My partner, Victor Pleshev, the architect who designed the Fitz Like A Glove™ Ironing Board Cover for his mother, and I arrived in our rural patch in October 1992.
The land was in desperate drought.
Not a patch of green anywhere.
And we lived in these moderate to extreme drought conditions for 16 years.
Years where farmers drove their livestock up and down our rural roads to give them something to eat. To keep them alive.
Years where driving was a safety hazard. Because livestock were crashing through fences to get to the only edible grass. That which grew at the edge of the bitumen roads.
Years where dams were just empty saucers of cracked clay.
Years where a trip to the post office to lodge parcels was an emotional melt down. Eyes straight ahead. To avoid seeing the starving cattle and sheep. Many skin and bone. Many more dead in the paddocks.
There were too many years where the roadside was littered with the carcasses of dead animals. Kangaroos. Sheep. Foxes. Wild goats and pigs. Rabbits. All slaughtered by unwilling motorists. While they were trying to find food and water.
Years where no rain turned the paddocks into tinder boxes. Ripe for an instant fire from a careless cigarette flicked out a car window by a city slicker.
Years where we constantly scanned the sky for signs of smoke. And dreaded the sound of thunder. And the flash of lightning. Which could start a wild fire in the blink of an eye.
In 2008, our rain patterns changed. For the better.
We started to get rain in the hotter months from September to March. Not much. But just enough to keep the paddocks looking green.
Four years ago the rain in the hotter months became more pronounced. It started with a torrential downpour on Christmas Day 2012.
This morning, the rain started at 2AM. So loud, it woke me up. And here I am writing this story at 4:30AM. To celebrate its arrival.
We’ve had scorching weather for 5 days in a row. It’s been so hot outside, it takes your breath away. Our outside thermometer is in the shade. And yesterday it was 38C. Which means it had to be at least 43C in the paddocks.
Wednesday night it was 30C at 9pm. It’s the first night we’ve had the air conditioning on in our bedroom all night.
Not that we have much of a track record there. We installed air conditioning in my office. And our bedroom. In September 2015.
After 23 years of 30C in my office, and not being able to work. And 30C in our bedroom and not able to sleep. We said we’ve had enough. A decision we’ve not regretted!
I’m loving this rain. It’s quenching a very thirsty soil.
But rain in the bush always comes with a feeling of guilt. For those who are missing out.
We missed out for 16 years. I know only too well what that feels like.
But the reality is . . .
I’m overjoyed!
Guilty.
Or not.
This rain makes my spirit soar!!
The next reality is . . .
I can never take it for granted.
Because . . .
The weather patterns can change. For the worst. And without notice.
~Carol Jones, Ironing Diva❤
I Am The Purveyor Of The Tantrum Free Fitz Like A Glove™ Ironing Board Cover And Other Goodies
Made with love and care in RURAL Australia by men and women who have a disability.
It’s not for everyone.
But it’s definitely for you if you’re fussy about the cover you iron on.
And if you love to support Australian made.
And want to put something back into the community when you make a purchase.
The Fitz Like A Glove™ Ironing Board Cover cover has more than 350,000 customers in 29 countries. Because it lives up to its name. It ‘Fitz Like A Glove™’ every time you iron.
And these are the ‘Other Goodies’
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Have a question? Email me.
Or phone me, Carol Jones, in rural Australia on 02 63 588 511.
Photos of my rural property are courtesy of me, Ironing Diva – who is also known as a Paddock Paparazzi – and taken at sunrise every morning.
Ripe Cherry Plums In The Rain
PS. And I have a fabulous newsletter ‘A Smidgen Of Gossip’. This is what a subscriber says about it. “Carol. Just had some time to read it and found that it is, as with everything you do, rather wonderful. A great read. W” You can subscribe to it by clicking this link. It’s FREE! This is not a lifetime commitment. You can Unsubscribe at any time. Don’t miss out. Click this link now!
Pyracantha Berries Blurred By Raindrops
