I'm enjoying a post walk, pre breakfast, peppermint tea with a sqeeze of lemon juice while I blog. Cleansing and soothing.
It was a good weekend. We had a little rain last Thursday, only 4mm, and then 6mm yesterday. Not much, but better than nothing. September was very dry and Melbourne's reservoirs went down for that month for the first time in 36 years since such things have been recorded. Many parts of Victoria are at crisis point. Lib's sister in Bendigo emailed us yesterday saying they are no longer allowed to water the garden, even with a watering can.
I expected the rain because the black cockies had been around and folklore says their presence means it will rain in a few days. It always seems to work, but sometimes only a little rain like this time.
I worked solidly most of yesterday. I was out burning off rubbish before 6am. I normally burn in the evenings on a still day but Saturday, when I planned to burn, was warm and windy and I didn't want to scorch the copper beach tree near where I burn nor upset a neighbour if a bit of smoke goes their way. Do unto others as they say. So I pruned on Sat. and cut out some getting largish holly trees that had been annoying me. I had a big dry heap to burn surrounded by more dry stuff to throw on and also lots up green stuff accumulating for future burns when it dried out and I was worried it was all going to get away on me with the likelihood of early fire restrictions this year because of the big dry. So I didn't walk, I burnt instead as a cool change had come in overnight, rain was threatening, and the neighbours would be asleep, was my logic. I ended up burning the lot, green stuff and all, which I know is naughty, but a drop of sand in a tip truck compared to what the DSE get up to.
Nearing the end of Quinn Rd. on my walk this morning there was a soft crunching of gravel behind me which I heard above the 6am news on the radio I carry in a utility bag. I turned around quickly a little startled, always concerned that a vehicle might come on us suddedly and run Snowie over. It was Janice on her pushbike. She slowed and rode next to me saying 'hello', but not calling me by name. She was in full bike gear including helmet and sunglasses. "Hi Janice" I said, "I haven't seen you for ages. Have you been away or something."
"No, I haven't, but I had two weeks off work which meant I was out a little later. I hadn't seen you either and I said to myself I hope he is not sick."
As she said this she smiled and her voice had a warmth to it. I explained I'd been away for a week, told her about Lib's broken wrist and that I'd been so busy my routine was not so well oiled lately. We agreed the rain was great and she smiled again and rode off.
This was a good start to the working week. I hardly know Janice at all and it's pleasing that she was concerned for my well being. She lives in the first house on the right as I walk up Quinn Rd. and has for years fed her horse in Volta's paddock on the other side of Launching Place Rd. early in the morning, sometimes with a man I assume is her husband. She walks her dog, a border collie named 'Hannah' sometimes at the same time I do and we've had an odd chat here and there about dogs or the weather. Once I told her my name and asked hers. Until today she was always a person of few words and always looked extremely serious or worried. A bit like a Swedish tennis player, not a glimmer of emotion.
On my way back I saw the bag of silverbeet I left for my neighbour Allison, tied to the fence, had gone. Allison walks her daughter's pet rabbit 'Cocoa' in the morning, and now and again I leave greens where I know Allison will see them, where 'Cocoa' likes to do her toilet. I look after 'Cocoa' when they go away.
