Climate change

I was host for today's Music Group session, and everything went well and it was all very enjoyable. Four of us went to the local pub for after-music chat and discussion. I got a lift from one of the guys, intending to walk back (it only takes a few minutes). When we came out, it was raining, so I was offered a lift back so I wouldn't get wet. A great idea, but it wasn't to be. We'd been blissfully unaware of a torrential downpour while we were guzzling our drinks and chatting away. This was what the normal route home by car looked like when we got to the road which is parallel to mine. Bernard, who was driving, tried sneaking up on my road from the opposite direction, but that too was blocked by wheel-high water, and the same thing happened at the other end of my road. Fortunately there was a spare umbrella in the car, so I got out, braved the rain and the flooding and eventually got home by a very circuitous route, at one stage having to walk through shin-deep water which the lower-lying storm drains simply couldn't cope with.

My first thought when we came across the first blockage was 'wouldn't you know it: the very time I don't have the camera with me'. I made up for that, though. Despite being drenched right through jacket and shirt I grabbed the camera and went straight out again to do my bit of photo journalism. Lots of neighbours were out, aghast. We all agreed that there's never been anything like this around here before -- and it all happened within the space of an hour and a half at most. Summer? Yeah, right.