In which I cause precipitation
Mar. 15th, 2006 11:14 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
katiefooleryI am a rain magnet.
Really. If anyone out there is in the midst of a drought and would like some relief, just call me in and put me up for a couple of nights. I assure you that rain will follow, especially if I only bring t-shirts and skirts and no warm socks to speak of.
It mightn’t be a lot of rain, but it’s better than nothing.
They haven’t had rain for weeks in Beechworth. Every time someone looked up, they’d encounter an endless blue sky or possibly a duck, depending on their luck. It’s been one long, unbroken stretch of fair weather and a complete absence of any sort of precipitation.
Except maybe in the vicinity of any air-borne ducks.
We met my parents and the Boy and the Sonia in Euroa for a birthday picnic lunch. The Boy and the Da’s birthdays fall within eleven days of each other, so it was a combined meeting for the exchanging of food, presents and, in the case of the Sonia, ’flu germs.
It was rather hot for March but despite this, white fluffy things were noted forming in the sky. They couldn’t be clouds, could they?
Well, to push an analogy too far, they certainly weren’t ducks.
I went back with the parents to Beechworth, like some sort of hostage exchange: my Timothy got a bottle of tomato and chilli sauce and my parents got me for two nights. On the way, the fluffy white things were seen to increase and multiply, occasioning further comment. It got the point where the Da had to admit they were the first clouds in a very long time and not simply figments of a collective imagination.
And then, on the second day of my visit, it rained. For most of the morning, the first rain in weeks soaked steadily into the ground and I had brought it with me.
I also brought a strange fog which descended quite rapidly, obscuring the hills that are virtually on the doorstep of my parents’ house, but this was less impressive than the rain.
I charge a small fee for my rain magnet services but I think you’ll find it’s worth it.
In other news, here are some photos from my trip.
This would be a chrysalis for some type of butterly. Yes, I’m afraid it’s blurry. This is despite my yelling at the camera, “Focus on the chrysalis! For the love of lepidoptery, the chrysalis! No, I don’t want that leaf to be in perfect focus. I’ve never seen a more boring leaf in my life. Just focus on the STINKING CHRYSALIS!”
Amazingly, this didn’t work. It turns out I don’t have the ability to forge a psychic bond with my camera’s auto-focus function and this is yet another reason to dream of a digital SLR...
They call the hills across from my parents' place the “Red Hills”. For most of the day, it’s hard to work out why. They just sit there, looking sort of green. Maybe, you say to yourself, some guy named “Red” discovered them... And then the sun starts to set and the reason for the name becomes immediately apparent. (And then there are other times when you wonder where the hell those hills are that you could have sworn you left out here.)
For my next photo, I present you with... this house. There’s no reason for it - I just liked the way the little house was sitting there. Also, there are only so many photos one can take of one’s brother talking to his camera and subsequently denying said exchange of words.
Here’s an extra-bonus photo, taken with my phone, of the Da and the mechanic replacing the battery that died a quick and painless death as we went into town to pick up fish and chips for lunch. Thank goodness it happened just down the road from the parents' house and not in the car-park at Wangaratta Station, that’s what I say.
Really. If anyone out there is in the midst of a drought and would like some relief, just call me in and put me up for a couple of nights. I assure you that rain will follow, especially if I only bring t-shirts and skirts and no warm socks to speak of.
It mightn’t be a lot of rain, but it’s better than nothing.
They haven’t had rain for weeks in Beechworth. Every time someone looked up, they’d encounter an endless blue sky or possibly a duck, depending on their luck. It’s been one long, unbroken stretch of fair weather and a complete absence of any sort of precipitation.
Except maybe in the vicinity of any air-borne ducks.
We met my parents and the Boy and the Sonia in Euroa for a birthday picnic lunch. The Boy and the Da’s birthdays fall within eleven days of each other, so it was a combined meeting for the exchanging of food, presents and, in the case of the Sonia, ’flu germs.
It was rather hot for March but despite this, white fluffy things were noted forming in the sky. They couldn’t be clouds, could they?
Well, to push an analogy too far, they certainly weren’t ducks.
I went back with the parents to Beechworth, like some sort of hostage exchange: my Timothy got a bottle of tomato and chilli sauce and my parents got me for two nights. On the way, the fluffy white things were seen to increase and multiply, occasioning further comment. It got the point where the Da had to admit they were the first clouds in a very long time and not simply figments of a collective imagination.
And then, on the second day of my visit, it rained. For most of the morning, the first rain in weeks soaked steadily into the ground and I had brought it with me.
I also brought a strange fog which descended quite rapidly, obscuring the hills that are virtually on the doorstep of my parents’ house, but this was less impressive than the rain.
I charge a small fee for my rain magnet services but I think you’ll find it’s worth it.
In other news, here are some photos from my trip.
This would be a chrysalis for some type of butterly. Yes, I’m afraid it’s blurry. This is despite my yelling at the camera, “Focus on the chrysalis! For the love of lepidoptery, the chrysalis! No, I don’t want that leaf to be in perfect focus. I’ve never seen a more boring leaf in my life. Just focus on the STINKING CHRYSALIS!”
Amazingly, this didn’t work. It turns out I don’t have the ability to forge a psychic bond with my camera’s auto-focus function and this is yet another reason to dream of a digital SLR...
They call the hills across from my parents' place the “Red Hills”. For most of the day, it’s hard to work out why. They just sit there, looking sort of green. Maybe, you say to yourself, some guy named “Red” discovered them... And then the sun starts to set and the reason for the name becomes immediately apparent. (And then there are other times when you wonder where the hell those hills are that you could have sworn you left out here.)
During the day...
When the fog descends...
When the sun sets
This photo hasn't been coloured in any way: the hills really do look like this. It's amazing to see.
When the fog descends...
When the sun sets
This photo hasn't been coloured in any way: the hills really do look like this. It's amazing to see.
For my next photo, I present you with... this house. There’s no reason for it - I just liked the way the little house was sitting there. Also, there are only so many photos one can take of one’s brother talking to his camera and subsequently denying said exchange of words.
Here’s an extra-bonus photo, taken with my phone, of the Da and the mechanic replacing the battery that died a quick and painless death as we went into town to pick up fish and chips for lunch. Thank goodness it happened just down the road from the parents' house and not in the car-park at Wangaratta Station, that’s what I say.
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no subject
on 2006-03-15 12:39 am (UTC)I love our country.
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on 2006-03-15 01:16 am (UTC)It really is lovely country. Parched, but still gorgeous.
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on 2006-03-15 01:10 am (UTC)Cat
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on 2006-03-15 01:18 am (UTC)I'm obviously worth more because while we get to keep the tomato and chilli sauce (for as long as it lasts), the parents only got me for two and a bit days.
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on 2006-03-15 05:00 am (UTC)no subject
on 2006-03-15 05:10 am (UTC)no subject
on 2006-03-15 11:18 am (UTC)I love your photo's Bunne! Makes me want to grab my camera and start snapping shots of everything! :D
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on 2006-03-15 11:34 am (UTC)Thank-you muchly, good Em. You should grab your camera and take many, many photos. I'm sure we'll both be taking plenty on Saturday.
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on 2006-03-15 12:45 pm (UTC)Is there another condiment that I could offer Timothy in exchange for you coming here? We're about to have a water shortage due to lack of rain here and we could do with your help!
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on 2006-03-15 11:14 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2006-03-15 03:39 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2006-03-15 11:12 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2006-03-15 11:34 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2006-03-15 10:37 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2006-03-15 11:13 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2006-03-16 10:01 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2006-03-17 02:12 am (UTC)