Everywhere we’ve been lately, people have been talking about the rain. It’s a big event in this part of the world, especially in Summer.

While the rainwater tanks are rapidly filling, gardens are falling over. The roses have taken a battering, as have some of the vegies. During Friday night the rain pounded down with such a force that I was convinced the creek would overflow. It hasn’t… yet.

Today’s rain is a gentle but steady patter. Since midday on Friday, we’ve had over 40mm (about one and half inches in the old money).

In the greengrocer’s yesterday morning, a woman who lives up the road reported that she’d had over 50mm in the same period. Either she wasn’t wearing her glasses when she read the gauge, or her property on top of the hill catches more rain that ours does. 

Once the warm weather arrives – and we’re hoping that it will – everything will grow like topsy. I have reservations, though, about our tomato crop ripening well this Summer after a series of very cold nights and now rain. 

For farmers, the damp weather has come just a little too late. They really needed it in Spring, to help along newly-planted crops and pastures.

And vignerons aren’t too happy. Friends who grow wine grapes said that they’ve already sprayed for powdery mildew. After the rain, they’ll have to do it all again.

To hear farmers talk reminds me of that old bush poem, ‘Said Hanrahan‘. 

One group who could be justifiaby peeved are the cherry growers. Last night a friend, who’s a farmer, told us that the cherry orchardists are possibly facing ruined crops this year because, just when the cherries are almost ripe, the rain might (and I stress might) cause them to split.

Last year, a few days before Christmas, friends took us to the Mt Alexander Fruit Gardens where we picked basketfuls of perfectly ripe organic cherries, plums and apricots. I’ve heard that organic fruit lasts much longer than other fruit but it was all so deliciously sweet and succulent, we didn’t give it time to test that theory.

While the news that the cherries might be ruined this year concerned us – Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without cherries – it would be devastating for the growers. Hopefully, the cherries have survived unscathed and, along with the plums, apricots and peaches will be ready to pick in time for Christmas again. 

As I write, the sun has come out. May it shine on the Mt Alexander Fruit Gardens and all those other places where fruit continues to ripen.

Here on the home front, we’re having a much-needed break from watering the vegies and the garden and, for the time being, we won’t have to monitor our water usage quite as stringently as usual.

Heck, I might even throw caution to the wind and indulge in a long soak in the bath for the first time in years!