Rain, Rain, Rain.

I was cycling home from work in the pitch dark, there are no overhead lights where we live, when it's dark - it's very dark. The road was black from the rain, when before I'd known it, I had hit flood waters flowing across the road. Luckily it wasn't too deep and I got across without falling off my bike.

It's the shortest day, and we haven't had Winter yet. The rain and mild temperatures have frustrated ski field owners as there is no snow anywhere. There's been so much rain it's broken records and even set new ones. May had the most rain ever recorded, and June is looking to be the same. Our road has been flooded twice in the last two weeks, the council has left the flooding sign at our gate, are they trying to tell us something! There is a deluge predicted for tomorrow, maybe they are just saving themselves the job of picking it up, only to put it back again tomorrow. Hmm....... great. I was starting to think Mother Nature has been getting her revenge on me for giving up the car. There's been so much water, my bicycle has developed a ticking sound in the bottom bracket - rusty ball bearings?? Then the sun came out.

Flooding sign left at our gate.

Every cloud has a silver lining. I realised that I may have had to ride in the rain and on muddy roads, and had heaps of punctures, but I realised that meant I was fitter than all those car addicts out there. My friends Karyn and Jane, who love horse riding, are equally exasperated by the rain, we can afford a bit of smugness for getting through it and staying fit and active.

Water a metre deep, making the ford in the road impassable.

Another plus side, is the garden, sure it's boggy, but look at the flowers - they think it's Spring. There are potatoes sprouting in the vegetable patch and the Lemon tree's laden with fruit, even my summer Capsicum plants are flowering and have little fruits on them.

Daffodils and Vespas

If we are at the shortest day then we are half was through Winter. If the weather 'turns to custard' now and we get snow and ice, it's only for two months at the most, and then it's officially Spring.

Spring is when all our planning and Niel's training accelerates. Spring turns to Summer and the start line in London looms large on the horizon. I might even get the Vespa out of the garage and get to use it without it getting immersed in flood waters and covered in mud. Perish that thought!!