Raining Cats and Dogs

Well, we needed rain this year and we got it in bucket loads. It has been the wettest, coldest winter in years - very like the winters we used to get 30 or 40 years ago.  I can remember the first year we were here - just down from Darwin - and in a cold draughty house with hardly any firewood and just small bar heaters to huddle around. It rained and rained and was freezing cold. We wondered whether we would survive. We had 3 small sniffly children (one in nappies), 4 siamese cats, one dog, no clothes dryer, no TV, little furniture, bare floors, no curtains or blinds - we were very close to chucking it in and going back to Darwin.

This winter is a bit like that - except we have a warm and welcoming wood fire to sit around, comfortable furniture, rugs, a clothes dryer - all mod cons. Outside there is water and mud everywhere and the mulch on the top garden beds is now all over the lawns and the patio. Everywhere there are trees down, some causing really severe damage. Our dams are overflowing and take up most of the paddocks, but the rain means less watering this summer.

These first shots are of a winter we had in the eighties. The creek - normally dry - is on the left, the side paddock on the right.

The dam is normally about half this size.

The next photos are this winter.

Water pouring across the neighbours property then over the road into our front paddock

From the front paddock it streamed down the side paddock into our dam which then covered most of the side paddock.

The storm drain on the other side of the road blocked and the water banked up in the drain the poured over the road and across our garden. It then flooded the patio and the sewing room/ Mark's bedroom.

The front lawn and the side lawn became auxiliary dams - in case we ran out of water!!!''

I really think I have had enough winter this year. I almost want to go back to hot, dry. waterless summer - almost. Why can't we have the best of both?

Liz

Linking with "Our World Tuesday"  and "Outdoor Wednesday" and "Wednesday Waters" too.