Let’s Talk About The Weather.

How boring, you might say. But not if you live in Queensland Australia. Ten days ago Australia was in the middle of a heat wave – the worst in recorded history in many areas where is was well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. I could not sleep well due to the anxiety caused by the heat and strong smell from the fires which had filled the air here with thick smoke.

Suddenly the rain came and I was rejoicing…….UNTIL the second day. At that time the rain turned to non-stop, torrential rain lashed by cyclonic winds. For two nights and one day it never stopped – not even for five minutes. Trees crashed all around, power lines came down and of course, all power quit. We had no power, no running water, no phone, internet or radio (We were too stupid to store batteries.) Totally cut off from the world, I continually braved the blizzard like conditions to run to my car and turn on the radio. The news was grim with homes in many areas under water. I thanked God that I live on a mountain top, even if it was cut off by land and rock slides.

After three long days the power came back on and after four days my internet was functional again. How wonderful it was to turn on the lights and be able to see again. And I never realized how much I relied on television. Through that media I viewed the plight of so many who live in low lying areas. Some lost everything while I was fortunate to have my home intact, even though outside was a disaster area.

By the fourth day I was able to drive up to our small village. The roadside was strewn with downed trees and emergency vehicles and electric power company trucks and cranes were everywhere. Our one and only small supermarket was finally open but the shelves were half empty and the refrigerators were totally empty. 

This storm has taught me a few lessons and I will be better prepared next time. I do like to think of myself as a survivor and I did manage better than some. For starters – I would never own an electric stove. I do have gas and, I can always make a cup of tea and cook food. On the mountain where I live, there is no town water. We catch our water in tanks when it rains. Of course, if the power quits, the electric pumps don’t work so that leaves no tap water or flushing toilets. Lucky again, I keep supplementary, smaller tanks which are not hooked to the pumps but rely on gravity. It pays to own plenty of buckets.

My family and I like camping so there are always plenty of gas and kerosene lamps. And as for food, I have a well stocked pantry so it would be a long time before we had to go hungry.

So what have I learned?——– Well my next purchase should be a generator. And as for our increasingly hot summers with accompanying bush fires ……….I have learned of a sudsy substance that can prevent a house from burning and glass from breaking if it is sprayed all over the house

Now if only I was rich! I guess it’s time to promote my book a bit more and maybe increase my home owners insurance.

Cheers until next time and here’s to sunny skies!