Neighbour Washing Car

Neighbours can be quirky and while I am a friendly soul have not been able to make friends with all my neighbours. Well a couple were friends but only one has lasted a move. One of my neighbours I actually spoke to on the day before I moved. Often neighbours shift and new ones come and you suddenly think oh when did that happen? As I have not seen any removal vans come or go. Then it dawns on me that recently cars have been coming and going frequently and loads of large bags and packages have been loaded in to the car which I caught a glimpse of as I passed the window.

Yes, so I missed the actual move of the neighbour and only realised when I started seeing another person visiting daily to check on an extension being carried out at the rear of the house. Now I always make an effort to smile at my neighbours when I see them outside. But the one who had vacated never returned the smile except once when he was cutting grass and was right in front of me.

The current observation is about this gentleman. It was a cloudy murky day and quiet. Then the expected rain arrived. I have seen that more often then not the rain is a serious downpour almost monsoon like. My husband has often made video clip of the rain which starts with a dance of huge drops of water and then they run along the road. As the wind picks up the rain is seen at a curtain of water flying along. The road becomes a river that is rushing to find a gutter and race to the storm drain.

So once the rain started it was heavy with visibility greatly reduced. I love watching the rain racing about hither tither with the wind so I went to stand in the veranda to take in this view. The sight that I was confronted left me open mouthed, literally. The man next door was on his front lawn washing his car. Now one can understand that since it is raining, he would be making the use of all this free rain water but no that would be too sensible. He was holding an umbrella to protect himself from the rain and using a garden hose to wash his car. Why? The logic still eludes me…. Have never seen this before or since but then never know what new neighbours and neighbourhoods will bring.

Nature's Power

It is so dark and gray

No sight of even a ray,

It’s thundering

Is it going to rain? We are wondering

At last, down the rain pours,

And the clouds roar,

Harsh winds are blowing

And the leaves are rustling.

The sun then shines later in the day

Children come out to play

While the trees sway.

It is such a beautiful day!!!

There are raindrops on flowers

It is amazing to see Nature’s Powers

Sometimes lightening…

Sometimes shinning….

Moods of Rain

The earth is parched and dry

Clouds gather in the sky

The breeze picks up

And the dust kicks up

Clouds crash and thunder flashes

Rain comes and thirst quenches

The raindrops dance on the earth

Filling me with joy and mirth

The wet earth smells sweet

From the gentle drizzle it meets

I lift my face to feel the rain

The gentle caress of the rain

It soothes and comforts me

It cools and caressess me

There is mixed mood in a monsoon storm

The energy that sizzles through the storm

Electricity crackles and lightening flashes bright

Raises the hair as if in fright

The thunder provides the drum roll

A wonderful orchestra seems to be nature’s goal

Then you feel the fury in the storm

The pounding rain that comes with the storm

With the strength of a rushing waterfall

Threatening to sweep away all

Driving the rain is gale force wind

Tearing through the rain both lightening and wind

The moods of rain are moods of nature

Often reflecting human nature

Here Comes the Monsoon

The summer is always hot and dry

Temperatures soar high

On the pavement an egg you can fry

Lassitude from the heat makes you sigh

Everyone is waiting eagerly

To welcome the monsoon

To see the storm clouds gathering

To feel the coolness of rain soon

As the day grows old

Shadows made by the clouds

The sun becoming paler gold

Skies being darkened by the clouds

The breeze picks up slowly

The leaves begin to rustle

The wind soon whispers secretively

The flora also start doing the hustle

The first drop of rain

Earth welcomes the first drop

The dry earth ready to soak up the rain

Drop follows another drop

The smell of the wet earth

Makes you take a deep breath

The sweet smell of moistening earth

The dampening coolness filling your breath

The drops grow in size, big and fat

The downpour starts to increase

The rain collects in puddles fat

Looking like it will not cease

I rush out on to the rain

On to my terrace

To dance with joy in the rain

The cooling rain on my face

The joy of leaping about

The laughter at the fun

Of kicking the water spraying about

Seeing if you can get wetter at a run

When I see the first drops of monsoon rain

When I see the kids leaping in the rain

The joy of getting wet wandering in the rain

It takes me back to my childhood in the rain

Making me smile all over again

With the remembered joy again

Making me hum again

I am singing in the rain…. again

Very Wet November

Last year it was cold by this time. There had already been one round of snow. This year the heavens have opened... some one has left the tap running up there. In the last couple of weeks it has been raining heavily on and off. But this week it rained and rained and there have been flood waters as high as 8 feet in some places. This morning in the south east the rain has eased and the sun is out but by night fall rain is going to be back - marching forward from the western coast. I feel so sorry for all those people who have been evacuated (some airlifted after breaking out of their roofs) and they are not sure what will be left of their belonging when they finally get home.

Rain is lashing and thunder is crashing
Lightening flashing and gales shrieking
River waters rising and current speeding
Next increase in downpour sees the banks breaking
Water gushing down the road and into houses
People distressed which the flood causes
Rescue services out in force
Saving people from the nature's force
Motorised life rafts struggling to reach all
Helicopters battling the elements to save all
All safe and warm finally deemed
Rescue services heroes deemed