Storms

As I was driving home from work on Wednesday evening, I noticed big black clouds up ahead of me, which were lit up from time to time with bolts of lightning.

My phone was sounding multiple alerts for flooding in and around Ballarat.

As I drove up the hill near Gordon, I overtook a truck. It flashed its lights when I pulled back into the inside lane. I pondered this - I knew I hadn't impeded it and I couldn't think of anything else I might have done to upset the driver. Then I noticed that the driver was flashing the truck's lights at all the vehicles that were overtaking it.

I figured the storm I could see up ahead might be a big one. Truck drivers know about these things.

And then I drove into it!

There was lots of rain, lots of lightning and lots of thunder. It didn't last long, though. By the time I got to Warrenheip I had gone past it and there was just light rain.

It caught up with me, though. I hadn't been home for half an hour when the storm arrived at our place. The thunder reverberated around the soon to be housing estate across the lane.  The lightning was very bright. The rain was very heavy. Brandy and Whiskey don't usually worry about storms but Whiskey retreated under my couch when a particularly loud clap of thunder sounded.

The storm rumbled along for most of the night and there was still distant thunder when I got up at about 5:30.

Thursday was dry and mostly sunny for most of the day, until mid-afternoon when I was considering going out along Yankee Flat Road to see if the egg farm had any eggs at their gate. I changed my mind when I looked across the housing plot and saw big black clouds heading our way. I brought the washing in instead and got inside just as the first drops of rain reached us. Then we were engulfed by another storm. Not quite as intense as Wednesday's but there was plenty of lightning and thunder to keep us amused.

View from (inside!) the front window

The view of Thursday's storm from the front door. Most unusually, the cats showed no interest in going out through the door. Usually, when I have it open they view it as an invitation to go through it.

And then it went away, as suddenly as it had come.

Yesterday we were spared the thunder and lightning and just had the rain, almost tropical on occasion. And it's too early to tell what today will bring - although it is misty and damp as we speak.

Fortunately, the rain, thunder and lightning were not accompanied by lots of wind so the power didn't go out. The roof didn't leak. We were nice and watertight. Although I think the gutters could do with some attention. The gutter over the front porch was cascading with enthusiasm during the heavier bouts of rain.

An hour before this, the courtyard
was drenched with rain

In between rain downpours, I managed to harvest some veg for dinner. The zucchini are still quite small but are, in my view, rather delicious when you pick them as babies. The carrots could be a bit bigger but they needed thinning.