Our Current Weather. Very Driech and I got Drookit

Yesterday was one of the most Scottish days I have had since moving to South Australia. Rain, wind, thunder, lightning, grey skies.......

People here think that they have died and more. The reservoirs in South Australia are over 90 percent full, for the first time in years. Water is flowing in the Murray River. Farmers are happy. Sun potentially on the horizon for later in the week. What is there to complain about.

I quite liked it in small measure. I was inside most of the day, but I did get the chance to walk in the rain and get soaked. It gave me the chance to use driech and drookit. Rare conditions in South Australia.

Until the next time....

At the third stroke it will be stormy and heavy rain

Star Date 08:18 am Monday Morning 1 September 2008, Planet Nawlins

Looking a bit wet in the French Quarter.

Thanks Hurricane Gustav and these wacky republicoreligiousites, who obviously picked the wrong parade to piss on when they prayed.

Sucked in big time. Don't they say, be careful what you pray for. You may well get what you ask for. Well not exactly what they wanted, but close enough.

Idea shamelessly stolen from the always entertaining Ben Lomond Free Press.

Braveheart versus The Ego and Friends

Image via Wikipedia The Scottish Nation stands as one as the Scottish Cricket Team takes on the Auld Enemy for the first time in a Cricket One Day International in Edinburgh. As always, the weather looks like it will be the winner.

Scotland are good at this, with an honorable rain assisted no score draw against the Indians in the Twenty20 World Cup in Durban and in a One Day International against the Aussies in Edinburgh in 2005, notable examples of the fortuitous intervention of the elements and a lot better than the humiliations of the like of Argentina 1978. Better an honourable rain assisted draw than a shellacking I say.

That said, I was intrigued by the weather in Adelaide, mid winter and Scotland mid summer.

Come on Down. At least we can count on playing cricket in the summer.

See what I mean.

10.45am So we were meant to get underway at 10.45am, but obviously this isn't going to happen. There's more chance of a nuclear-free world than getting any play here at the Grange. But we have some parachutists landing on the ground - I presume they're part of the entertainment and not part of a foreign coup to overthrow the country - and plumes of orange smoke drift across the ground. More news when we get it.

10.40am We have news: it's still raining, and a little harder too. Super bagpipes, though. There's a thought, however vain, that it might clear up at 1.00pm for a brief while. So it's not a complete washout just yet.

10.30am The rain's falling I'm afraid, and more covers are being dragged onto the pitch. This is not good news at all - the clouds are heavy and dark, and it looks thoroughly miserable.

 Catch more commentators misery here.

Ryanaldo starts his Football Career

This article took me back to my childhood. We used to be let loose for hours at a time to wander around the countryside, climb trees, visit farms and pass the time. I know that we control our kids much more than my parents did. All their activities are scheduled and we arrange transport for them there and back. Normal now, but my mum couldn't drive when I was my kids age and my dad had the car most of the time. We had to be independent.

Ryan had his first football (soccer) game today. He is playing for his school and we got him new boots and stuff, which he is very proud of. Football at that age is played a little like Aussie Rules Football with all the little kids running in groups wherever the ball is. Eighteen kids around the ball was quite normal. The windy and rainy weather brought back great memories of the freezing windy and wet days that I spent freezing playing for Largoward. We used to have to get up by ourselves, cycle at least part of the way there and back by ourselves regardless of the weather and deal with some very competitive team mates who didn't take too kindly to my wimpy play. Ryan on the other hand can expect to have his bag packed, schedule arranged, chauffeured to the game, snacks provided, encouragement offered and warm clothes provided on cold and wet days and his strip washed. Not complaining, just very different.

I hope he looks back on this stage of his life and doesn't feel that we controlled him too much. It's a tough one as the first commenter on the linked article notes. Every parents worst nightmare. How much should we cotton wool our kids?

Ryan's Australian cousins are being fast tracked for the Premier League by their over enthusiastic father. His game plan is to pay off the mortgage with their first contract, I think. I am just not that competitive and if any father thinks that they can run the sideline and coach a seven year old, they are mad. Just watch where the ball is, with its magnetic attraction and that is where the kids will be. The chances of positioning your child ready for a breakaway pass by yelling at them is reasonably good if you have a loud voice. The chance of the ball coming to them is about as low as winning the lottery.

All good fun all the same.

Uluru Gets a Bath

After Two Days of Rain Last Week

Normal View

Hottest August Day in 100 Years

Today the thermometer hit 30.6 degrees centigrade in Adelaide, with no rain and a northerly wind. That is the hottest day in 100 years for August. We are two days away from the end of winter. Water looks pretty scarce and a summer of drought looks likely. No significant rain for two months. Things are drying up already and gardens are dying.

Brits Bail Out

Australia and New Zealand received over 100,000 immigrants from the UK out of a total of about 400,000, as many as France as Spain in the last year. During that period almost 600,000 people moved in. This is the largest rush for the doors since 1991.

Perhaps we can expect even higher numbers next year as Brits become more frustrated with a seven day summer (over 3 months). Happy Sunny Bank Holiday Weekend residents of that soggy place. Glad you have been able to find some sunny weather wherever you are.

I can confirm that it took me many months living in Colorado when I first emigrated to get used to the sun being out every day during the summer and fall. It stayed that way for the rest of the day. We have the same weather here in Adelaide at the end of winter at the moment as parts of the UK. 25 degrees and sunny is the forecast for today. It would be hard to go back to the UK weather and I am not sure I could cope with my Australian family moaning about how cold and wet it is.

Cross posted at the Wardman Wire.

Scottish Luck in Indianapolis 500

With the help of the weather and being the last man crawling around the track in a downpour, Scot, Dario Franchitti won a rain shortened Indianapolis 500 yesterday.

Now that is memorably Scottish way to win. Now give me a kiss Ashley.

It reminds me of the Australian speed skater who won a Gold Medal when he was the only skater left standing after a big crash in the final. It still stands as a gold medal.

Very Scottish Weather

It has rained here for 36 hours continuously. Nobody is complaining. It is just very surreal and unusual.

We haven't had a weather forecast like this for about three years, unlike weekly forecasts like this for my entire childhood.

From the Bureau of Meteorology

Adelaide Forecast for Friday
Showers. Possible thunderstorms and local heavy falls until late afternoon.
Moderate to fresh northwest winds.

Precis Showers.
City: Max 20

Saturday Showers.
Sunday Showers.
Monday Morning shower or two.
Tuesday Showers.
Wednesday Showers.
Thursday Showers.