Quite a Storm

The downpour yesterday started about 4.00pm. About an hour later when it eased there was 40ml in the raingauge. I hadn't even thought about clearing leaves from the spouts near the downpipes. That was a big mistake. About two minutes after the torrential rain started water was overflowing all the way along the spout onto the deck saturating everything.

I was a bit stunned at the sheer volume of water cascading everywhere when Robbie suggested I check the carport and driveway. Water was running down the hill depositing screenings and silt in the carport. I got wet through shovelling this aside so the water didn't build up. With the rain easing I stripped off shirt and trousers and climbed onto the roof in gumboots and underpants to clear the leaves from the downpipes. It was as slippery as all hell and I realised how easy it is for silly buggers like me to fall off and break their neck or leg or back. It should have been done before the rain started.

Why hadn't I done it before it rained? There'd been plenty of storm warnings and the sky had looked threatening on and off or some 30 hours previous. It was because my mind was focused on something else and I take the valuable lesson to be more flexible and respond more to the obvious and immediate. It'd been on my mind to work the bees and get a bit of honey off at first chance, after not being unable to do it for the past three weekends. When the expected rain didn't come on Friday and I woke to clear blue skies and warm weather on Saturday, I got into my head to do the bees.

It was after lunch when I got to them. I united two weaker hives. They weren't as weak as I thought, but again, I'd had it in my head to do it. It was messy, bees and combs were everywhere and robbers were quick to action. It's better to stay away from bees when a storm's brewing but I ignored this, thinking it was still warm and I'd be quick. It wasn't one of my better beekeeping efforts. Half way through I knew my mistake but determinedly kept going.

The rain kept up overnight bringing another 22ml for a total of 62 till now. I'm about to go outside to the shed and extract honey. There's possibility of more storms. At least the downpipes are clear now, but the tanks are already full so any more rain will overflow down the hill. I haven't seen rain as heavy as that for a long time. I'm grateful we missed the hail they had in other places. Hail can be a killer to the foliage business.