again.  Sad...

Moving right along, it's been raining here the past few days.  It rained so much that our underground water tank didn't cope with all the water going into it and the overflow didn't drain it fast enough - check out this video that Ken took...  the water bubbling up out of the tank is not supposed to happen!  Also - see if you can catch sight of the river down the back....

Oops - sorry, video won't upload.  It's 36MB, so probably too big...  Just use your imagination instead!!!