November 9, 2010

The Weather

When I lived in the city the weather was something that was on the periphery of my life.  Summer was hot, winter was cold and that was just how it went. Living on The Farm the weather has become a major character.   It has taken on its own identity and plays a huge role in our existence.  It is the most common topic that people talk about in our country town, and not just because we are all making polite conversation.

Sometimes the weather smiles on us and is our friend.  Other times it feels like a force that is continually against us.  In reality it is the major variable in our farming business.  We can predict it to a certain extent but it retains the right to be unpredictable.

In the past years we have had it all.  Sometimes it has been spectacular and sometimes it has been a little bit heartbreaking.

There have been storms.

First Rain of the Season 2010

A Summer Storm 2006
There has been rain.

Summer Rain, Sunset 2006
Sometimes too much rain.

Gravel Road, Washed Out 2006
And sometimes not enough.

Dusty Gravel Track 2010



The weather is linked in my memory with many moments in my life on this farm.  I remember the day we very proudly brought the miracle that was the newborn Farmboy home from hospital.  It was 47 degrees.  I went inside, turned on the air conditioner and hardly left the house for the next 6 weeks.

When we brought Farmgirl home it was pouring with desperately needed rain.  Farmgirl hardly slept that first night but I can remember contentedly sitting in a chair, rocking her and listening to the rain on our tin roof.  I had an overwhelming feeling of relief at being in my own home, with my own family and knowing it was finally raining.  I had a beautiful baby girl and all was right with the world.

This year we have had one day where it reached 50 degrees on the patio.  The heat was radiating up from the ground and you could feel it blast into the house when you opened a door.  We also had one morning where it reached minus 2 degrees.  We had frost on the lawn and the Farmchildren loved the crunchy sound it made.  Lightning struck our house in April.  The noise was so loud it made our ears ring for hours.  There was no serious damage but the house smelt of smoke from burnout electrical equipment.

I am used to the role the ever present weather plays now. I am always conscious of the fact that there are other farms, and families that farm them, that have fared much worse than us.

When I first moved to The Farm I worried.  Now I honestly try not to.  No matter how hard I have worried over the past few years, only one thing about the weather has been predictable.  It will do whatever it wants - not what we want it to do.

Double Rainbow, Looking West 2005

11 comments:

Not A Ballerina said...

Minus 2 to 50 is a scarily large temperature range to experience out there! I promise to stop complaining about city temperatures.

The storm and rain photos are magnificent though! I love all that space! The "closed in" feeling is the bit I most dislike about living in the city. Do you ever get sick of having those gorgeous endless views or does the magic last forever?

Sydney Shop Girl said...

Hello AFW,

Fantastic photos.

It's very humbling seeing such images of Australia.

By the way, I have tagged you for an award on my blog :-)

SSG xxx

A Farmer's Wife said...

Thanks ladies for your comments. I am yet to get sick of the views. I have to admit though that sometimes I have stopped noticing them. Then I notice them again at the oddest moments.

Thanks SSG for the award. I am very excited as I am still at the stage that I am just glad people are peaking at the blog now and then! I will try and get onto it tonight.

LIfe In A Pink Fibro said...

When we talk about the weather these days there seems to be so much more to talk about than in the old days, don't you think? It's a serious topic of conversation now.

Thanks for Rewinding at the Fibro!

Áine Tierney said...

Lovely images attached to your lovely words. We talk about the weather all the time in Ireland too - the weather can shift so much in a day here too.

BabyMac said...

I remember reading this post last year. LOVE the weather. All of it. Great photos too - thanks for the rewind share!

Trish@Show and Tell said...

I spent the first half of my life in the country....and the second half (so far!) in the city. In the city, the weather decides whether you go out for the day. In the country, the weather can make or break you.
Thanks for stopping by my blog and commenting.
Trish
xx

Glow said...

You take such great photos AFW :)

Anonymous said...

Beautiful. I remember the weather a lot more since children: they make you slow down and pay more attention to everything around you. I loved this post. Thank you.

Unknown said...

Love the photographs and your reflections. Weather is a great conversation starter, but it seems to be the centre of discussion these days. xx

Anonymous said...

Weather, like the rest of nature, has a way of reminding us to stay humble. That there are areas of life for which we have no control. This week in Phoenix, Arizona, a giant dust storm, a haboob, blanketed the city in dust. I have never seen such an angry monsoon season.

Dropping in to say hello from Weekend Wanderings.

Mila from http://hereundertherainbow.blogspot.com