Eagles, Cotton and Sorghum

Driving to Millmerran last week, which is about 50 kms from here, I drove between paddocks of cotton and sorghum. Still not used to that sort of thing growing near me. The farmers are lucky this year with the cotton crop as it uses masses of water. In fact during the drought times it was becoming quite a debate issue. The first time I visited Australia, which is 8 years ago now; John took me up gliding. It was a wonderful experience. He hopes to be able to fly again once his back has really settled after the operation. When I was up flying, I looked down on all the fields of gingery coloured crops (it was April) and was told that it was sorghum and hadn't a clue what it was. Only clever people like ,my brother know it is!
We had a pair of wedge-tail eagles flying very low over the house recently. They make a magnificent sight.

Wellies and Road Repairs.

We are recovering from all the rain except there is still a great deal of road damage about the area. We drove to Brisbane and back about 2 weeks ago. It was a dreadful journey as there were so many road repairs being done and it took much longer than usual. It was only 2 weeks after John's operation, and I think it was too exhausting for him as 5 days later he had pneumonia and was in the ICU after an ambulance ride into hospital. Thankfully he is home again and brighter every day, also hugely benefiting from the back fusion op. which he had in early February.Reading this through I see I last wrote the day after we had been to Brisbane - so this is what happened when we were tired.

I have just finished reading 'The Children's Book'by A.S.Byatt. I thought it so fascinating - set in the Arts and Craft era at the end of the 1800s,and about the Fabians and free thinkers. Underneath the fairy tale world lurks a menacing darkness. As an outward sign this is the World War1, but everyone has something that lurks in their lives. A good read!

The picture shows me wearing the wellies I recently purchased. I ordered them during the floods (never needed them before then!) they didn't come in time to christen them then, but we had some more heavy rain, so they had a good spalsh in the puddle on the corner.

Up and Down to Brisbane.

We've been back and forth to Brisbane a couple,of times since I last wrote a post. John has had a "Back Fusion" operation which gifted him 34 staples in is back - these have now been removed, but he has the delight of now owning 4 screws in his spine. So this should hold him together for a few years I hope! He is already feeling less of the old lain, and hopes to never experience it again. Yesterday we had a return trip to the specialist who then sent him on for a physio. appointment. It was an exhausting day with about 5 hours driving in all. So we both feel pretty drained today.Good thing we have no commitments and can relax.
Our garden is full of butterflies again. I love it when they appear and dance over and around the shrubs and flowers. I call it a 'confetti of butterflies!'I wish the photos where better as it doesn't show them very clearly, but have a look - or come and visit! It's a year since we had overseas family come - so about time we saw some of you this side of the world. It's not all dome and gloom, though the elements are certainly showing that they rule the world. Poor Christchurch with it's earthquakes, only 6 months since the last, and this causing so much damage and human pain.

Wind and Rain

It is amazing that the cyclone and the fall out has missed us completely. Until I saw a weather map I couldn't understand why Victoria was having massive rainstorms because of the Yasi cyclone but not us! In Alice Springs they are being effected too. It covered a great area, but fanned out after passing north of us. The stupid thing is that we could do with some rain now. The temps. have been over 30 degrees and it's a bit too hot for me to easily bear. I am glad we don't live near Sydney. They had it hitting 45C yesterday. Phew!
Some of our plants and shrubs have died from flooded roots, which is a pity.

I was thinking today how things have changed with going to live in another country. One hundred years ago you would expect to not see your family again unless you were very lucky, once you moved abroad. Even 40 years ago the cost of flying was way out of ordinary people's pockets; and to speak on the phone you had to book a time way ahead. Now we have Blogs, emails, Facebook, Skype and other ways to make contact at any time and place. I wonder if they will ever invent a way of "Beam Yourself Up Now" to travel in person an back; and would one risk it??

There is a kind of peace around the place now. No rain or thunder for a while and the temperature climbing nearer to 30C: cool for the Aussie summertime. One of the sad things regarding the floods is that many bees have been lost which will of course effect veggie and flower growing.
I am delighted to announce the arrival of the first rose on a rose bush I was given almost 2 years ago! I moved it 6 months ago as it wasn't doing anything where it was. It's a Mr Lincoln rose and has a wonderful flower on it.Also the little frangipani tree I bought for $5 in a Charity shop is showing buds. I love it when these trees flower and it will be really exciting if this one survives in our garden.

Tuesday, 18 January 2011

One Week Later.

On Saturday morning I went into Toowoomba and was surprised to see how cleaned up and sorted it seemed on the surface. There were only a couple of traffic delays due to bollards in the roads where road surfaces were damaged and a great deal of gingery colour around the curbs and lamp-posts left from the flood residue. It was good to see how quickly the place was trying to get back to normal. Though I saw a number of collapsed walls and flattened grass banks.
A Quaker Friend of ours is a counsellor and today she was with a others who were supporting the people of the little town of Grantham which has had some great tragedies occur. They were letting the people return to see their homes and the damage at first hand; hoping to keep the media at bay! Personally I can't see how they could return to live there with out the haunting of what has happened and also I feel they would be always looking across the fields in fear every time there is a heavy downpour.
There is now a great searching to find any problems which helped to worsen these affects. It seems that the original water-ways in Toowoomba (in Aboriginal language Toowoomba meant 'the marshland')have been partially cemented over into paths and road ways, bottle-necking from run-off creeks into concrete pipes. These of course where much too small to take the amount of rainfall which came down a week last Monday. Modern town planning is now being accused of wanting to create industry and housing without looking at historical events.
I think this is happening all over the world as mining, farming, buildings and cities fill in the spaces. Commerce and globalisation.

Re-turning to a More Normal Existence.

Well it has certainly been a week of strange happenings and some very tragic. Thankfully, other than being cut off on the roads and a very marshy garden, we have not been personally affected. On Monday a friend and I were to have gone into Toowoomba. I am very glad we didn't' as they had the dreadful tidal wave wash through the main streets and cause tragedy and destruction. It was truly amazing to see all the videos people had made of places that we knew and frequented. A number of T.V. channels had 24 hour coverage of the events. Thankfully some places had warning, as in Brisbane, so it helped to a certain extent.
The main problem is, that we have had so much rain in the last few months that the ground couldn't absorb any more and the dams, meant to hold the water, were full to capacity. But what can one do when there has been 10 years of drought, with dams almost empty and people in the towns on water restrictions, then, sudden out of the blue (or grey) the rain hammers down? You can't really have loads of empty dams waiting for the once in a decade flood. Or may be you can. That is up to the politicians
The road to our house is broken up and the tarmac washed away in ,any places leaving the bedrock. We couldn't get out for a few days and I had to change my work shifts.
Yesterday, going into a supermarket, I found no milk, no bread or potatoes, very little toilet paper, fruit and flour. This is partly due to the transport system being help up in places where the main roads have been damaged and bridges down. Also the Lockyer Valley, which is along the road to Toowoomba from Brisbane, the Warrego Highway, is one of Australia's fruit and veggie markets, and it has been flooded - so no harvesting. Terrible for the farmers. The Australians are from a hardy stock of survivors, so they will survive and the will power and caring that is coming through is amazing to see and read about.

Later on Tuesday.

It's raining again!
Here is a view from the veranda which shows our bubbling stream and in the near distance a bit of flooding on the Darling Downs.Also some to the extreme right. Nothing as bad as in some areas thankfully.
Also if you enlarge the photo of the little oak tree in our garden, there are 4 cute little Barred Finches sitting 'flounced-up' and nestling together on the left hand branch. No doubt discussing the weather!

Flooding.

We had 2 inches of rain again yesterday. We are safe, but can't get in to town. Thankfully my friend and I cancelled our trip to Toowoomba yesterday. The most horrifying flash flooding occurred there yesterday and dreadful mesh and even some people missing. I couldn't sleep as the rain fell all night and thunder growling around, or rather slamming about. I feel quite concerned and worried about it all. Thankfully as I say we are ok.

Yet MORE Rain!

And so it goes on. We are fortunate not to be on low ground. As there is so much low farm land around here, it is flooded. We can see a couple of areas north of us on the flats. We have been cut off three times now from the town. I have decided to carry a toothbrush and change of clothes when I go out from now on! I left the library early today as it was pouring down.
I know the photo looks like a pretty stream, but we don't DO pretty streams in this part of Queensland and at the moment it's more like Exmoor! Streams, bubbling brooks and water meadows - very pretty -BUT!
Yesterday I set off to meet a friend in Toowoomba only to find that the usual route I take was cut off and the road closed. The water had washed the road away and it was a mess. I decided to go another way, but met a river churning down the hillside and slicing across the road - and a sign saying "Road Hazard Ahead".... so I didn't go that way! In the end I went into Pittsworth crossing 2 fords, then realised the sky was navy blue, and I wasn't going to risk anymore stocked up with food and came home.
Something I saw yesterday which I have never seen before was 2 kangaroos by the road. One an adult and the other mush smaller. They were very close so stopped to watch them leap off, but first the little one scrambled into the mother's pouch, head first then pulling it's feet in. It was amazing how much there was of it disappearing inside! Though I have heard about this, and seen many roos and wallabies, I have never actually seen this happening. It was delightful.

Happy New Year

Well,here we go into 2011 and all ready we are awash again. Yesterday we had 60 ml of rain in less than an hour. This time it was laced with hail and a good dose of thunder and lightning! Thankfully the electricity didn't go off. 25 ml equals 1 inch, so you can see that was well over 2 inches. We had 2 rivers across the garden this time too. The usual by the fence across from the veranda, now one from the entrance gate, across the grass and on down through the rocks. In the valley, about 250 yards away is a stream which roars along after the rains. We could hear it in the evening. Last week we went down to see the area after the storms and it had been flattened by the rush of water.

A Very Soggy Christmas.

I have changed the background of this Blog to bring some colour into our lives!

There is so much rain, even wetter than 10 days ago.
In the last 24 hours we have had 5 inches of rain and it is still pouring down. So far this month we have had 13 inches.

The lane next to us is a deep ford and now flowing down the slope under our trees. There is a leak dripping into our sitting room too, so far only a gentle one. John reckons it's due to the wind blowing the rain under the roof. Looking at the weather chart it should slacken off this evening. It is a good thing we don't have to go anywhere, as I am sure we couldn't get far along the road. Also we have plenty of food due to having just celebrated Christmas. So - no worries- hopefully!

We did have a very gently Christmas, just the 2 of us. Had a small branch as a tree, which, thanks to the cool weather hasn't dropped any needles. We are leaving turkey dinner until New Year's Eve to share with some friends. That is IF they can get here. They may need an ark.
Happy New Year to you all, may you be safe, healthy and happy.

P.S. Who dares to watch the Ashes?

A Day of Storms.

So far we have not had floods where we live. After to day I wonder if they could be imminent!The grass is ankle deep with water and there is a pretty little stream running, rather quickly - along the edge of out garden. This morning I drove into Toowoomba and back with the roof down on our Eos. I was back for barely 5 minutes when the first storm started. Thunder and lightning came too along with a navy blue sky.In the afternoon we had a repeat performance but with louder thunder and the gutters where overflowing. Then this evening looking out we saw hailstones across the grass and the rain was so heavy it was as though we were sitting under a waterfall. Looking out from the veranda I noticed the water pouring from the junction in the lane, down through our garden at a very brisk speed. We had this 7 years ago I remember, though the thunder and storms are part of the Queensland summer. Most of the rivers are flooding on the eastern side of Australia. Unfortunately the huge expected harvest has been washed away, so though the drought is over it brings other problems instead.

Getting Hotter!

I can't believe I haven't written up for so long. It has been a busy few weeks too. To day it's very tropical and the cicadas have been chirping since early morning. I think we are in for another storm. It's 25 degrees which is becoming more like an Aussie summer temperature.
We had an un-necessary trip to Brisbane last week. Well, not really but poor J went through an op just to be told the next morning that they hadn't completed it as it was too dangerous. There was an artery too near his spine. So he may go back early next year to have it done another way.
I did see a fantastic Christmas Tree in St George's Square in Brisbane. It was solar powered and when I first went past it was quite interesting, but when I came back after dark it was fantastic. All alight in shining colours.

Books and Blossoms.

I am just reading "Eat, Pray and Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert. A few weeks ago I went with a friend to see the film and enjoyed it very much. It was fun, happy and delightful to watch. Now she has lent me the book and it is SO much better than the film. More depth and and so many quotable phrases. I love the way she sees Loneliness and Depression as 2 characters who are following her; also it makes me wonder if everyone should have 4 months in Italy to taste the food! What and experience.

There have been 4 shrubs in the garden , the same sort, which have never flowered before. They are from the bottle brush family, but I don't know the name. The blossom has been outstandingly superb. It is snow white, and the spiky flowers are almost like snow crystals. Now the flowers are over and it looks brown and sad. Pity.

Diesel and Petrol

Oh Dear- I did a stupid thing on Sunday. We were early going to the Quaker Meeting for Worship in Toowoomba so decided to put some fuel in our diesel car. The nozzle on the pump wouldn't work even though I fiddled with it. So I put it down and talked to the people at the next pump. Picked up the nozzle and it worked- hurray! After starting to fill the car I found glanced at the dial and thought the price was very cheap!! Then I realised it was Unleaded petrol! I had picked up the wrong pump nozzle!! Panic-panic. I have filled a whole tank in a diesel car with petrol in the past, so I knew what I had done.
As it was a Sunday the RACQ couldn't take the car straight to the garage, so it had to be towed to a 'holding'. John was given a taxi to collect a hire car (thankfully we have Ultra so could have this assistance.)
Monday morning the car was towed to the garage where the engine was flushed through, fuel filter changed and the correct fuel put in. Quite an expensive weekend. We could have had a few days away for that cost. At least it wasn't a crash and accident.
All well now except for a slightly out of balance bank account!

Reading and Relaxing.

We had some friends visit us yesterday in the evening for a meal and after sauntering around the garden we had a delightful time sitting on the veranda and drinking Aussie wine. Though there were clouds around we were warm enough and could see the Bunya Mountains in the distance. Often when we are forecast rain we don't get it but can see the heavy clouds in the north. John says it's a great place for gliding as the thermals develop over the mountains.
It is cool today but the farmers who are harvesting the winter crops will be pleased that there is no rain. A great deal of local crops have been spoiled by wind and rain. There will be plenty of mulching bales around!

I have finished reading Barbara Erskine's supernatural novel set around Glastonbury, Somerset: 'Time's Destiny.' I didn't think it was as good as some of her previous novels, the haunting was not as 'spooky', but maybe that's a good thing. With the first book of hers which I read many years ago,I couldn't sleep until I had finished it

My reading is rather harrowing, as it is a biography of Joice Nankivell Loch. An Australian woman, who, with her husband Sydney, a Scot, where writers. They spent their lives helping the traumatized people of Poland in the 1920s and then in Greece. They also helped many women and children to escape from the Nazis. I had not realised in what desperate circumstances these people had lived. This couple worked with the Quakers' Mission in these countries as often the Quakers where the only people who were allowed to give aid there. The Lochs had huge respect for the Quakers and their work, but where not Friends themselves. They were an amazing couple

Scents, perfumes and fragrances in our garden.

It is almost overwhelming, the vivid colours and perfumes in our garden at the moment. Almost every angle is a photo shot! The China Star jasmine is in full flower and the perfume just hits you as you go round the corner of the house or go out on the the veranda. The bottle brush flowers hang like lanterns and are full of bees, insects and birds all clamouring for a share of the flowers' booty.

Also the evenings are lengthening and it is so pleasant to sit out side and enjoy the peaceful, fragrant atmosphere.

Still Counting!

Yes, I seem to have been picking fruit for ages! At last I have made some jam which has set, so that's just the beginning! Though there are the Fruit Birds in the mulberry tree all the time, the tree is still bursting with fruit. I have just picked another bowl full.
I have just begun reading Ken Follett's new history tome "Fall Of Giants." It begins in 1911 and follows a Welsh family and a Russian, American and English one,through the great changes of the next 10 years. Threading and weaving it's way with the families as the great changes at that time unfold. It's the first of 3, but I think it'll be a year before the next one is published.

Orchid Tree in Full Bloom

This tree was dieing 2 years ago. We tried watering it for 24 hours (having saved a White Cedar that way) then cut out the dead branches and just hoped it would revive. It was a touch and go hope. Thanks to the significant rain we have had so far this season, it has been a real "Phoenix' and come into magnificent bloom and the scent is fantastic too!
Bauhinia Variegata is it's name, but commonly called the Purple Orchid Tree due to the flowers which of course look like orchids.Brisbane is full of them at the moment and there are also white Orchid Trees. Another tree coming in bloom is the splendid Jacaranda which I will show photos of soon.