Thursday 17 March 2016

The Queen on a rainy day

You've gotta love the dramatising of the media.


You would think, the way they are going on, that the whole of Far North QLD is going to be washed off the map.


Things have certainly gotten very wet over the last day or so, and cooler. It is about time, I tell you.


We've been put on flood watch and I don't deny that in the typically high rain areas that things would be getting rather wet but it really isn't anything new, it happens every year. Someone did have to be rescued from a river but honestly, flooded, forget it. What were they doing, sitting on the causeway waiting for the water? I know, serious stuff, luckily he was rescued, but the stupidity. By the way, they drove into flood water. This was part way up the Cape (Cape York).You need to understand that these areas flood, every year. They are low creek and river crossings and water comes up fast and often goes away just as fast. The Cape (the pointy bit at the top of Australia) gets cut off from further south, like Cairns, all the time. Come to think of it Cairns gets cut off from further south, every year. Up there is still very much a remote area.


They've even put emergency services on alert. I think that was more for when they thought there would be a cyclone. A category 1 cyclone. Locals wouldn't really even blink an eye at that, just a bit of wind and rain. Well, the local I live with wouldn't. 


 For now though, the cyclone thing isn't happening, unless that low moves its butt away from the coastline, so we just get a tropical low playing around up in the Gulf (Gulf of Carpentaria). See what we like to do with the names of places. 


So, I believe we are in for another wet day. I'm glad I don't have to be out on the road during peak hours. It seems that people forget how to drive, properly, when it rains. It rains a lot here, normally. I do have to go out for another interview though. I can't believe that the majority of the jobs I've applied for recently are calling up to organised a chat. I've spent three years waiting for replies. Maybe it is my turn. Even Mr Sparky is flabbergasted (I just wanted to use that word).


 So by now, if you haven't gotten too carried away with my very exciting life, you are probably wondering about the ship photos.


That, out there, hovering off the coast of Yorkeys Knob, is Queen Mary II.


She doesn't look all that big, out there, coated by rain but she is the largest ocean liner ever built. She apparently was also the longest passenger ship but Freedom of the Seas has that distinction. She is now about 13 years old. In boat years that is middle aged.


Yorkeys is where the big cruise ships get to hang out because Trinity Inlet is too shallow to take them. Instead passengers get to do ship to shore and catch buses to various locations around Cairns. When my Aunt and Uncle came up this is where I met them.


After going around to the boat ramp side of the Knob for a look I headed to the beach side. There were a few people who did the quick stop and shoot (with a camera) thing before racing back to the car. Maybe they thought they would shrink in the rain.


I got sidetracked from the ship but an interesting little fellow who kept taking off and landing in the trees above me. A cute little Rainbow Bee Eater. I know their call well so it is easy to know when they are around. They sound almost cricket like. This one caught himself a good little feast before heading off. Maybe he was headed to the meeting outside Cairns Central. When I dropped in there on the way home there were so many flying around. Something I thought was a bit funny, we are talking the middle of the city here.


One thing that did make QM2 look big was the ship to shore boats coming up beside it. There was the ones that belong to the ship (maybe just one) and then local companies send the boats the use for the reef. This time it was Reef Magic and Silver Swift (two different companies).


The beach was looking rather rainswept and dreary but there were a few people out enjoying it.


I actually quite like the beach in the rain. Maybe it is because it is usually pretty quiet.


The mountains to the south were barely visible.


Rain drops marked the sand and bounced on the water.


It certainly gave it that moody look.


This is called the wet season look. This is what the end of our summer and beginning of Autumn should be looking like. 


As much as we whinge about the constant rain and cloudy days when we want to see sunrises and sunsets and blue skies, it is all bluff. If we don't get this rain now then it would be a very dry year with not much rain happening throughout the middle of the year being normal. We need this wet time of year to keep the place green.


 Rainy days are perfect for being home with a good book or movie, don't you think.


So the main part of the weather is supposed to get to us here at around lunch time, so lets see how wet it gets. I am hoping the wetland/ creek overflow out the back fills up. Would be good to see that again.


8 days until I get the first of my visitors for Easter, 10 until the bulk of them arrive. I do hope ther weather is nice while they are here, otherwise I'll have to buy some more umbellas.


Turns out that man drove through 1meter of water (guessing depth) before getting stuck. Stupidity.


Enjoy the rest of your week!

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My Memory Art



Links are to previous posts that show this time, place or thing.

Monday 14 March 2016

Sunrise Wanderings

A sunrise, fresh off the press.


It has been a while since I've seen a sunrise. The usual weather routine here is either clouds from sunrise to sunset or clouds during sunrise and sunset with a good try at blue skies during the day.


 I've been missing them.


This morning The Esplanade had a bit of surprise for those down in the sand.


I think they were jelly fish washed up on the sand. They were along the whole shoreline, well as far as I went.


 I am really drawing a blank today. Maybe my brain has fallen asleep or maybe there just isn't all that much to share.


Work has changed the hours on us, we'll all be starting an hour later and working until midnight by after Easter. It isn't a change we are embracing happily. I think a few will be leaving. I have started applying for jobs again, not that I wasn't doing that already. I realised I have pretty much been applying for jobs on and off for over three years. I am heartily sick and tired of it. Our meeting with management and then private discussions made us realise that we are just numbers, just hours in the end, nothing more nothing less. Why do we have to keep relearning that lesson?


Our weekend was a quiet one. Mr Sparky was on call so no adventuring like we really wanted to do. Instead we adventured in Master's and Bunnings and spent way too much time with the t.v on. As I said, nothing much to report here.


The days are getting shorter, the sun is rising noticably earlier now. We are still waiting for the overnight change in temperatures though. Mr Sparky has taken to checking the weather predictions and telling me that such and such a day it is supposed to cool down. It is never right. In some ways we don't want the cool change, instead we want the wet season rain. Where are you at, wet season? Okay, so I'll give it some credit for trying over the last couple of weeks. At least there has been enough to green everything up.


You see in the north there are really only two seasons and someone I was talking to the other day put it just right. There is hot and wet and hot and dry. We are still waiting on the really wet part that should be happening now and over the last couple of months. It has been dragging its feet a bit. They are saying there is a moderate chance of a cyclone but we will see.


In good news I've had some interviews lined up for this and that. Hopefully something pans out well. Fingers crossed.


Also in other good news, I now get to wait less than two weeks for my Easter visitors. Yay!


So instead of blabbing on for the rest of this post, about Bunnings sausages, washing, a bathroom I still haven't cleaned among other such things, I'm going to leave you to relax with my sunrise wander. 


Here is to a good week!















I Must Confess

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