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A floody list

January 12, 2011 / 39 Comments

I have started this post about three times today.

One moment I think I should go ‘light’ and focus on something OTHER than flooding.  Then I see another bulletin, another horrendous story of lives lost, of houses being drowned, and I realise it’s too soon.  There is just no room.  It’s hard to think beyond the relentless devestation slowly eroding my state.  Hard to avoid feeling each and every friend’s anguish as they are evacuated from their homes, or wondering how on earth they are doing when I haven’t heard news of them.  It’s hard to find the optimist in me. I think I might have lost her, just a little.

floods_0007

I’d love to be bright and breezy, but I simply cannot lift myself above the swirling quagmire of the disaster that is Queensland at the moment.  Like so many I talk to, I am exhausted by the relentlessness of it all.  And I am getting most of the events second and third hand, on television, radio and Facebook (the most instant reporting system of them all!).  I cannot imagine what it is like for those watching, experiencing, struggling at Ground Zero.

I won’t try and represent all that is going on in Queensland, in this blog. If you need that info, go here.

Instead I shall make it personal.  Closer to home.  A list.  A list always makes things a little easier to digest, don’t you think?

——————————————-

BB’s BLOODY FLOODS LIST

1. Our roads are crap.  I don’t use this descriptive lightly.  Our paddock roads are still almost impassable.  We have tried to repair them with the tools at hand – but there is a lot of ‘getting bogged’ going on.  It’s rather annoying. Having frustrated menfolk underfoot is NOT a fun consequence of enforced inaction.

2. I don’t want to go to town. I actually do everything I can to avoid making the 55km trip – as a result of our public roads being in only slightly better condition than our private roads. It is such an ordeal to traverse the broken, guttered track that I once zoomed along with little thought that I find all sorts of excuses to ensure someone else does the ‘town jobs’. (My town friends should know it’s not a personal thing – I just don’t like that drive much at the moment.  It’s painful.  I prefer my little bubble of isolation out here.  You can visit me if you like!).

3. There is no milk. The shelves, in grocery stores in our town, are bereft of liquid calcium. (Actually LOTS of towns in Queensland have run out of all kinds of essential supplies.  My friend Elle reported that Blackall has not had anything on their shelves for a couple of weeks – bread is being rationed so those on properties get something when they manage to get in.  And there is no fuel in many places.  It’s because no trucks can get in here.  Or at Elle’s local towns.  Or to most of Queensland.  And now, no trucks can get out of Brisbane.   A pretty sucky situation all-round.)  My town ran out of milk yesterday – and suddenly visiting there is even less appealing.   I didn’t realise how much my life revolved around milk.  Apparently it does.

4. This old girl might suddenly be worth her weight in gold.
orphan_0114
The Bay Lulic Factor!

My kids are very excited at the prospect of putting this ex-dairy milker ‘into action’.  I’m not sure I am… but at least we have this option. And she is only 6 litres of full-cream homogenised away from being called on.

5. I am so glad I have a working garden. The produce market which supply most of Queensland is underwater.  So therefore, no fruit or vege is being processed.  And no trucks.  And the farms that supply the fruit and vege are probably mostly underwater.  Or covered in mud.  It could be a while before we see fresh bananas or lettuce or carrots on the shelves.  Thank goodness I actually have a working vege garden – I have tomatoes, zucchini, basil, capsicum and some very odd, stunted carrots.  The insects are doing their level best to beat me to the ripe veg but we are still picking something.

6. We grow beef. And we have big freezers.  As long as our power stays on, our iron levels will be fine.

7.  I am so glad I am in the bush – watching Brisbane being flooded today made me realise how incredibly lucky I am.  Our clean water depends on OUR ability to harvest it and ration it.  Not on the rest of 2 million people being sensible about using their clean water wisely.  We got isolated for many days here, but it was without real fear for our lives. Lucky.  I remind myself of this fact daily.  Hourly.

8.  I am so proud of this state and its people. Premier Bligh said something today about encouraging Brisbane to face this flooding like their bush counterparts – to use regional Queensland’s resiliance as inspiration for their own ordeal. I hope they can.  So many bushies have gone without direct contact, without milk for Pete’s sake, for days and weeks already.  Some have been evacuated twice from their homes.  So many still find something to smile about, a way of  seeing the humour in their situation.  One old darling made a crack that her modest weatherboard home was now suddenly waterfront – and perhaps she could sell it for a ripping profit!   And some card in Brisbane shared their scuba equipment with the effigy of a sporting icon here … and a friend just sent me this:

Caption: New Brisbane Autumn Footwear Fashion

And even the animals are sharing a sense of the ridiculous:

(A frog riding a snake to safety at Dalby – check the link for the story!)

9. I see evidence of cameraderie and neigbourliness breaking out all over. Around here, I have seen it – I guess out bush you kind of expect it.  But I see it also in bigger centres, and in Brisbane. And it’s not always evident there – as a resident for many years of Bris-Vegas I can attest the erosion of the true spirit of ‘neighbourhood’ in many parts of this city of two million.   But now I see neighbours helping neighbours move furniture, to get to safety. I see complete strangers volunteering to help evacuate business as owners become overwhelmed with the task.  Stories of heroics to save others.  People reaching out to people.  There are sparkles of good amongst the muddy chaos.

10. I am humbled by the support being shown from around Australia and around the world. On a broad scale, with the Flood Appeal and through donations of clothing and furniture and essential items for those who now have nothing.  And on a personal level, for all those who have rung and emailed and messaged us to check on our safety.  We are fine.  Emotionally exhausted and frustrated, but fine… and any alone-ness that maybe hovered, lifts quickly with each call, each message.

——————————————-

I look back over this list tonight and I see it.  Positive words floating out from the awfulness.  I didn’t realise they were there til I did this list.  I am so relieved to see them – I am still in there somewhere!

If you are a Queenslander reading this, please share you floody list.  The positive and the negative.  Get it out. It’s quite cathartic.

If you are elsewhere, but have experienced this kind of life-changing event feel free to share your tips.

Thanks for listening.  And helping me realise just how lucky I am.

🙂

BB

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39 Comments

  • Jindivick Wildlife Care
    January 12, 2011 at 11:20 pm Reply

    No words – lots of love and hugs and prayers. Our dinner table conversation was interesting with our children – floods or fires?
    Our kids have seen fires – yours floods – we came to no decisions. Disasters take a long time to recover from and I hold you all in my heart and know that the Aussie spirit will thrive and shine.

  • Jane
    January 12, 2011 at 11:20 pm Reply

    A quote from The Sound of Music “When the Lord closes a door, somewhere he opens a window”
    So if there is a God…open those windows!!

  • ellie k
    January 12, 2011 at 11:43 pm Reply

    I am so sorry for your people and prayer for this rain to come to an end soon. I have seen what floods can do and the loss and damage is unbelieviable. You all are in my thoughts and prayers.

  • nancy
    January 13, 2011 at 1:34 am Reply

    It’s all so unbelievable—we here in the States are praying for your flood-ravaged areas and people!!! Glad you are safe, and we really hope this disaster is over quickly–your wonderful country is in our thoughts and prayers.

  • Carol/Red Dirt in My Soul
    January 13, 2011 at 2:12 am Reply

    I’m hoping Oz is at the end of its disaster period… and now when the work begins, you show the world your resiliency and pride and teamwork. I think of you often, and are glad you are in a rural area, where we can handle what comes our way. I would like to link to your blog and see if in any way, my little rural blog can help the people of Oz. Take care. Chin up!

  • Junebug
    January 13, 2011 at 2:39 am Reply

    Longtime lurker to your site. I wanted to thank you for helping put a personal “face” to the tragedy occurring in Queensland. The American news hasn’t given the floods a lot of coverage. My heart goes out to all the victims and I hope this ends soon.

  • Cristina
    January 13, 2011 at 6:06 am Reply

    Short time lurker to your site, but I love your writing.

    As a Brissy expat, currently in Europe, I have to say that the Queensland Police facebook page has been amazing with providing constant information throughout all the floods in Queensland. It’s been great for allaying fears especially when it’s hard to get intouch with family members to find out what’s going on.

    And apparently the name BrisVegas is no more, it’s now BrisVenice! 🙂

  • Colin (HB)
    January 13, 2011 at 7:15 am Reply

    BB

    Still have no e-mail access.No idea when that service will be restored. Until you cannot access your e-mails, you don’t realise, how dependant you are of them!
    This morning NOT one train has gone through Albion – that also includes Airtrain services! The airport is still open, but their information blog on arrivals and departures is out! I have no idea how people could get to the airport!
    The flooding got to within 4 streets away from me.
    Watching the distress of people affected on TV is heartbreaking so my TV is off.
    Had to chuckle at the comment of Cristina – BRISVENICE!!! That is a good one, under the circumstances.
    MILK – yes, none available here – I need a cow also! Pity I live in an apartment!!!
    Great reporting BB.
    Now the horrible and smelly clean-up has to begin – it is sunny here at present. The stench in the city etc. will be horrible, I just feel so sorry for all those people.
    Colin (HB)
    ps: I will e-mail when the service returns???

  • Nancy in Iowa
    January 13, 2011 at 7:45 am Reply

    Your item 3 really got to me – I’ve worried about your safety, fretted about folks being stranded on swamped roads and concerned about lives. I hadn’t even thought of the day-to-day things we take for granted being casualties, like basic foods. I’m sure Bay Lulic will be more than happy to help you out.

    And thank you for the light touch with the fancy flipper shoes!!!

  • Leigh
    January 13, 2011 at 8:40 am Reply

    Such a sigh of relief when I read you were okay. Hadn’t read your blog in years and you suddenly popped into my head last night. Peace to you, hubby and children. You are all in my prayers.
    Leigh (a teacher in New York City)
    P.S Your blog inspired me to make up stories for my children about a sheepdog named Dash that lived in the outback.

  • Margaret
    January 13, 2011 at 10:16 am Reply

    Great reporting! It was truly a heart breaking day to watch the story unfold and then to catch the images out of Murphy’s Creek last night on the 7:30 report just capped off the horror of the situation.

    Thanks for the frog hitching a ride. We need these moments of humour.

  • Pam Patterson
    January 13, 2011 at 12:19 pm Reply

    Oh, Babe, I have no words either. I can’t even imagine what you and your friends and famalies are going through.

    My thoughts and prayers are with you and yours.

  • Amanda
    January 13, 2011 at 12:55 pm Reply

    It’s all just sickening and scary and heartbreaking.
    We are fine here but yes – idiots have depleted supermarkets and petrol stations unnecessarily.
    Worse still, people keep sending warnings about the dam bursting and killing us all, or contaminated water….

    We lost power yesterday and were initially told it would be off for days which freaked me out a bit (my freezer is full of food) but it came back on quickly.
    I am feeling Greg’s loss acutely at the moment. Every time they increase the death toll, my heart breaks a little more.

    …and it’s just so unending.
    Amanda´s last blog post ..Dear Darl- it’s January 12- 2011

  • Kylie
    January 13, 2011 at 1:01 pm Reply

    My small floody list:
    Poo tank not working property but still have a toilet to use (unlike other Qlders).
    Ponies are up to their knees in mud but fortunately not flowing water.
    All my family are safe and dry in their respective areas even if we can’t get to see them
    and we have milk in our little town!
    Proud to be a Queenslander and fortunate to have been high and dry through all of this mess.

  • jeanie
    January 13, 2011 at 9:27 pm Reply

    I have a list on how this is affecting me:

    1. Do you know that in the 24 hour vulture-watch of Brisbane going under (littered with the words “tragic”, “heartbreak” and “devastation” – all, by the way, no doubt apt in some of their situations but lessened by the constant overuse) over 250 people died in floods in Brazil (http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/01/13/3112044.htm?section=world) and Haiti remains in crisis a year after the earthquake. Please note, I don’t want to lessen the impact of this natural disaster here – I am just HEARTILY SICK of the way our media is almost panting for something more salacious and are almost disappointed when the flood failed to make a new record. Oh – and to the newsreader who stated “this unprecedented event” tonight – IT IS NOT UNPRECEDENTED IF IT HAS HAPPENED BEFORE. (You’re right, that is cathartic – nothing like a pedant getting a chance to use capitals – so there point one is I get to let the pedant in me get all worked up!!!)

    2. It gets right up my left nostril that the area you are in (and I grew up in) had (once upon a time) a huge dairy industry, including a butter factory – but then “progress” meant that first all of the processing moved to more “centralised” locations (apparently it made economic sense) and it became politically prudent to deregulate the dairy industry (I hope everyone is enjoying their very cheap milk this wrought) and it drove the industry in the area to its knees – and as you are no longer allowed to sell raw milk, the drought put paid to all but the most hardy of the dairy industry – indeed, the local festival is still called the “Dairy Festival” – but now that area does not have milk on its shelves and is so reliant on one town at the bottom right hand corner of the state for so many staples.

    3. My right nostril is already flaring from the fact that there are very few fresh produce shelves bearing goods locally, yet the local producers are crying because “over a million dollars worth of stock” is in storage and may have to be dumped because the markets in that same town in the bottom right hand corner of the state are currently under water. Does someone need a good slap of LOGIC here?

    4. I have wine.

    I think I will now take a judicious slug before my shower so that I can enjoy the catharsis that this little unleash has created. If it doesn’t work, maybe a bex and a good lie down, eh?

    Oh, and the best name I heard for said town today? Brislantis!!
    jeanie´s last blog post ..High and dry

    • Bush Babe
      January 13, 2011 at 9:40 pm Reply

      Phew! Glad you unloaded, little sister… feel lighter now? So right – no milk on shelves, and dairies throwing milk away. Crazy!

      My favourite new Brissy moniker? BrisVenice (mentioned in earlier comment in this post)… with canoes instead of gondolas.
      🙂
      BB

  • gramps
    January 14, 2011 at 4:01 am Reply

    We watch your plight every day and send you our prayers
    One ray of hope—-as it is said —“OUT OF THE MUD GROWS THE LOTUS”—-I have learned that it is pronounced BRISBN

  • UtahZen
    January 14, 2011 at 7:42 am Reply

    Amen on the media. Reminds me of that Don Henley song Dirty Laundry. Drives me bonkers. Like Jeanie, don’t want to lessen the importance of events but the media are just ridiculous.

    That said, i am so glad you guys are safe and my thoughts and prayers go out to all of those who affected. It’s so nice to see the amazing way that your fellow Aussies are dealing though. The spirit they have and willingness to help each other.

  • Colin (HB)
    January 14, 2011 at 8:51 am Reply

    Wow – great blast, Jeanie and “UtahZen” !! – the media have gone compeletely overboard with sensationalism. I have turned off the TV and only watch it when it REALLY is news times. Still have no e-mail access but the “ourbrisbane.com” have put out updates. I have been told that the QLD govnt. site is the same. Hopefully restored when the CBD is re-opened. Very few trains are running. The back-up of the Mayne Rail yard trains from here to way up the northern line are still there – BUT – QR didn’t place security personal in place. Many carriages are just smothered in graffiti and I have been told some have windows smashed!! Disgraceful vandalism in this time of hardship. Some “ferals” really have twisted minds!!! If I could lay my hands on them, they would have a few more twists!
    Great reporting BB. Now Goondiwindi is getting it – I hope that the levee holds. I was brought up as a kid in this area in the 1950’s.
    Colin (HB)

  • Catch the Kids
    January 14, 2011 at 10:07 am Reply

    We are four blocks from the river. The water came up to the street before us. Really feeling for the folks who’ve lost everything. I’m trying to be positive, but as you say, it’s really hard when you see such devastation.
    Catch the Kids´s last blog post ..Surfs Up

  • DavidM
    January 14, 2011 at 5:13 pm Reply

    I’m very glad you’re (and yours) are ok, BB. Take care. DavidM.

    (Thanks for your post and your concern, Debby, if you read this.)

  • roger
    January 16, 2011 at 8:37 am Reply

    Dear Bush Babe and Incredible,
    The news only highlights the negetative aspects of major weather events but if you miss the extreme there are major benefits , something that your” loyal band “ need to take on board.
    In South Gippsland [Southern Victoria} have had warm humid weather over the last week and about 40mm of rain over that time. Paddocks that we cut for hay and our garden resemble spring growth which is great compared to the usual rapidly drying and browning landscape that Jan brings.
    There will be a lot of very fat cattle come out of Victoria over the coming months. Western and Central Victoria has had extreme rain with crop losses and downgrades and now some low lying towns being flooded, for those people it is really tough.
    But on the positive side after a decade of dry weather, ground water and soil moisture is returning , dams and waterways replenished and natures” survival of the fittest “ will be able to continue.
    Roger Ram Jet

  • Susan Ahalt
    January 24, 2011 at 7:07 am Reply

    BB, I can’t imagine what you’re going through but am glad you can see some bright things. I live in the NW corner in the state of Wyoming, USA, and altho we have a large dam a few miles away I would still be on high enough ground to miss being flooded. My thoughts are with you and know that you will be okay in the long run because, as they say here, you’ll “cowboy up” and ride it out.

  • Buttons
    January 27, 2011 at 2:43 am Reply

    Thank you for making it personal. We have no idea when we are so far away.I live in Canada. My prayers are with you all.
    You are lucky to live on a farm it has its advantages. Hope all is back to normal soon. B
    Buttons´s last blog post ..Toil!

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