I know I could blog about the flooding that has ravaged my City of Brisbane.

I know I could blog about how, during these floods, my family and I were stranded by flood waters for 2.5 weeks in a small town in NSW. Which is askew considering we were on our way NORTH, when floods diverted us.

I could blog about having no power, the escalating price of food here, or how I feel guilty when so many of the people I love have lost so much yet keep amazing faith and spirit.

I know I could blog about the weather, or summer, or post a recipe for the foodies.

I could post about wonderful places I visited shortly before the Brisbane floods simply took them away.

But I just can’t.

My husband and I have a business. It’s small, it employs 4 -5 men at the best. For the last 3 years we have worked installing power, light and air conditioning for 7 of the buildings running along Eagle Street.  The job was due to be completed in February 2011. These are some of those buildings.

For the out of towners – those floating things are pontoons – jetties which were once an integral part of our river ferry and transport system. They were once anchored along the shoreline with around 30 or 40 others, dotting the river for kilometers long the bendy banks.

Like our business, they too,  are no more.

And that’s all I have to say about that.

Some flood water shots, all taken in he countryside within an hour or so from home. A click on the shot will enlarge it.

I am away for 2 weeks. See you on the flipside x

After two and a half weeks of houseguests, my house looks like a debacle. Add the fact that it has rained solid for that 2 weeks (and the 3 months before that) and I have a damp debacle.

And as lovely as it is to see my family (and how I cry every time Iza goes home again), it’s also lovely to see them leave. Is that a bad thing to say?

Having just returned from the umpteenth (and final) trip to the airport, I did a quick tidy of Iza’s room before settling here with a nice cup of peppermint tea. (oh – Iza – if you are looking for your shampoo, conditioner, sunglasses, sketch pad, slippers, dressing gown or toiletries they are here).

While most of my fair State is in terrible floods, I am lucky to only be surrounded by damp debacle, Iza’s leftovers and muddy dog prints. One of my best friends has lost most of the family possessions and still have a meter of water in their house. Another is stuck on one side of her country town with her 3 week old baby. She’s camped at someone’s home while her husband is only 4 kilometers away but on the other side of a very swollen river, where he has been stranded for 3 days.

I count my blessings.

On one day of very rare sunshine, I took the guests up to Wivenhoe dam (Lake Wivenhoe) to see the floodgates open.  Only a few months ago, we were in serious drought. The main catchment area sat at a mere 15%. Yesterday, it peaked at over 120% capacity. And that’s just one of the dams in one of the catchment areas. It gives you an idea of just how much rain we have had in the last 12 weeks. It feels like it has rained forever.

Wivenhoe had all 5 floodgates open gates releasing water yesterday. This is something most people will never see in a lifetime.  I wouldn’t take my camera over to the main viewing platform as the over-spray was so high, so strong and so thick it was drenching. But to stand in it, listening to the powerful roar of the water as it spilled out and to feel the spray just soak through every pore of the skin was one of the most wondrous experiences I have had. The air was peppered with a million little rainbows as the fine misty spray spun through the air.

I took this photo from the top area that looks down onto the river bed.  They say a picture is worth 1000 words, but I swear this picture cannot even touch the amazingness of seeing those gates open and that massive, missive rush of water surging forth.

Happy New Year to you all, and may you remain safe, happy and DRY wherever you are xxx