Summer Storms

The summer storms hit Brisbane with a vengence with considerable damage to the community and the power grid. I flew in from Perth yesterday just in time to notice my website had been hit by spammers before the storm struck and took away the power. I was actually in the pool when it struck having given up on fixing my website. I couldn’t get out quick enough. Water – lightning strikes- run for cover – run back and try and secure umbrella (too late) patio furniture (too late). Later all secure – now find the camera to take a shot of horizontal palm trees. Found the camera but couldn’t switch it on due to lack of reading glasses. After the storm had passed I found them in the middle of the pool along with my coffee mug and a considerable amount of local flora and fuana. Ergon Energy reported up to 100 000 homes without power and I went without until 1:30 the next afternoon. Third world service in a state that promised bells and whistles with the new ‘privatised’ power company. 37 degress celcius – no power for the airconditioner or the computer – water for coffee heated on my old gas camping stove – light in the kitchen from my Mothers old Kerosene lamp from the farm in the fifties – hurumph. Tomorrow will be a better day, I’m sure. I hope. Similar storms are forecast for the rest of the week.