Take a chance

At some stage in life we need to take a chance.  OK, I will admit I was a shy child, and not that outgoing until my mature years when I moved to another country ... perhaps it was then that the expectations others had of me dissipated?

Moving from New Zealand to Australia was probably an exercise in taking a chance.

This morning I took another chance!  The weather forecast was for showers and/or rain, though with meteorology speak one is left wondering the difference.  A habit I cannot throw away is the need to wash clothes on a Monday ... change the bed [though if I were a rich person I would employ a maid to change the bed each day, wash the sheets and hang them over lavender bushes to dry ... I am not rich, so once a week has to suffice], and wash any item of clothing or towels that dared look slightly needy.

I peered at the sky as daylight broke.  The signs were not good, but the dark clouds seemed high. 

Greatly daring [!!!] I took a chance.  Only last week a new purchase was undertaken ... a washing machine to replace the elderly model that needed a lot of hand assistance.  In all honesty I have only used it once, and really needed to test its efficiency with sheets.

Washing on the line we headed into town as there were parcels to post, mail to collect, and the newspaper and milk to purchase.

Oh dear!  On the outskirts of town huge plops of water splattered on the windscreen.  The umbrella was at home, and more importantly, the washing was still on the line.  Please do not let the rain parade on my washing!!  When coming out of the Post Office the heavens opened; rain poured down like a housewife straining the potatoes. 

In a small town everyone is friendly and the one topic of conversation appeared to be, "I have washing on the line!"

There is nothing that I could do.  We headed home.  The road was wet, trickles of water running like syrup over a piece of sponge showed just how much rain had come down.  Then, less than half a kilometer from home the road showed dry ... no rain had fallen. We were protected by the hills.

Maybe my chance shouldn't have been taken, but at least the washing is in ... tomorrow will be an ironing morning.  And yes, the washing machine coped well, as it should.

Then the rain came down

After months of searing heat followed by blustery wind Autumn has arrived.  The break [a period of rain] that farmers pray for to allow them to successfully sow their crops usually arrives sometime between end of April and mid-May.  We had 8mm of rain last weekend but still the dust rose. 

Yesterday the normally brighter than bright blue skies were a dull grey, and this morning thunder rumbled around the hills.  We headed into town early ... the 'first Saturday of the month' Market Day was being held, and who could miss purchasing a scrumptious carrot cake and apple pie from Marg's stall!?  I refilled my olive oil bottle from the growers of olives ... fresh and pure olive oil.

A heavy shower slowed our trip into town, though there appeared to be more rain at home than there.  The electricity was off!  Again!  For three hours ... I didn't care; washing was done, ironing was completed, the floors vacuumed last night ... a break in electricity supply didn't worry.

As the trees tossed in the 'fresh' wind, fresh being a 'scientific' word for not quite strong and used frequently by those who predict the weather, and huge droplets of water fell from the sky, and lightning rent the air I wondered about My Birds, the Tawny Frogmouth pair.  They were in the tree when I checked after breakfast.

Later I wandered over to check on My Birds ... one had moved to better shelter under a branch, and peered dow at me with curiousity, although they are well aware of who I am, and the other still where it was earlier. 

The grass is beginning to grow!  A patchy green carpet is pushing upwards from the earth.

Autumn has arrived!  The garden will not need watering today!