319 days to Antarctica ... "Rainy Day Blues" Willie Nelson

Approximately 5 minutes reading time

“I am prepared for the worst, but hope for the best” Benjamin Disraeli

“Rain, Rain go away, come again another day”, the nursery rhyme replays in my head as the torrential storm is unending. Last year we were burning alive, by Bush Fire, now we are being washed away and drowning in floods. Since last year’s horrific bush fires, rain makes me grateful that there aren’t any bush fires. Now, it breaks my heart that people all over New South Wales are being devastated, if they manage to survive these terrible floods. Some people being affected by these floods also suffered great tragedy, loss and suffering in the bush fires. I am grateful not to be one of them or know any directly affected now. Last year I prayed for rain. Now, I pray for sunshine “…to dry up all the rain…” like Incy Wincy Spider. All the spiders are coming inside to stay safe. Even snails, crickets, grasshoppers, I don’t kill them, where possible I return them to the great outdoors; the garden.

Since my unbelievable tragedy started last January I have joked about personally living through the Seven Last Plagues of Revelation 15:1 from The Bible. So far, I have experienced fire, pestilence, the punishment of darkness, pains and sores (survival and recovery). Now flood, the skin disease and infection (Vasculitis and the rare smoke-induced double Pneumonia), I hope that this is the end of these, for me and everyone else.

More than anything I pray that others are spared the pain and suffering induced from surviving a natural disaster. I have spoken with others who have wondered, as have I whether it is better to be destroyed by fire or flood? My belief is that Fire is the better of the two evils.

In 2014, I was away from home, this is another story for another time. I learned from my neighbour upon returning home after two months, that a frost caused a crack in my water pipe that was in the ceiling. Upon returning home, after two months away it was freezing, there was no water in the house, as I discovered when I went to fill Schrodie’s water bowl. My next door neighbour came to tell me that they had turned off my water pump when they heard it working non-stop and realized that there was a problem. Twenty two-and-a-half thousand litres of water pumped into my house, destroying everything. The bedroom walls were still running like a waterfall, bleeding water, after two months. After intense discussions with the NRMA, my sister took over the claim as I was in no state to manage at the time. Almost a year later we returned home to our brand new interior. It had been tough and was a really terrible time for us, with multiple compounded traumas, just like now but not as bad.

Studying Design was a bonus and helped me design my interiors. Not easy under strict financial and time constraints. Being back home was wonderful and comfortable, after starting over. Now I find myself in a worse and more challenging situation. I have made the tough decisions about interiors restricted to choices of things I don’t really like or would choose but are my only options. Also not being able to look at things like tiles, paint colours, cabinetry and everything else together is hard. I am happy with my choices and hope they work together and my home doesn’t look like a Circus. I am going for a cozy, castle interior as before.

Anyway, the lesson I learned is that water is insidious and much more dangerous than fire. Fire is terrible, intense and destroys everything in it’s wake. Water appears better but is far more dangerous. The water dries out but damages the integrity of materials, stains and weakens them. Mould of all kinds grows unseen, often after the water has dried up. Water brings mosquitoes and vermin which spread disease. During floods like those that are now being experienced there is the threat of danger and injury by flotsam, and jetsam. Drowning is a very real result of floods. 

Sewers flood contaminating water supplies, waterways where people play and swim. This causes contamination and disease for wildlife and people. Homes and buildings are also contaminated. It’s disastrous even if not obvious. I am a Scientist and understand these dangers and results of flood.

My hope is that the people affected by the floods survive the trauma(s) they will face and overcome them to restore their lives. Seemingly it’s about stuff, possessions but it is so much more and unless you have experienced this you will never fully understand. I pray that nobody ever goes through what I have been forced to live. I wish them and everybody else affected by such natural disasters the very best to live a full and happy life. The Sun always comes out to dry up all the rain and help us beat “The Rainy Day Blues”.

As for my Antarctica preparations. Sadness and pain have slowed me down a little. I am doing all that I am able. Still having fun and laughing everyday despite the challenges I face.

Hope you have a good week. For those suffering and struggling, may your current situation be short-lived and improve greatly soon.

I am trying to work out how I can help, directly.

Until next time, stay tuned...