During this Week

This week has been trying for a lot of people with the floods all around, from up north to the inland Tsunami that ravaged the Lockyer Valley; and the massive flood that has devastated Brisbane City.  

While I live around 20 minutes drive outside the CBd, I also had my problems.  My house still has knocking pipes; but I'm getting that fixed soon.  We have had two really hot fine days where everyone around the place did all their laundry - and that was all of it!  I even washed my mattress protector and turned my mattress over; not that I don't do that anyway.  It's just that with all the rain that's been around, I haven't had the opportunity to get any of that done.  

Then, yesterday, I went to check the mail at the Post Office and around four or five of the Business-sized boxes had been vandalised.  I don't just mean spray-paint like last year where it can be taken off; I mean some destructive little gnat has gone there and kicked the doors in and tried to rip them off their hinges.  I gotta say, they tried really hard, and failed.  What was left of the doors were hanging off by one hinge; but still it was dreadful that this has happened.  This kind of thing always go one at this time of the year; just when kids are about to go back to school.  This is the time when they get very bored because everything they've been offered to do has been done by them over the holidays; however this time, it was different.  This time, all it did was rain.  This time, Brisbane City flooded and the kids didn't have the luxury of going in there to run around for the last week; and this time, kids on holidays have been stuck inside all week either watching television, surfing the net or bugging their parents.  But vandalising something as important and expensive as PO Boxes is just low.  Australia Post has to fix those boxes; and the rent on those boxes aren't cheap either - I should know, I have one - so why go around and destroy them?  The answer would be:  because they're bored.  Really?  Honestly?  If I said that when I was young, I was given something around the house to do; then I never said I was bored again.

So, there you have it.  The things that happened this week - besides the floods.  I know it sounds like a boring week.  But really it's not.  I'm up to reading my third book, began following a few other blogs on different subjects and have begun a new game on Bookcrossing called: 'Who Wants...' and I name a book title and the first person to e-mail me their address gets the book.  The following pay, I post it off to them.  I do it once a fortnight; and so I don't have the problem of having to post off too many items this year.  I've also begun saving up for a holiday in a few years' time.  I can't wait until I have the money up; but until then, I'll keep where I want to go a secret until the time comes closer.

So, there you have it, my week all caught up.  So, until my next post, take care, keep dry and I hope you all have avoided the floods.

Brisbane River Flood Peak

The flood marker at the Power House, New Farm

At 4am this morning, the Brisbane River peaked at 4.4m.  I was awake at around 3:30 am and felt a little concerned about what was going on before in the city before going back to sleep.

However on waking up, the sun was shining again; however things were still going on in the river.  The Riverwalk that runs along the Botanical Gardens has had large 300 tonne chunks break away and float down the river; running into the pylons of the Gateway Bridge.  The good thing is that the pylons didn't move and the bridge wasn't damaged; seeing how heavy these chunks are and how fast they were traveling. 

'Drift' the famous restaurant was seen being taken by the currents of the Brisbane River by the Triple M Morning Crew (The Cage) watched it go as they sat out on their balcony and debriefed from the show that day.  They were said that it was a spectacular view seeing it going by; doing exactly what its name suggested.

This morning, 'The Cage' crew on Triple M asked the owner of 'Drift' if he was okay about it taking off down the river.  He said not really; but he couldn't really do much about it; and seeing he didn't have flood insurance didn't really help.  Anyway, he said, 'Drift' will be reopening at some point in the future somewhere around Stradbroke Island or Tangalooma.  First, though, they have to get the water out of the barge the restaurant sits on.

One of my friends has started up a group on Facebook for anyone who is without accommodation.  He and his wife live at Thorneside and are willing to take in people who need a place to stay until their houses are good to live in again.  If you're on facebook, and you're in one of the crisis centres look up Geoff Treagus on the search box and go to his groups; it'll be there.

A lot of people are still missing out in the Lockyer Valley.  There's 12 dead and a number of families missing.  150,000 homes and businesses around Brisbane and Ipswich are still without power.  But the good thing out of this is that the drinking water is still okay to drink; however the Brisbane City Council has said to use the water sparingly in case that changes.  The crisis accommodation is at the RNA Showgrounds, QE2 Stadium at Nathan (where the 1982 Commonwealth Games were held); and three more emergency accommodation places have opened:

• St Catherine Anglican Church, McFarlane Street, Middle Park
• Good New Lutheran Church, Horizon Drive, Jamboree Heights
• Salvation Army Church, Lalian Street, Middle Park

Residents are urged to bring their own supplies to these centres; or as much as they can.  The flood levels will stay around Brisbane for the next 14 - 18 hours before they recede; then the clean up will begin.  I hope you have all stayed safe during this time; and have found the centres you've needed to be.  Otherwise until my next post, stay safe and dry; and I'll still be here.

Today's Update

This morning, I woke to strange blue skies and the sun.  After so long having nothing but wet days and dull clouds, it felt really weird to have to grab the sunglasses to go outside.  But really, I got up early to go and get the paper before they were sold out; I bought two, one for Mum and Dad and one for me.  The front page alone spoke volumes as did the inside; all about how many people had been evacuated, how had suffered and who had died.

So far, 19,700 properties have been flooded, there are 50,000 homes without electricity and around 3,000 businesses are underwater in Brisbane.  And that's before High Tide has arrived today at around 3:15pm; where the Brisbane River will rise to 4.5m.

There's isn't much more I tell you.  We're thankful that the rain has eased for now; but we're in for more (as they tell us) over the next few days.  People have been stocking up on food and others have been volunteering to help with whatever they can.  Aussies are being Aussies, if we're not in the danger zone of the flood (or even if we are), we're all trying to help.

Triple M Brisbane (a major rock'n'roll station here in Australia) was broadcast nationally today in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide and anywhere else they could to let people in other states know, who have relative here in Brisbane, that they're okay; and how the city is doing.  They even put out their phone number so they could all get in and phone to see which suburbs were evacuated.  So, that's all for now.  Until my next post, stay dry, keep safe and I'll still be here.

Flood Update

It's late and I've been watching the ABC24 News channel; and it seems they are showing the same pictures over and over... so I had to turn it off as it can do your head in if you keep watching it all the time.  What I can tell you all is that Brisbane City is suffering from the worse floods since 1974.  Today, the Brisbane River rose 2metres at high tide; and tomorrow it will do it again.  On Thursday, it will peak at 3metres as we have a King Tide and all the water from Monday will be coming out; as well as the water that was released from Wivenhoe Dam.  

In the Lockyer Valley, the death toll has risen to 10 people with 78 people - including families - missing.  The power grid is out across the Lockyer Valley, Darling Downs and Toowoomba.  Major roads coming into Brisbane are cut, so is the Gateway Motorway and the Ipswich Motorway.  

Ipswich City itself is also flooded as badly as it was in 1974.  And all the mayors of our towns and cities have told us not to go out unless we really have to; even then, it's probably best to stay indoors.  And if we have to evacuate through the advice of the SES, it's best we follow that advice.  Otherwise, stay home and just keep our eye on the news. 

This has been one of the worse natural disasters that has hit this state in a very long time.  I'm keeping in mind all those people who have lost anyone to these floods, who are looking for missing family and friends, who have lost all their belongings and who are staying in evacuation crisis centres tonight.  They are all in my thoughts and prayers; as they've lost everything to something they had absolutely no control over so soon into the New Year; and until their lives are back to normal, nothing will feel right to them for a long time.  Until my next post, keep safe, stay dry and I'll still be here.

Today's Rain

I'm getting to hate this rain; there's been so much of it.  The fences around the unit complex are falling down and the swimming pool is full - almost overflowing actually.  I went for a walk out onto the footpath and took a filming of what it all looks like; and it's not good.  

I've been worried about a lot of things and have found it hard to get to sleep at night lately.  I haven't been to my parent's house as I really can't get over there or back in this weather; and so don't really know how bad their place is.  The piano is sounding really bad; as the moisture in the air isn't good for it, I can't get outside to do anything, I'm reading my third book this year and am running out of things to do inside that don't include making popcorn and getting out a dvd from my collection, putting a cd/vinyl or reading a book.

But then, there's all those people who have been devastated by the inland Tsunami, the floods up north and the rising Brisbane River; and I think my problems a really small.  I'm not sure if they are or not; but I think it's because I'm alone right now and don't really have anyone to talk to about this.  Also the last time this kind of flood hit Brisbane, I was only 3 months old.  But looking at the pictures from then I can get an idea of what this can do to our city.

Right now, I'm hoping my friends find higher ground, as do other people, I hope the rain goes away, I hope the Brisbane River doesn't rise much further... and I think that all we can do; hope.  I just feel so helpless at the moment; that I can't help anyone and I wish I could.  So, I hope the news links work well for you all on the sidebar and what I write for you here is okay.  I'll try to keep you all as up-to-date as I can.  Until my next post, stay safe, keep dry and I'm still here. 

Flood Crisis Worsens in Queensland

Yesterday, I turned on the television at around 6pm, I watched in shock to find that the Lockyer Valley, out near the Darling Downs, below the Garden City of Toowoomba was hit by an 8 metre wall of water.  Entire towns of Helidon, Withcott and Grantham were inundated by the water so fast that the residents were forced to climb onto the roofs of their homes and wait until they were rescued.

Cars from Murphy's Creek upstreams ended up in trees kilometres downstream; and houses were shifted off their foundations; looking like they had been bulldozered.  This sudden flooding took these people by such surprise that some have been found clinging to trees and 50 were up on higher land in the primary school.  Everyone in these communities have lost everything in such a short length of time and so soon after Christmas too.

However, there have been casualties of eight people; and there are still people to be found, and it's believed that 70 people are still missing.  

Our State Premier, Anna Bligh, has said that this is our darkest hour of the flood crisis of the last fortnight; and that what has unfolded in the Lockyer Valley will test our already stretched rescue teams.  

Queensland Police Commissioner, Bob Atkinson said, "What hit Toowoomba could be best described as an inland instant tsunami.  We're doing all we can but we won't have a full appreciation of what's happened until during the day (Tuesday)."

I've been listening to the radio this morning and heard that Laidley, Forrest Hill and Gatton are going to be evacuated today as the water from the Lockyer Valley makes it way to the Brisbane River.  Today, the Brisbane River will rise 2 metres with the high tide; and 3 metres tomorrow.  Otherwise, until the next news on this flood crisis, stay safe, dry and I'll still be here keeping you all updated.

Bucketing Down Cats'n'Dogs!

Yep, it's raining so much around here, it's not hard to step in a poodle of water; or a river that's streaming down the footpath.  I had to roll up the legs of my old painting jeans and wear thongs/flip-flops to the post office just so that my good pair of sneakers wouldn't get soaked.  And all I wanted to do was post off a parcel to the USA.  On the way there, I found out my umbrella had sprung a leak in the most unlikely place:  right in the top handle piece where it opens out... water was running down it onto my hands.  I felt like a wet duck by the time I got home from the post office and the servo next door (I had to get some milk.  No way was I going out again just for milk today!).

Once home, I kept the house closed up because the rain has been coming from all angles and keeping the gutters and drains filling up.  The rain gauge was showing 61mm before I emptied it at 9:30am; and I'm wondering how much more we'll be getting.  But I'm more concerned about the north of Brisbane; as they're getting well over 100mm and a lot of roads have been closed up near Caboolture, Caloundra and around those areas.  I heard on the news that the Brisbane City Council has offered up free sandbags for people who are worried about their homes being flooded when the Brisbane River hits the high tide mark over the next few days due to the amount of rain we've had.  This is also because Wivenhoe Dam has had its floodgates opened as well and there'll be excess water.  

Flooded Brisbane Streets in 1974

This rain is supposed to stick around until Autumn; and petter out by Winter.  We've had this kind of thing before - just as bad - in 1974 when Brisbane flooded really bad.  However, I don't remember it because I was only a few months old and we didn't live that close to the CBD.  But this weather pattern was around at that time; and it caused all kinds of havoc everywhere; just as it's causing the same kind of havoc now.  

So, if you're on holidays and coming home, please be careful while you're driving our wet roads.  If you've suffered through the floods in Emerald, Rockhampton, Townsville, St. George, Injune, Warwick or anywhere else we haven't heard about yet, I hope you can return your homes back some kind of normal as soon as possible; and celebrate a belated Christmas at least (seeing a lot of you didn't get a chance to do that).  Otherwise, if you're staying put, don't go out unless you absolutely have to... and even then, be careful how you go; even on foot can be disastrous.

For me, the next few days, I'm going to be sticking around the house, reading some mighty fine books from my Mt TBR, playing the piano, listening to music and watching dvds at my leisure.  This is my idea of a good day in out of the rain; but I'd much prefer to read a book outside... such a bummer I can't right now.  Until my next post, take care, stay dry and don't go out unless you absolutely need to.  

Bad Luck?

It's barely a month in to the new year and already I'm hearing about bad luck a-brewin' around the place.  If it's not bad enough to walk under ladders and letting black cats wander in front of you, now it's bad luck to leave your Christmas Decorations up after 6th, January.  Is it really that bad to do this?

I've looked this up on the net and a few sites told of the Christian beliefs of the Twelve Days of Christmas and what they originally meant; and have dwindled to unfortunately, as I never knew the meaning of them until I read them here.

Then I found another site where it was written that the decorations were taken down on 6th, January because a long time ago, they were brought in from outside.  The Holly and Ivy were used to decorate people's homes and to provide a safe-haven for the tree spirits throughout the mid-winter until it was time to let them go outside again on 6th, January.  If you didn't put them back outside, the vegetation wouldn't be able to start growing again; thus Spring wouldn't start over again as it's supposed to.

Until 19th Century, people used to keep decorations holly, ivy, box, yew, lauren and mistletoe up  until 2nd, February, which is Candlemas Day, the end of the Christmas season; 40 days after the birth of Jesus.  Also, the Three Wise Men aren't included in the Nativity Scene until Candlemas Day; and the scene traditionally isn't taken down until 2nd, February.

Also, during the reign of Queen Victoria, all the decorations were taken down on the twelfth night and generally burnt.  So, even though these superstitions are long gone, and our decorations are now made from glass, paper, plastic and foil, we still feel uneasy about leaving up past the 6th of January.  Have you taken down your Christmas tree as yet?  Or is still sitting in living room decorated?  Mine's still up but the decorations are put away.  Until my next post, take care.  

It's A Friday!

At around 5am, I was woken by a sudden opening up of the heavens.  It was amazing how loud it was; even on the tile roof.  But I got up and check the bathroom window to make sure it wasn't getting in; and as I did, I glimpsed the sunrise.  It was lovely, golden and very pretty; unlike the rest of the day.

Well, when I got up an hour or so later, it was still raining, but not as heavily, and I dressed quickly to get myself out and to the bus stop early.  But as it came closer to leave, the rain became heavier; and I was beginning to have my doubts about leaving.  However, I needed to get to Garden City to pick up a prescription, have a look at some sales and, basically, get out of the house!  I was beginning to go stir crazy being stuck here because of the dull days.

I took some photos of the cars driving past in the rain and made sure I had all my money, cards and Go Card with me before getting on board the bus; which was early.  As it was about to pull away, on of my friends - who lives in another unit complex - jumped on and we chatted about what we did over Christmas.  She went to Africa to visit family and I told her about Dad.  As the bus traveled under the bridges at Mt Gravatt - near the offramp of the South-East Freeway, we heard a clang.  It was loud enough to make the bus vibrate; but the driver didn't seem to worry about it.  But we wondered about what it was.  

Anyway, once at the shopping centre, the rain had stopped, but the place was still dripping from it all.  So, we walked inside and she chatted about how nice the centre was overall.  We talked about how crowded it had gotten over the Christmas Shopping period and that it was thinning out now; and then said our farewells as she went off to work and I had my list of stuff to buy. 

I purchased a book at QBD, some shampoo and conditioner, eye shadow applicators and make-up sponges at Priceline.  Then, I went to the Book Cafe for a coffee and found a book written by Umberto Eco there that I didn't have.  I had to get a prescription filled at the Terry White Chemist and then I wandered through the music section of David Jones and found a c.d. that I wanted to purchase over Christmas but couldn't because I didn't have the money.  Now, I do.  Anyway, I had a choice between Jamiraquai and Bon Jovi.  So, I asked to listen to the former and it a little slow for my taste; I like his faster works.  But Bon Jovi has all their greatest hits and a few more new tracks.  So, I bought that instead.  

Well, by the time I headed out of David Jones, I spotted the bus sitting there at the stop... how good was my timing?  I ran up to it and jumped on, touching my card to the box.  In no time at all, I was back at the Park Road stop and heading off to the Slacks Creek Post office to check the mail.  While there, I bought a box to post off a set of books to the US on a book spiral I've taken part in on Bookcrossing which had arrived at my door in October; and I have finally finished the book just last night.  All I need to do is get the next person's address and send the box off via sea mail and they can enjoy all seven books of vampire romance.  

Well, for a short week, this week has felt pretty long.  I think it's the weather that's done it.  Until next time I post, take care.

Grey Skies Above Us

Yep, it's raining again.  Over the last few days, it's been raining off and on; and we've had storms grumble pass, pound over us and cause me to unplug the computer, television and radio and just pretty much sit and read a book... yeah, there was that much lightning around.  So, love or hate it, the rain looks like it's here for a while.  Exactly what have you been doing this school holidays?

For some of us, it hasn't been all that great.  From just before Christmas, floods inundated Emerald, Townsville, Bundaberg, Rockhampton, Chinchilla, Warwick and St. George and Injune.  That covers an area that's about the size of France and Germany put together... and they say there's more rain coming.  After such a dry spell, it's nice to see the stuff, but not so much in such a small amount of time.  And the news of this has reach across the world to so many countries, they're all willing to lend a helping hand to get people back on their feet.  

Mt To Be Read!  

I'm hoping to get some serious reading done while it's raining like this.  It's good weather for it; and I do enjoy cracking the cover of either a best seller or a classic and getting myself lost in the pages between them.  It's just something I've always loved.  And fortunately, with my other blog My Reading List I'm hoping to read and review more books than ever this year; well, more than 20 anyway.  Last year, I was stuck when I tried to read 'Under The Dome' and it took me 3 months to  get 3/4 the way through before giving up on it.  Well, I'll never do that again.

Another school holiday thing I love to do - once the weather fines up - is gardening.  I promised myself to fix up the garden; but every time it looks like it's going to look good, rain comes and makes everything soggy again.  Well, I guess I can't win them all.  I'll just keep on mowing the lawn and making sure the weeds are pulled out by the fences to make it look neat.

Movies and dvds are another thing I love to do when it's raining; and I've been meaning to see 'Tron: Legacy'... but I think I'll wait until it comes out on dvd.  It's just something I'm not too excited about as I love to watch movies on my surround sound home theatre system now and they sound brilliant.

Well, I guess,  that's all from me about the school holidays.  I'm never bored here with what I do.  And - even though the house is a little messy - I do enjoy getting into my painting, knitting and playing the piano.  Hope you're enjoying your holidays in this grey old weather.  What have you been doing?  Until my next post, take care.