Wet, wet, and more wet

It's been raining here.....in fact, we've had a flood.  Not us personally, but the river which flows through our town overflowed its banks the other day -  this week we have had so much rain that a new record has been set.  The previous record of the most rainfall in a single day stood for 136 years but was broken this week.  Schools were closed and children sent home, as roads were cut.

Our back yard was sodden, the bird bath overflowed....didn't even see many birds using it, although a group of hardy Noisy Miners braved the rain one day for a dip.

 The clouds were so low that our view over the back fence almost disappeared.

In fact, the view from the front verandah did disappear!  Instead of being able to see for miles and miles across the valley as we usually can, we could see the house across the road.......and nothing but a white mist beyond it.  Summer disappeared, and we were back to wearing warm clothes for a couple of days; in fact, summer this year has been unusually mild.  Not that I am complaining.

Smaller towns a few hours north-west from here have been suffering the worst floods for over 60 years, there is so much water it has become a health hazard because the local sewage systems aren't working as they should.  Many people have had to be evacuated from their homes and we can't begin to imagine the horrible smelly mess they will face when they are allowed to return home.

We feel lucky to be here in our warm dry house on the hill.  It's been a good week to stay indoors and read, and sew, and just keep out of the rain.  I think the cats have also broken records for the amount of time spent sleeping, because it wasn't even worth looking out of the windows.  Although Bianca did get excited one day when the wind blew a leaf on the path just outside the floor-length window........she woke up for a second or two before settling down again.

Last year's workshop quilt is being worked on, it's now more than half-quilted.  It is not going to defeat me.  There are other projects I would far rather be working on but I am not letting myself go near them until this is done, although I did break out the other week when I assembled the pinwheel quilt. It's spread out on the spare bed, so when I want some pretty blue and yellow pinwheel goodness I have only to walk in there and admire it.

"If a gentleman is walking with two ladies in a rain storm, and there is but one umbrella, he should give it to his companions and walk outside.  Nothing can be more absurd than to see a gentleman walking between two ladies holding an umbrella which perfectly protects himself, but half-deluges his companions with its dripping streams."

This week the main street was a sea of bobbing umbrellas, although a few hardy souls braved the rain with no protective covering.  Mostly men.  Women seem to have more sense than to go out in heavy rain with no umbrella or at the very least, a coat.

Enjoy your days!