Changing Seasons : February…

It has been an incredibly wet month. Rain has been steadily falling in comfortable amounts through out the month. Keeping the ground from drying out. The garden has been loving it.

Then a week ago an enormous, catastrophic weather system hit the South east corner of Queensland. The rain bomb fell in astronomical amounts. 500mm to, in some areas, 1000mm in a couple of days filled the rain gauge and all the rivers overflowed. The main dam for the Brisbane area went from 58% to 170% in the 5 days. To add to the stress and anxiety the excess had to be let out into the already flooded rivers. 

I watched it unfold on the tv, with tears in my eyes,  suburb after suburb was swallowed in the rising water. Whole suburbs evacuated to leave their houses and businesses to the fury of Mother nature. It was unrelenting and went on for 3 solid days. Now it has moved south. The town of Lismore under water, the whole population evacuated. Images of whole streets of people waiting on top of their roof to be rescued by helicopter or boat. Still it rolls on with Sydney now in its sight. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-01/brisbane-queensland-nsw-flood-weather-as-it-happened-pictures/100871726

We have been incredably lucky in this corner of the Gold Coast. We had the catastrophic rain. I recorded 400mm in 2 days over the weekend, but it didn’t cause any major flooding. The roads were closed with some water across them for 2 days, but it quickly subsided. We walked over to look at Pelican lake, at the end of our street. It had broken over its banks and flowed on to the road.

Before the flood

Yesterday

As the water subsides comes the monumental clean up. Already the “mud army” of volunteers are moving in to help locals with the heart breaking task of trying to get their lives back together again.

Our garden gives me great solice in these times. I feel so sad for all the destroyed gardens, the wild life swept away. So come with me for a look at how the garden grows this month. 

Brazilia Red-Cloak plant (megaskepasma erythrochlamys) is the star of the garden this month, smothered in dazzling red blooms. I think it likes the wet, hot weather.

Here are some more plants putting on a show.

The wet and humid weather has produced this dainty fungus. I did look around for fairies.

But could only spot Witchy Poo and Long John Santa Claus.

The Ivory curl trees are making a spectacular display along the street this month.

The sky has been putting on a spectacular show earlier in the month.

Now the sky is blue and I have just had a call to say the insurance company is sending round a person to put a tarp, if needed, over the roof. to prevent any further rain getting into the ceiling area. It was slightly damaged in the torrential rain. I am blown away with the service of the Apia insurance company. Within a few hours of me putting in a claim on line, they had contacted me and sent an efficient young fellow to check it and fix it. I had expected to wait weeks because of the huge number of claims they must be getting.

More rain is forecast for Friday. What a relief to have the roof fixed.

So another month ends. What a rollercoaster it has been and in a weeks time Jack and I will be celebrating a huge milestone birthday. I will tell you all about it in next months “Changing Seasons” > Thanks Ju-Lyn and Brian for hosting this challenge.