.Square Pegs: rain

Showing posts with label rain. Show all posts

Friday, October 28, 2016

Celebrate the Small Things: a little shower

One thing I have noticed since moving to Darwin is that the weather is not usually a small talk topic, except for the month of October which is known as 'the build up'.

It's hot here. I mean it ranges from hot to hotter. Overnight temps hang in the mid twenties (celsius), while maximums are mid to high thirties. It's pretty much been the same since I arrived. When the weather is so entirely predictable, there doesn't seem much point in talking about it. People don't say, 'It's hot today' because it's always hot. Mark Twain's famous quote is meaningless in Darwin because no none complains about the weather.

October is called 'the build up' because it is the month leading into the wet season and is therefore characterized by ridiculous humidity: 96% yesterday, for example. The temperature stays the same pretty much, but the humidity? Whoa. Try stepping off an air-conditioned bus and having your glasses instantly fog completely because of the heat. Yes, that's steamy!

A peculiar weather event happened last Saturday and it had everybody scratching their heads. It rained overnight on Friday which is not terribly unusual, but the next day it kept raining-lightly mind you, but it rained all day and the maximum temperature only reached 26. It was in fact the coldest October day ever recorded in Darwin.

I set off on foot for gym that Saturday morning in the light rain, and briefly contemplated using the umbrella which I carry with me everywhere, in case of a sudden tropical downpour. There was a nice cool breeze blowing and the rain felt so nice and smelled so fresh, I decided to not use the brolley. I did get a little wet, but what a joy it was to walk in the rain. It was magical.

The weather anomaly ended the following day, but I will never forget the invigorating respite that little bit of a shower provided. So today I am giving thanks for rain.

Friday, April 24, 2015

The Underwhelming performance of Umbrellas

It's Autumn in Australia, and Autumn is a season typically characterised by increasingly cool mornings and evenings, but pleasant, sunny days, and mild temperatures. However, the weather has recently been much more wintery. At the beginning of the week we had three days of continual rain, storms and chilly temperatures (by Australian standards anyway). It can be very difficult to stay dry when it rains all the time. Difficult? Okay, virtually impossible.

Umbrellas do well in their designated task of protecting one from rain...unless it's windy as well. A gusty, wet day usually sees the demise of many unfortunate rain guardians. It's indiscriminate carnage really. Smaller umbrellas, the type that are convenient to carry in your bag, in case it rains, are the generally the first victims. Larger, sturdier versions are not immune to this destruction either. I lost a dear friend this week, a faithful servant who made the ultimate sacrifice for me. (See picture above right.)

If you get one large and strong enough to give you a hope of real defence, and let's not forget that unless the rain is vertical, you'll still get wet - you are armed with a cumbersome device which makes doing just about anything extremely awkward.

I love it when you get to your car and try to close the umbrella before, or at the same time as, you try to get in. Love that little shower, and the water which flicks all over you car's floor and seats.

When the weather is really appalling, one has to realise the mortal limitations of umbrellas, and just accept the tragic inevitabilities...or somewhat comical outcomes as seen in the video below. I hope the weather is all right wherever you are in this wonderful world of ours.

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Ravenous Rain

Quite a title, isn't it? A little incongruous perhaps, but here you are so I achieved my goal by getting your attention.

I get hungry a lot, but I don't eat a great deal in one sitting. Usually, eschewing seconds, and seldom partaking of dessert, I eat until I am comfortable. However, I do eat often, and that can be a real pain sometimes. Variety is the issue you see. Although I have my favourites, you can have too much of a good thing, so I need to find different things to satisfy my ravenousity (new word - don't you love language?) The other problem is timing. Much like toileting, eating is not always possible when the call arrives. Ah, what to do with those awful and overwhelming problems?

As for the rain, well it's been coming down non stop for two days here, and I'm over it. I like rain in small doses, and unaccompanied by cold and biting wind. My umbrella was destroyed yesterday and I am still morbidly distressed. That's enough now, thank you.

Any thoughts on hunger? Or rain?

Photo sources:
http://ezeedictionary.com/meaning/ravenous
https://allergicauthor.wordpress.com/tag/rain/

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Rain Storm

Still on my mind this morning is the rain storm which hit Sydney and Wollongong during the week, and in particular the interview conducted with a home owner after a flash flood destroyed his home, endangering his life and the lives of his wife and children.

His description of what happened was delivered so matter of factly that it was clear he was still in shock. In the blink of an eye their situation worsened from a little water coming in under the door to a raging torrent smashing down the door and filling their house almost to the ceiling.

They managed to escape with some assistance from their neighbours as the water rose to knee level. They were lucky. The house was a complete mess. Imagine the contents of your home thrown into a mud filled tumble dryer.

This story reminds me again of the fragility of our lives, and the God given resilience of people to fight back from and overcome adversity. We are both weaker than we care to admit and stronger than we realize.

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Faith

It's raining again today. Although I can't see the sun or feel its warmth, I know it's there: doing its job. There is light. It is not dark. It is day time. I am alive and today will be a good day. A productive day. I don't need to see to believe. Jesus said those who believed without having seen, would be blessed. This is my hope.

The sun just broke through the clouds and rain to justify my faith.

Monday, August 18, 2014

Three days

After a fairy long dry spell, it has now been raining for three days. Technically, today is the third day and it would have to rain all day for it to be true to say, at the end of this day, or perhaps in the evening, that it has been raining for three days. It has also been three days since...since...never mind. Christ was in the grave for three days before rising from the dead. That's an historical fact. I wonder if anything else which has died recently will come back to life. There is always hope.