Dogs are animals of integrity. We have much to learn from them.
Tag: Bummer Creek
A few more photographs of the swollen Bummer Creek.
Firstly, the photo I shared on January 2nd.
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This last one shows how the water, which was up to the bottom of the tree, had the force to hollow out the ground beneath that fine tree!
And I want to return to publishing posts!
My last post was about an accident that I had on the 17th November, last.
Jean is now back home; she came home on Friday, 13th December. However, every day we have a caregiver at home for part of the time. Jean is getting slowly better. I would estimate that at about one percent a day.
I am unsure as to the pattern of my posts. Whether I should go back to scheduling posts three times a week or publish posts on an ad-hoc basis. That will become clearer over the next few weeks.
I am going to start with publishing posts on an ad-hoc basis.
Meanwhile here in Merlin we have had loads of rain.
This is the creek that flows across the lower part of the property.
Hoping to be back to normal!
July 20th was my last post. Here are some of my own photographs taken while Maija, my daughter, Marius, her husband, and Morten, their son were with us. That was after Alex, my son, had come to see us in June.
Here is Morten, who spent hours caressing and fondling Brandy, our largest dog.
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His other passion was exploring for gold. We have Bummer Creek flowing through the property. It is called ‘Bummer’ because as the locals would have it there is no gold to be found. But that didn’t stop Morten spending time looking for gold!
And this is Maija (photo slightly out of focus).
The next photo shows Maija and Morten strolling along the creek.
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Above a shot showing Marius and Morten looking for the illusive metal!
I close with the Morten and Marius hoping to see a trace of gold in the gold-pan, and Maija looking on.
My next post will be on Tuesday.
It has been a bit of a week weather-wise!
During the heavy rains this last week we had an oak tree come down in front of the house. Luckily not doing any collateral damage.
But cutting it up into rounds and then splitting them ready for the wood tent took up most of yesterday (and Michael and Stanley many thanks for your help).
For today’s post I wanted to share two photographs with you. Two very different views of the world as seen from our property.
The first photograph above is of Bummer Creek that runs through our property. The view is upstream and the picture was taken last Sunday from our driveway bridge that crosses the creek. The flood waters were as high as we have ever seen them.
Please accept the slight fuzziness of the second photograph. But it is a shot of the full moon just as it appeared above the line of hills to the North-East. I dashed out to our deck and took the shot. Moments later the moon had been hidden by clouds. This was Thursday evening.
The picture doesn’t even get close to recording the magic of the dark night sky, stars shining so brightly, and the glorious full moon. Apparently a moon in orbit closer to planet Earth than is usual.
Nonetheless, the two photographs represent two very different and contrasting faces of our natural world.
You all have a very relaxing weekend.
The big flood!
Regulars will recall that during the week I missed being able to publish a post and just quickly dropped a note to say that Rain Stopped Play commenting:
Sorry good people but the rain yesterday interfered with our Internet connection until early evening.
Then there just wasn’t time to post something for you.
Other than at 6:50 pm we had had 3.17 in of rain since midnight!
Well on Thursday morning our ‘on-property’ weather station was reporting that in the 30 hours since the start of Wednesday through to 6 am on that Thursday we had had a total of 4.78 inches of rain.
Later on Thursday morning I went down to our creek and the following photographs record the scene!Our driveway drops gently down for about 250 yards from the house to our bridge over Bummer Creek where I was heading with my camera. To the left of the driveway is a creek with no official name but the locals call it Cup Creek. For most of the year it is dry!
Then I arrived at our bridge that crosses Bummer Creek. Upstream years ago an irrigation dam was installed. It is just visible under the raging waters.
Difficult to estimate how swollen the creek was but it was carrying many, many times more water than even the usual effects of a couple of rainy days.
But then looking up from the bridge to where the driveway runs up to Hugo Road this mini-river met my eyes.
The gully to the side of the driveway had become blocked with leaves hence the surface water. But then I saw that where the driveway met the metal platform of the bridge the flowing water had carved out quite a section of the driveway.
No question this has to be repaired by yours truly that morning because the hole would have prevented anything larger than a standard car from coming across the bridge.
So that was our rainy day; how was it for you!
Some family memories.
I can’t believe that it is four weeks tomorrow since Alex, my son, left us to return to England. I wanted to share some photographs with you.
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Let me bring today’s picture parade to a close by including three fabulous photographs taken by Alex.
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Trust all of you dear readers will forgive the personal indulgence!
Not bad for a dog who will be the human equivalent of aged 96 this coming June.
Pictures of Pharaoh playing in our creek taken last Tuesday.
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What a magnificent animal he is! Thank you, Pharaoh, for being the dog you are!
Our bridge repairs continue.
Last Friday, I posted part One about how the floods had swept away our bridge supports and how the remaining steel deck had been removed.
Unfortunately, when the deck was lifted clear of the concrete supports, further damage to those supports became visible. Thus repairs had to be made, as the photo below illustrates.
Once the concrete had cured for a couple of days, then it was time to install a steel frame. This frame will take the weight of the steel platform when it’s time to re-install that.
Below there’s a picture of Wade welding the cross joists to the main longitudinal girders.
Plus another shot that demonstrates the ease with which these guys work on girders!
So no access to our front entrance road just now but by Friday the steel platform should be back in place. Then before the required earth works are started on Monday we will have a week-end of being able to drive in and out of our property.
Learning from Dogs 