December 27, 2019 – bushboys world

This year I went to my besties for Christmas. I left home after making sure there was as little to catch fire around the house, smoke heavy in the air and the heat of the day beating down on my place.

After a bit of last minute shopping and wandering around, we headed home to her place with a bit of the promise of a storm. That night and the next and the next, we sat on the verandah and watched the lightning flash all around and thunder booming in the sky. A bit of rain fell occasionally drumming loudly on the roof. I was hoping I had a bit of rain at my place too. Over the three days there was 32mls in her rain gauge.

Come Christmas day we had a lovely time with family and friends, seemed to be endlessly washing up and cleaning even on Boxing Day. This morning we had a relaxing start to the day. Breakfast on the verandah, watching the birds in the bird bath, listening to the sounds of the birds and the bush and the farms as they woke in the morning. I headed home. As I came over the hills I looked at the fire scarred landscape as I descended into my valley noting there wasn’t any smoke on the horizon or anywhere to be seen.

As I got closer to home there wasn’t much evidence of rain from the previous few days. None of the plants in the garden looked like they were desperate for a drink so I guessed I had a bit of rain. After I unpacked the car, I wandered about the garden noting that all the bird baths and water containers I put out before I left still had water in them after being away for four days. I went over to the post where the rain gauge sits.

I looked, rubbed my eyes and looked again. The rain gauge held SIXTY-THREE mls.
What a Christmas present!!! The water tanks are full, the smouldering stumps and logs should be quenched – at least the ones in the bush around the house are.

I went to the near empty house dam. The dam is about one-quarter full.

Remember this dam a few weeks ago?

This is today