Over the last two days We have had weather in all ways Horizontally and vertically the wind did blow so too the rain did fall. Pouring rain Howling gales Slips and slumps Flooded roads Then came the high tide The creek overflowed The lawns became a lake It was more than we could take Rivers were in flood Trees ripped out Bridges were gone Everywhere was sodden mud Damaged houses subsided in landslips galore Driveways slipped down the hills Ditches and drains could hold no more Householders now face huge clean up bills A 100 year event was in store 350 mm rainfall in only two days I cannot remember such a deluge before Climate change is definitely underway. And yet, just a month or two ago Another weather event had also been described just so. Someone can’t count the days or the years This weather event will surely all end in tears. The power went out… and then it came back BUT THEN… Shock and horror The internet went down. Our digital connection was gone. Digital desolation I was in disconnect despair Rain fade stopped the tv feed We had no news updates or weather warnings to heed. Looking out the window was all we could do Yes - it was still raining and blowing too Thank goodness for notebooks and pens so I could write this plea to the weather gods, "Please stop the rain, I promise to be good Its just too wet in this neighbourhood" Suddenly I caught a brief glimpse of moonlight peeping out from the clouds of the night Perhaps the wind is blowing the clouds away. Is the rain going to stop at last? The third morning dawned bright with light Of the wind and rain there was no sound nor sight It was over but it had left behind A devastating plight We walked to see what damage had been done although we could have just swum The ground was awash with muddy water amidst slippery piles of clay and stone At last there were helicopters up in the air Assessing the damage to the isolated grounds Diggers were ferried by barge to the Sounds No traffic getting through by road. Maybe they will soon fix the power and phones To make sure people are safe in their homes By 5pm that day the phone started pinging "Are you alright” the messages were asking "Yes", we replied thankfully though many are not At least we still have homes safe from the flood Our thoughts are with those much less fortunate than us As evacuations end and the big clean up begins. So until the next time Mother Nature intervenes to send us another reminder of climate change Lets hope we all listen and do our bit to keep this planet healthy and fit.
Tag: Marlborough Sounds
Life’s for Living – Every.Single.Day – Adventure #1, 2021
In keeping with my ‘Life’s for Living – Every.Single.Day’ plan, today we went on an adventure. The skies were cloudy although the weather report was for a sunny day. Intrepidly, we launched the boats and off we puttered across the Sounds. Rounding the point we encountered choppy waves so we headed behind the mussel farms seeking smooth waters.
A couple of splashes of rain sprinkled upon us then suddenly it stopped and out came the sun.
We cruised in and out the mussel farms, around the bays and coves, past a shag colony and a couple of rustic boat sheds.Every man and his kid were out fishing. Family fun in and on the water. Kids were swimming, some were paddling kayaks, and others were just strolling on the little beaches. It was just like Camp Granada.
Aaah- summer living in the great outdoors.
Eventually we arrived at our destination – Fernside is a cute little bay with a picnic table. Our friends had bought a bottle of bubbly wine. That was a nice touch which went well with our corned beef and mustard sandwiches. We chatted and relaxed in the sunshine. Along came a weka and its baby. It appeared that they loved the cupcake wrappers and the cucumber slices. A couple of apricots too and their feast was done. And so was ours. The bubbly wine was supped, the sandwiches were eaten.
The tide turned and it was time for us to return. Time to pull up the anchor and start the motor. Oops! The motor was flooded. It wouldn’t start. First rule of boating- always start the motor before the anchor is hoisted. Hmmm. Minutes later, the motor burst into life and blue smoke belched across the sea. We were homeward bound.
The choppy waves had calmed but then we rounded Putananui point. On the home stretch we had to leave the lee shore and splash our way across the Mahau Sound. Salty wet splashed spectacles and soaked to the skin, we arrived back at the beach.
Within a half hour, the boat was washed, the motor flushed and the boat , trailer and tractor were back in our own boatshed.
The adventure was over.
LightWriteLife 