Hello Debbie!

If there is one thing you learn to do in the bush, it’s read a weather forecast closely, and take it with a grain of salt at the same time.

So when Cyclone Debbie began forming in off the North Queensland coast last week, a part of me cheered that we MIGHT be getting some good widespread rain across our region finally, a part of me didn’t believe anything at all would eventuate, and a part of me worried about where it might hit and do damage.

It’s complex being a farmer – those like us, who have low-maintenance cattle on very hilly country (where there is plenty of chance for animals to get to higher land) are happy with big falls and being cut off from civilization for a little while. Other farmers, who have more intensive set-ups (like piggeries or creek and river-side crops) DON’T like any kind of flooding at all – it can ruin a year’s work in a night.  So what I wish for us, I cannot wish on ALL farmers.  But, of course, my wishes count for nothing and Mother Nature is the one with the final say.

I was in Rocky last weekend as Cyclone Debbie became a reality, and saw this forecast for our area… and began to worry about getting our children home safely from boarding school.

Flash flooding can happen at many places between home and Rocky, so after much debate, I finally made the call to bring them (and their cousins) home a few days early (Tuesday morning) for their Term 1 break.

They were a tiny bit excited to head home – dosed up on caffeine (me) and frozen raspberry drinks and hash browns (kids).  It rained almost all the way home…

And Wednesday began like this…

As we tackled some wet weather jobs at our workers’ house, a few kilometres from home.  My husband had managed to sneak a flat pack kitchen home in front of the rain on the weekend, and we all set about putting it together.  I am delighted to report that all relationships stayed intact despite this potentially-challenging set of tasks!

Meanwhile, outside…

Soft, easy ‘grass rain’ fell in drifts… and the ‘inches’ of rain began to add up.

Raindrops and bokeh… make me happy!

Then last night and today…

It started getting a bit more serious.

Upstream had over 100mm overnight and the runoff gathered into a big fresh in our river…

Still a very long way off the BIG floods of 2010 (flashback here and here) but great to see, nonetheless.

My uncle had been by earlier to clear out a couple of the drain-holes off the ‘big bridge’ to allow the water to escape.

Gotta love that red silty soil!

Of course, the best part (besides full water reservoirs for the animals) is FULL rainwater TANKS for us.  I shouted myself a long hot shower during the downpour last night – sheer, unadulterated luxury!

During the waterway checks today (and there were a few by all neighbours!) I took these before-and-after clips with our creek coming down.

And then three hours later…

Oh the fencing ahead of us! But for now, we’re enjoying the view, toasting Debbie with neighbours and tallying up the much-needed rain she has brought to our corner of the world.

I am soooo thankful that this storm waited until after my little celebration just over a week ago… and until we gathered our chicks back into the nest!

We know this experience will contrast with others – we know many friends up north who bore the fury of her, and have enormous adventures to tell and costs to count.  We know how lucky we were to get the ‘burned out’ version of her two days after she hit near the Whitsundays.  Our thoughts are also with them as they face huge cleanups, and with those down south getting a re-invigorated version of this weather event as I speak.

But this was our Debbie experience.  And while my feelings are mixed, I cannot help but give thanks for the rain.

🙂