A Flooded Friday

We are having REALLY unusual weather in Melbourne.  Friday night we wanted to go shopping (hubby needs new shoes), so we took a drive after he came home from work.  We didn’t go far before we couldn’t see a thing through the windscreen.  Thankfully we didn’t try to wait it out, we just went home.  That night we got record rainfall in the area. 

My youngest wanted to take a look at the rain, grabbing an umbrella and her gumboots for the adventure.  She was really excited to see the stream flowing next to our house (which isn’t there normally….)  I decided to check on the garage.  So glad I did!  The whole place was under water.  Some of the unpacked boxes had already collapsed onto the car.  Thankfully they were all filled with clothes, so no damage.  Hubby moved the car outside and we spent the evening moving wet, collapsing boxes into the house.  Well… it forced us to finish the unpacking we didn’t do during the move!  This was taken about 30 minutes later.  All the water had drained away again.  Check the black water line on the garage door in the back.

The next morning I took some photos around Narre Warren.  Lots of roads are closed still.  I suspect it will be a while before the sports field is usable again.

 

 

 

 

Click on the image to see a landscape photo of the whole sports area.

 

Even the Yarra river is very full!

I better get back to my washing.  A lot of those clothes got wet!

Clear skies

The weather this weekend was gorgeous!  Bright blues skies and warm weather heralded the start of summer.  I went to my favourite spot to get a few sunset photos.

The colours are just amazing after such a clear day.

I’m off to go do my finger exercises.  I can nearly lift my finger off the table now!

When routine goes out the window

Lately we have had quite a  busy schedule going, with my classes starting, hubby’s work pressure increasing a little and a lot of other small things.  Last night it was especially hard to motivate myself to go to class.  Being tired seems to make me gloomy!  Well, looks like I was meant to take a break.  After waiting for the train, which came into the station really slow, everyone jumped on board for a (VERY) slow trip to the next station.  A three minute trip took forty minutes.  Then the dreaded announcement:  Power lines got tangled at Dandenong station, so no trains are available into the city.  The train was going back.  A three minute trip and I was back where I started.  (At least I wasn’t in the city when this happened!  Imagine trying to get home!) 

Well, since there was quite a stunning sunset, I decided to use the evening to relax and take some photos for no reason other than I liked what I saw.

Today’s routine is also out of the window.  My younger son has developed a fever, so I am being forced to relax at home.  Hope you find a natural way to relax this weekend and don’t need to be forced, kicking and screaming like me!

Sunset on Stormy Evenings

We have had a few stormy, rainy nights recently.  The clouds at sunset look absolutely awesome because of it!

  

I love clouds!  Makes me feel a little bit like an artist

What is better than a rainbow?

It is freezing cold in Melbourne these days, with clouds, wind and rain.  We are definitely grateful for the rain after the long dry season, but sometimes we get a little depressed when the piles of washing don’t want to dry!  It was all worth it today though.  I quickly popped out to pick up a few necessities when the sun peeked out between the dark clouds.  Coming home, we were treated to the most glorious, huge, bright rainbow we have ever seen!

 

And not just one!  It was a double rainbow.  The kids were entranced.  I managed to find a spot I could pull over to take some pictures.

 

 

It made for a very special day.  (In the moments before the rain came again!)

Rude Awakening

In our area we have a lot of cockatoos breeding in the trees surround the farmland and in the parks.  This specific type is a Long-billed Corella.  I used to find them fascinating….

but after a few mornings of these huge flocks screeching over the house, I am not so enamoured anymore.

Today three flocks came flying into the park while the kids were playing.  Unfortunately I saw a little of the movie “Birds” as a kid.  Not a good combination.  The cockatoos are fast, like little torpedos.

They all landed in the branches, calling to each other.  They seem to be really social birds, though a bit rough and tumble at times.

Soon they will move on.  Then I can sleep late over weekends.  Oh I forgot… I guess with kids up early I will still not get to lie in!

Loving the clouds

The weather has been very changeable (ok, not something unusual for Melbourne!) bringing lots of wind and clouds our way.  I love it!  The clouds in the morning and at night make for spectacular effects.

Sometimes it helps to get up on a hill for a better vantage point.  This is Berwick (the southern part).

Summer Sunset

The last few days the sunsets have been beautiful.    A clear, golden light falls over the house every evening.

I took these from our bathroom window.

We have been having cooler weather (under 30), so the air is clear and crisp in the evenings. 

A little more of Berwick

The farmlands are full of interesting things for a city girl to see.  It is a little hard to get close though, since there is a lot of barbed wire around.

 

Thank goodness lots of flowers were growing along the side of the road, making it easier to get some shots.

Everywhere signs that these are hardworking farms.

   

Nice to know we can live in the city, but still have this nearby.

Farmlands surrounding Berwick

We took a drive through the farmlands around Berwick and Beaconsfield, looking for buildings for the architecture part of my portfolio.  It is amazingly beautiful out there.

We found a dilapidated old tram hidden amongst some trees.

Lots of farm animals…

 

The normal farm scenery of hay bales and trucks were also around.

And I got a lot of possible photos for my portfolio.

 

This is my favourite photo of the day though.  I can’t believe I managed to get so close to such a huge animal.