April Showers

Daylight saving has ended at last - Banjo and I were getting annoyed at waking up at 6.30 and having total darkness so unable to ride through the pines  until dawn at 7.30. Ridiculous!

This morning it was light at 6.30 and we rode under the rising roller door into the dawn when the town was asleep. The roller door is good., I have a remote on the bike and can time the run to duck under  the rising door and then push the button to send it back down as I ride. Unfortunately the forecasters got it right for a change and there were showers around blowing in on the southerly breeze so as we headed up the road it became clear that we were going to get wetter and wetter. No matter we pressed on and the showers got more frequent until actually it just bloody well rained for  nearly the whole time we were out.

Still there was a nice break as we turned for home and drizzle doesn't get you THAT wet. and we were back at a reasonable time, instead of half way through the morning.

The old English saying, "March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers is nearly true here too, except that the winds in March here  are blowing northerlies and dust laden, but  it IS generally showery and wet during April with farmers hoping for a break in the season and the grass to start growing again whilst the soil is still warm. The calves are already dropped and they will need the green pick to start growing into the tasty T bones of the future. The lambs will be next with the Ewes already looking plump in spite of their autumn shearing stripping the wool of their backs. The Easter Lilies are in bloom and if the rain keeps up so will the wild orchids be.

 Living in the country has its advantages especially when we can get Broadband and all the Melbourne and Adelaide TV channels!

The morning rain has meant my painting job for the day has been cancelled, what a shame as I have nearly finished the eastern side of the house , only having the wall to the gable above the car port to finish . Still being retired means I shall be able to do it tomorrow if its fine.

Tarpeena doesn't have a football team any more and since old Trip passed on the oval is looking a bit disheveled  with broken rails and longer grass. Not that he did much except repair rails and cut grass. But Kalangadoo has managed to hold on to its football and netball teams and when John went over there to see if he could get a game it seemed half of his old Tarpeena colts side was playing for Kalangadoo. So if they give him a game he will be in good company. The Mid SE football League has a bye each round  since Tarpeena folded and Kalangadoo has that bye after Easter, which is also a bye so there is no game for three weeks. Crazy why they would start the week before Easter anyway - unless you were lucky enough to have the first bye in which case your season wouldn't start until the week after Easter! Kalangadoo lost both games in the football but continued on their winning way in the Netball. Kalangadoo have won the last 7 netball  premierships in a row whereas the Football team has struggled to win 7 games in that time! Mind you they always managed to beat Tarpeena when we had a team. Still it is an achievement to keep going in this day and age when country clubs are having to merge just to field a team as the young bucks head to the cities for work and play.

But  I like the country and the rabbits are breeding up even as the swamps are drying up so if we cant bag a duck or two then a rabbit will have to do .Reminds me of when I first came to Australia and there was a drought and I had the time of my then young life shooting and ferreting rabbits driving a Cortina over dried up swamps and not needing any of these infernal and ubiquitous four wheel drives to get around the tracks.

Now I only need a push bike and a Banjo.

05.04.09