It's been raining cats and dogs in Hobart, as it has been up and down the east coast of Australia. We have been spared the serious flooding that has occurred in northern Tasmania and in other states - but the Hobart Rivulet near our house has been a mighty brown torrent.
Yesterday was Sunday, and appropriately the sun came out for the first time in a week. I genuinely didn't know what to do. There were various house things that needed doing, washing to get on the line etc. But maybe I wanted to read a book in the sun? Then there were a couple of DIY things to sort out. I actually got myself into an anxious state, upset with myself that I didn't have a plan in place to make best use of the sunshine.
It seems ridiculous, but I confessed it to a workmate this morning and she said she had felt the same. The rain is coming back for the rest of this week, and we both felt "oh no, I have a small window of precious sunshine and I MUST NOT WASTE IT". That anxiety is ridiculous but when you are in it it's very real.
In the end I went off to Bunnings Hardware. When in doubt, just pretending to be a normal Australian man for a while is not a bad strategy. On the way I went past the soccer fields which are not in use now it's spring, and two bagpipers in plain clothes were bang in the middle playing at top volume. I think that was when I started feeling better. I bought some timber and drain plugs and solar lights and non-slip stuff and solvent and had a sausage and onion in bread.
I also had a walk in the sun around the old Showgrounds behind Bunnings, which is a very odd place indeed these days.
I got home, made an extension to the front yard handrail and put non-slip strips on the steps. Then I sat down to watch the Richmond women's team qualify for their first finals series with a thrilling draw. And I am back on the rails.
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| The floodlights for the Showgrounds' greyhound track |
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| Last time I sat here was to watch diving pigs in 2011 |
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