Tuesday 12 February 2013

Rain, rain and more rain.

In my 65 years I don't think I have ever experienced such a wet summer as this one. Hardly a day passes without rain, usually torrential. Last week Thursday we had a storm that ripped through the district with winds that uprooted huge trees and dumped 65mm of rain, (almost 3 inches) in about 40 minutes. Yesterday afternoon we had a torrential downpour that started at about 4:30 and only stopped 6 hours later. At the moment 5pm, thunder is rumbling in the distance.

For weeks now I've been unable to take my dogs for their daily walk. For me it's no problem put on my water proof boots and plod through the mud. My dogs though, get covered in mud. If Tombi sees a mud puddle she literally wallows in it like a pig as does Lady, they just love it. Sissie is not much better, only Bruno steps fastidiously around the mud. Back home I have to try and clean them up before I can let them in the house.

On Sunday afternoon I did take them for a walk and they did get covered in mud, Tombi promptly lay down in the first mud puddle we came across. We walked down to the largest of the farm ponds and the dogs just charged into the water. All the swimming washed the mud off and on the way home I made sure they kept out of the mud by walking through the soya bean fields. Hardly home and the heavens opened again.

While at the pond I managed to take a few photos.


A Red-knobbed Coot chick. This little baby is hardly bigger than my thumb. 


One of the parents keeping an eye on junior, just of picture to the left.


Three juvenile Egyptian geese with their proud mom upper left of the photo. When I got here last October these guys were just balls of fluff, now they are ready to face the world.

2 comments:

Jo said...

Phew Phil, I remember you blogging about the long rains at the beginning of summer. What a wonderful treat to get a photo of the Red-knobbed Coot chick. I have never seen one. Wow! Love Jo

Gorges Smythe said...

I hope the weather gets more normal for you soon, Phillip.