Our Story of Rain : What animals and nature are telling us about weather.
The kookaburras laughing their heads off at lunch time today reminded me of our family story of rain.
What animals and nature are telling us about weather and when rain is coming.
Growing up in a family of inter-generational farmers, as well as marrying into a farming family, many conversations, post Christmas dinner chats along with our families schedule centres around weather, and most importantly rain.
When it will rain?
How much it did rain?
Is the rain a seasonal average?
Is the rain out of season?
Is it slow steady soaking rain or fast gushing and damage causing rain?
Most importantly; is it rain when we need it to help us grow and raise animals, hay, crops etc? Or is it rain that may cause damage?
Growing up on a farm and also marrying a farmer, my Nana used to tell us that 6 weeks after floods in India, there is likely to be good soaking rains here is South Australia. This generally held to be true.
As a child, I recall my Dad making any excuse to get out in the rain when it was raining! Needing to unblock an over flowing gutter or check one thing or another on the farm. I recall many a time when it was pouring rain, Dad had been out in it. Dad coming up to the back door in his dryzabone, shorts and work boots, completely sodden and smiling from ear to ear!
Rain is the life blood of life on the land.
Rain brings grass.
Rain brings pasture.
Rain brings feed for our animals.
Rain brings a time of lambs with their bright white coats and springy jumps!
Rain brings crops.
Rain brings a break in the season.
Rain brings paddock picnics, with sausages and damper cooked on the open fire and camp oven.
Rain brings climbing trees and play time with cousins while collecting fire wood.
Rain brings hope.
Rain brings green.
Rain bring muddly puddles calling for splashing in!
Rain brings play time in the creek.
Rain brings cosy wood fires.
Rain brings cuddling up in front of the fire reading novels to our kids.
Rain brings a peaceful nights sleep. There is nothings like drifting off to the tinkling of rain on a tin roof.
Rain brings security to our family.
Rain bring an inner sense of peace, that our animals and family are able to be nurtured for the next season or year.
Marrying into a farming family, there are a whole new lot of indicators about rain, which have now become our own family “Story of Rain”.
What is our family “Story of Rain?”
· Kookaburras laughing at lunchtime is a sure sign of a good rain in the next few days.
· Ants building up high around the entrances to their ant nest holes is another sure sign that a good rain is on its way.
· Mopoke (Boobook Owl) calling “mo-poke” on repeat in the middle of the night is a sure sign that rain will be coming in about 4 days. I often hear the mopoke calling in the night in winter when I go outside to the wood box to collect some firewood for the fire.
· Lizard sitting up high on the top of a fence post (or hay bale), can be an indicator of rain.
· The moon, with its curve at the top and the flat side pointing down to “let the water fall out”. This along with some of the other indicators listed above is also another sign from nature that rain is coming soon.
Keith Martin, I am not. But generally it seems that these indicators seem to hold true!
Tell me about your child hood memories of play and joy in the rain! Email me here! peppermintridgefarmco@gmail.com
Love to you all, Misses Farmer X
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