After the storm

Well I am not quite sure if it is over but we have had a bit of sun, some wind and rain but nothing like it has been. In to town to shop this morning and we had a quick look at both the river mouths as there has been a lot of rain in the head waters and quite a bit of localised flooding, as you would expect, a high tide and dirty muddy scummy water. We had about 55 mm over the last 2 days and 2 foals born in it all, both safe and sound now. Well over 8 inches for the month, no wonder it is so wet underfoot, I went to pick some irises in the orchard and nearly got bogged it was so wet. Now I would like a few days of about 22 degrees and sun and no wind. We probably will get a week of off and on wind and showers and then straight into hot hot. Never happy.

An interesting few hours

The power in most of the state went out a bit before 4 pm yesterday and we regained it around 3 am, Candles and food done on the bbq wet and windy, about another 30 ml of rain and the creek came up again, glad we are on the high side, a big tree down in one of the paddocks. We went for a very quick walk along the cliffs near Petrels Cove and was rather horrified at the number of slips along the cliffs. We went early and were not away for long as the showers are set to increase and so is the wind. Amazing that 22 huge power poles can blow over and put the whole state into darkness. People caught in lifts, in car parks, no petrol, railway station shut down. They seem to think renewable power is the way to go, great when the wind farms are shut down due to high winds and big towers that some how can survive cyclones in Queensland cant here. I know they say it was a mini tornado but honestly. Look at coal powered power stations using new clean technology, not what we are being subjected to now. Sorry rant over, I am just glad we have finished milking, 400 cows not milked would have been a nightmare. Oh yes and in the midst of that we had a very nice Welsh A filly foal born, thank goodness before the power went off a and the mare cleaned and the foal drank while we could still see.

Around and about today.

A trip to Adelaide for hair cuts, see my sister and the accountant and home, boy these trips get more tiring. I have been going through the 2007 and 2008 blogs to find photos of the baby blankets I made then. I did an awful lot more then than I seem to fit in now. George always greets us when we get home from his favorite spot by the back door on the washing machine. We are due for some horrid weather about lunch time to morrow and Thursday between 15mm and 40mm of rain and what they are calling storm winds, which are apparently stronger than gale force winds, not looking forward to it so 2 photos of flowering pots that may get wrecked and the little nest the Grey fantasies have been building just outside the kitchen window in the camellia, I just hope it survives, I don't think they have laid any eggs yet. I love the fact that my tablet called them fantasies, but they are actually grey fantails.

My wet garden this morning.

No walk today, John had a long morning meeting and I needed to get washing done and generally get the house in order. Just as I was about to get the towels on the line, ( the sheets were already there) the heavens opened and it poured. Now the sun is out, it's blowing half a gale and I do have the sheets in. If I am lucky the towels will be dry enough in an hour to go on the clothes horse in the sun room, and perhaps we will get so sun tomorrow. It is Adelaide again tomorrow for hair cuts, no rest for the wicked. Then the weather for cast is for lots more rain in Wednesday and Thursday. This is becoming a bit of a worry for those people who have been experiencing flooding in the past week. I had to do detours in the hills last week when I was going up to Cherry gardens, a loyal of trees down and slips on the side of the roads. Scary stuff, just glad I am not doing that route this week. So far this month we have had just over 6 inches and the month hasn't finished yet.

Back to walking

We had a lovely walk this morning on the cliff top from Kings Beach car park. Although I had a sleepless night and was feeling the after affects of the last four days it was still glorious. Small birds darting around, frogs croaking and the odd flying beetle that I didnt recognise. I have felt as if a steam roller has gone over me for most of the day, but I have done some important jobs like washing some clothes, general clean up, watered my indoor pots, done a small shop and gone over to Tabby to see the lovely black cob stallion she bred and who has come home to her. I also collected a few fertile eggs as I have a black hen sitting. I am a bit worried that I have been a bit late getting these but time will tell.

My little bear is dressed

Our computers are on slow, so annoying as it was downloads we didn't really need that sent us over. I will probably not be blogging until the week end as I am doing a 4 day class in the hills, staying with P as it is a bit closer to get to where I am going.I have done classes with Mary (Hettmansperger) before and loved them. Just hope the aged arthritic body copes. Be back when I get home.

Around the garden

I took these to cheer me up, went to a funeral of a very dear friend this morning, there seem to be more and more funerals to go to, I suppose it is the age that we are.

dendrobium orchids

Over the years I have collected quite a number of these orchids and their crosses, they mostly originate from Queensland and NSW here we mostly grow them under protection except for the big specious or rock lily, these are quite spectacular with some growing into huge plants. In summer they go under a big cedar tree and in winter on the front terrace next to the house. There are now some wonderful colours in the smaller varieties and a very strong perfume. Yesterday we went up to the show in Adelaide, I wasn't going to buy any more, but. . I don't often buy plants in flower but love a surprise when my small plants get to maturity. A lovely morning yesterday, saw a great exhibition of lino cuts over at Goolwa on the way home as well. Still damp, can't get in to weed the garden.

A little naked boy bear

I have a new great grandson due next January and I love Julie of Little cotton rabbits patterns I ordered the little bear. He still needs to be dressed. I think he will be just right for baby hands. Julie patterns are really well set out and although my arthritic hands are no where as good as they once were I was pleased with the way he has turned out. W walked and shopped this morning with the sun out, clouds again though and more rain expected.For once I will be happy to see some dry weather.

Pt elliot today, after the big rain and storms

We had to go over to Pt Elliot so decided to walk (a walk at last!) along the cliff path there. So much foam on the rocks and big seas again. We couldnt do the usual full walk as they are repairing the path. Coming around the other way I saw these lovely red flowers on the very battered looking pine trees. I am not sure what this pine is. but it looked very bright where every thing else was dull. We have had so far for September 131 mm and we are only half way through, for the 4 days this week we had 94.8 mm and this morning we took out 40.8 mm. We are an official weather bureau rain recorder, not quite a record. Apparently some one had a head on accident on the main bridge on the valley road this afternoon, not sure who or what, it is a single lane bridge so some one wasnt paying attention. There has been a lot of debris on the road which has been cleaned up, but also lots of new pot holes and by the side of one of our creeks that run under the road there has been a rather large area of wash away. Luckily our floods tend to go down quite quickly although there was still water lying in the lower lying ground. So glad we live where we do and not next to the creek. I am slowly sewing and stuffing my little knitted bear. Double click to enlarge any photos.

Wild and wet

It has been raining for days and the land is saturated, this latest lot began at about 11pm last night and hasnt stopped, gale force winds from the south, freezing cold and wet ontop of wet. We went into Victor this morning to get the papers and mail and had a short drive around the sea side, rain and wind gusting across abnd big waves reaching the cliffs at Petrel Cove. I thought the Back valley creek was high this morning but we have just been out for another look, over the flats, pouring from the hills on both sides, neighbours road cut spectacular. I love it when its like this, so long as I dont have to go too far away but it means that the springs will be full and it should I hope take a while for the ground to dry out. Not nice to work in but on these days one tends to batten the hatches and stay inside. I just hope no one foals in this. The ones we have should be old enough to cope, after all they are Welsh. Nothing like this for quite a few years, yet I think of this as a normal winter, the creek used to flood over the flats most winters and it hasnt for a long time.

Freezing cold and dripping rain

Low cloud and so cold. In to have my stitches out, a long wait as the surgery was busy, the little nasty was a skin cancer but they assure me they got it all, the second one, I wonder what else is on my body that I cant see.I took this photo on the way home, we call them the duck ponds, they are on the start of the Inman Valley straight and they have struggled to fill since some one tried to dig them out but this year, here they are, and overflowing. There is water every where. We havent had such good soil filling rains for many years. Being unable to go out yesterday we had the house cleaned and washing done and in the dryer, I try not to use the dryer very much but there was no way anything would dry yesterday. So cold, here where my computer is it is like an ice house, back to the warmth in a minute. My little knitted bear is slowly coming together.

Yesterdays walk

It is pouring with rain this morning so no walk. Yesterday we had a lovely walk along the cliff edge, going the way we dont usually walk, big skies, frogs carrying on in a small stream crossing the path and it was not too windy or cold. We went out to a lovely lunch at friends in the afternoon, a long lunch and by the time we got home it was animal feeding time and a not to much to eat dinner. So lovely to catch up with friends and a lot of laughter and chat. I am fiddling around with a small knitted bear, nothing to show yet, and today as it is definitely an indoor day, dusting! It is supposed to rain for a week, we will be terribly soggy by the time the week ends if that is so.