Just Kidding Around... Then a bit of reverse storm chasing...

Hello Dhaaarlings!

The Empress and I survived our Sunday jaunt to the country and back....
 but only just.

We had a lovely day with Stepsister and her family

They run an organic garden and herb farm from their small property in a fairly remote and very small town in central western Victoria that has a population of about 30 residents and is 2 1/2 hours drive West from home.

The weather had cleared a little (it had at least stopped raining) and the floods which curtailed our previous plans to visit had subsided with the roads in that area being open again. We passed many signs that read 
"Water over Road" along the way and could see the debris from floodwaters along the sides of the road suspended from the fences, usual empty dams were now full and over flowing into paddocks and streams that were usually dry on our previous trips were now full of water and flowing freely.

The area we travel through is largely broad acre cropping and sheep country.
In past years the area has struggled with drought and hence poor crop results and de stocking of livestock. The drive was usually dry, sad and depressing to see everything covered in dust, shades of brown and struggling to survive.
But this trip was different!

Both sides of the road were lush green with crops of wheat, barley, and rye standing tall, broken by patches of vibrant yellow canola in flower. Or lush green pastures full of ewes and gambolling new spring lambs... There was even a bit of sunshine. I listened intently to the Empress as she sat beside me enjoying the sunhine commenting on the sights she could see in the paddocks as we drove by...
"Oh look at all the baby lambs, aren't they just gorgeous... And the sheep look white for a change instead of that dirty reddish brown from all the dust"
'That wheat... at least I think it's wheat... is the highest I've seen it growing in years"... Then she said
" I don't like the look of those clouds over on the horizon... By the looks of it we could be in for a wet bum!

Just then the news came over the radio. Apart from announcing that Footscray, better known to their fans as "The Bulldogs" Had one the grand final fot their first time in fifty two years beating the Sydney Swans. The second news Item was an alert for a severe weather warning for the whole State with damaging winds, possible hail, torrential rain and thunderstorms due to hit later that evening.

I turned to the Empress and said "Well that sounds fantastic Mother doesn't it?... We need more rain and storms because we have't had any for oh ... at least the last 12 hours... I guess it will have to be a short visit if you want to be sleeping in your own bed by  tonight" 

"A very short one... looking at those storm clouds we are driving into we could be in for a very interesting trip home" she replied sagely

After a lovley lunch with the family and catching up with the renovations to the place and plans for developing their business the squally rainstorms started passing rapidly through... thwarting several attempts to venture outside for a tour of the gardens

The Dress fitting went far from smoothly... it seems that Niece as gone up a bra size or two since trying the dress on and suddenly the dress won't do up past the waist line leaving a gaping gap of about 6 inches all the way up to the Back neckline.
A look of panic crossed the Empresses face... "What do we do now? I thought something like this would happen as She's still growing"...
"Is there any seam allowance that you can let out?"

"Stop worrying Mother... It will be just fine... I'll just make a new bodice to fit"... 
Sure... It's a lot more work 
 but will be easier than trying to re fit the bodice by opening existing seams
Hoping that the fabric hasn't faded or discoloured from the original

With new measurements taken and the dress packed ready for a full make-over the rain had stopped temporarily and gave us enough time for a wander about the gardens and visit some of the animals...

Meet the kids...

" Chips" and "Charley" twin brothers...

and "Petunia"

Part of the Vegetable Garden...

The Berry Garden...

Part of the Display Herb Garden...

More of the Herb display...

There are more Photos of the animals and gardens darlings but they will have to be in another post or two...

So to finish this tale... As we ended our tour of the place the rain returned and began to fall quite heavily...

We said our goodbyes and organised for niece to come down to us for a fitting over the course of a weekend.

The drive home was not too bad but the closer we got to home the heavier the rain got and I started to notice that where parts of the road that had been previously flooded but, were dry on the way over, were now wet and had started to have very shallow rivulets of water flowing across them.

The sky was getting darker and the night was closing in the closer we got to home. The rain was relentless and at times so heavy it was hard to see the road ahead. In some places i had to drive on the wrong side of the road to

 avoid the rising water across my lane. Fortunately in the bush there isn't a lot of oncoming traffic.

We eventually made it home safe and dry much to our relief and were very glad as within half and hour we really copped it. Thunder and lightening. Hail followed by heavy heavy rain.

It seemed the storm had been chasing us all the way home

Both the boys were very glad to see us home as Thunderstorms send them both mental...