It Never Rains But It Pours!Look at all that wonderful water! Put this, plus all the water flushing out the Todd River in Alice Springs (thanks, Peter) at present and the dams in south-east Queensland would look like dams once again, not dry, barren wastes.
Of course, what we need are a couple of cyclones (minus the devastation) to push down the monsoonal trough, thereby causing a decent wet season. It would probably take three good lows (cyclones) to break the drought, to cause enough run-off to fill the dams and also top up the aquifers. Three decent rain depressions, spaced over a period of a couple of months would be a blessing. You wouldn't hear me complain about mildew. A few of bottles of bleach soon fixes that! After being faced with blackened walls in the cabins on Newry Island after Cyclone Joy dumped nigh on four week's continuous, heavy rain on me, what's a bit of mildew and mould between friends? I related part of the story of Cyclone Joy's visit to Newry Island in a previous post.
The day the rain stopped, my two cats at the time, Pushkin and Rimsky, accompanied me on a walk along the beach, scampering ahead of me. In unison, they would screech to a stop, then race back to me as if urging me to join in the fun. That wasn't so bad but when they began running up and down the coconut palms and she-oaks, I declined their kind offers.
During the fury of the cyclone, with the help of my male guests, I secured the huge fuel barge high up on the beach well above the sea's normal high-water mark. The last thing I needed was to lose the barge to an angry ocean. Once the rain ceased, I had a small window of opportunity to float the barge back to its usual mooring with the onset of the king tides.
After an energetic walk along the beach, I climbed on to the barge, where I sat for a while reflecting over the events of the past weeks since Cyclone Joy's arrival on Christmas Day, and contemplated my next steps. Looking out over a finally calm, still ocean, Pushkin and Rimsky joined me, sitting quietly beside me, staring into space. They, too, were a little shell-shocked in the aftermath of the cyclone and rain depression that followed.
If only we would get three weeks of solid rain now. What a blessing it would be. By 'we', I mean all the drought-affected areas in this fine country.
I don't want to be picky Lee, but it's the Todd river at Alice Springs, it would be nice if we could direct the rain to the areas that need it.
ReplyDeleteLee,
ReplyDeleteThe vagueries of mother nature can try one's patience.
I read in the news last week that three people in Austrlia had died from snake bites, attributed to snakes seeking water in the more populated areas.
Hope rain comes your way soon..non-destrutive rain.
rel
You're not being picky, Peter...my mistake. I know it is the Todd at The Alice...don't know why I said 'Torrens'...a moment of weakness! ;) Thanks for point my slip out...I hate imparting incorrect information.
ReplyDeleteHi there Rel...nature is one thing we will never beat. Nature has its own mind and will do what it wants, when it chooses. It's okay up here where I live...we're not suffering from water shortages but areas elsewhere are.
5:54 PM
I think we should start doing rain dances. Although I've heard from three different sources that cyclonic rains in March will hit us. Let's hope so!
ReplyDeleteWe had a very heavy downpour up here early this afternoon...lasted about an hour...more, more, more, I say...and where it's most needed.
ReplyDeleteA Cyclonic depression and the resultant effects of rain is what's needed as it would spread to Victoria and elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteWhat you experienced under Cyclone Joy must have been quite frightening.
We had only light spasmodic rain in Melbourne but good falls in some country areas.
Best wishes
It was, Lindsay, but at the time I couldn't allow myself to feel fear as I had 30 guests, which including three small children to worry about. I had to hold the show together. If I lost it, well, the whole show would've fallen apart. And I could let that happen...general mayhem would have occurred.
ReplyDeleteInteresting story, Lee. In California they worry about quakes, in the middle states, it's tornados. The east coast, it's hurricanes. They come every year as do dry and wet seasons. We can only make the best of what we have. I hope you get all of the rain you can use.
ReplyDeleteThe drought here in this country has been going on for seven years or more, Steve. The man on the land is desperate. Towns are and have run out of water. Dam levels are at an all-time low....it's not just waiting for this season's wet...it's waiting for wet seasons that have failed to materialise year after year.
ReplyDeleteHi, Lee. I hope you all get the rain you need there. That's a great pic, by the way. I love the way you describe the behaviour of your cats. Simi and I can just see them!
ReplyDeleteThey were a couple of characters, Welsh and the best of mates. They loved running up and down the beach when no one else was there but them and me.
ReplyDelete