Monday, December 27, 2010

Water Under The Bridge

Christmas is over for another year, and what a day it must have been for many of my fellow Queenslanders.  We managed to celebrate with some of our family, and some extended family, with the day staying fairly dry, but overcast.  We had our anxious moments, but knowing the river as we do, we felt quite safe crossing for the day and knowing we could return home the same afternoon.  This is a photograph I took after crossing the bridge on Christmas morning.  The water is now over the bridge.  I do hope we might drive in to see it tomorrow some time.  We can't get far from the houses here, the paddocks are saturated, the local watercourses full and running bankers, too deep for us to wade through............perhaps tomorrow.  The town of Chinchilla, 90 kms to the north-east of us is experiencing major flooding, and every road out of the town is cut.  I hope our local grocery stores stocked up last week!!!  It appears the water won't recede for a number of days yet.  That's the way of these rivers, running through quite flat country, slow to rise, and slow to fall.  Hopefully I can get some more photos in a few days.

I took these photos on Christmas day.  These are two lovely blooms in my daughter-in-law's garden.  She has so many lovely shrubs flowering at the moment, I could have snapped all day.  The agapanthus are in full bloom, and the numerous hibiscus are a delight, although I keep wondering about this one.  Although the flower looks like a hibiscus, the leaves look very much like a Rose of Sharon......................  Maybe I don't know my plants????

I trust everyone enjoyed their Christmas day, and are having a few days' rest and relaxation.  There has been chaos in all parts of the world this Christmas.  Thankfully, in our little corner of the world, we are high [not dry as such], but safe, with food in our freezers and pantries.  Our main concern is having enough insect repellant.  The mosquitoes are on the warpath, and soon the sandflies will join forces with them.  I've had to spray our dogs with a home brew [that's not beer] in order to give them some peace from the biting wretches.  Even the horse, who usually hates being sprayed, was satisfied to stand still and take his medicine.  First on the grocery list will be baby oil and dettol, nothing beats it for the animals!!!!  We usually light logs for some smoke, but everything is so wet at the moment, a fire isn't going to be easy to get going.  This is why we live where we live I suppose!!!!!!

7 comments:

CJ STITCHING AND BLOOMS said...

Hello Linda way over their across the big pond. It sounds like you all had a lovely Christmas with family. We did too.

Wow that river is very high. I hope everyone will be OK??? I am sure with all the flooding and water the insects are having a heyday. So sorry to hear that the animals suffer so with them too.

I love seeing photos of your world. The flowers pics are very lovely they give me hope that Spring will really arrive again. At times I think winter will never end. LOL

Julie T said...

Hi Linda... pleased to hear you had a great Christmas and that you made it through the water.
On the NSW south coast it was dry and hot, but yesterday was back to winter clothes. That is Aus for you.
Hope the rain stops soon.
Good excuse to stay inside and stitch.... but who needs an excuse.
stay safe

DIAN said...

Linda thanks for the pics. I imagine everything is pretty much soaked through by now. I love the flower pics. We have agapanthus in bloom too, they are not my favourite plant but the blooms are gorgeous.

Keep safe and dry and I hope the mozzies are not too bad.

shirley said...

Hi Linda, glad you got through and back home safely. The flower pics are lovely. I have agapanthus in bloom as well they make such a show.

When we lived in sandfly country at Rainbow Beach I found apple cider vinegar wonderful for getting rid of the itch of the sandflies. Always kept a bottle under the sink and splashed it on with my hands...could be added to the dettol mix.

Anonymous said...

Hi Linda. Thanksfor your lovely christmas card and I hope that you continue to keep dry where you are. Wonder how Laurel is going too. Might jump on face book later and see whos around. It is very upsetting to see what people are having to cope with on the news etc.

Julie said...

I hope those rivers get down before next month when we head north. I'll be packing the Rid to keep the mozzies & sandflies away!

Lovely agapanthus - I love them because they just grow (I'm not the world's best gardener).

Stitching Lady said...

Hello Linda,
So interesting to read of your news and get an impression of your life down there, how it can be in a relatively dry country when the weather is playing tricks. We never - or at least a long long time ago - had so much snow starting in November until now and winter just only began. Photos of your flooded country are very impressive, I would say beautiful even, if it would not be just too much and spoiling the landscape and houses and being a hindrance altogether.
I wish you and your family all the best for the new year.
Anneliese