The rains continues to fall on my part of the coast. There was a two hour let up this afternoon so I scraped together piles of leaves and small branches to dispose of later. There is always something to keep us busy isn't there? There was the sound of chainsaws and grinders as people are slowly clearing the fallen trees from their properties. It is a shame so many aged trees went, it creates a new landscape in a way as you see homes that before were hidden by a row of trees. There are fences down everywhere too but fortunately in our area no loss of life.

Did you miss me? I had a few days up at Gloucester with life long friend Jean. I went on Monday and came home on Thursday. Because of the washed away train tracks about half way between her place and here I traveled for six hours by bus, bus and taxi to get there. I had booked the journey two weeks before thinking it would be the usual journey to and from Gloucester, normally three hours by one of the XPT trains. Of course it took longer as buses had to be used due to rail line damage from last week's big storms. In fact the piece of line that was washed away, high on one of the rows of culverts used to divert a creek was blown up, which must have been spectacular.

It was a great adventure getting there but well worth it. Jean's place is a place of peace, she is an artist and she and her husband have created a home that soaks up their amazing view of the nearby range of hills called the Bucketts. The view is different each morning as the morning mist rises and falls and obscures one section and then another. I would never tire of watching that happen, it is like a ballet performed by Mother Nature.

We had a serious time talking over family matters. We have known each other since we were seven so with Jean as you would be with some of your close friends there is a lot left unsaid because we know each other's stories. I think that makes talking about serious matter easier. She has had one son divorce and get little custody of his children so knows what I am going through helping Trevor to get access to Alice and how a Granma's heart can break over a breakup involving children. It is a part of or modern day life of course but that does not make it easier to bear.

We also talked over a lot of other problems, she has not been widowed but I found I could talk about that to her. Like me she was a telephone counselor so is a good listener. We spent most of the three days I was there talking. We were on call to help her husband with some house repairs, we are both good at holding a ladder, and took her little rescue dog for early morning walks. That was a wonderful way to start the day and reminded me I could maybe later have a little dog of my own again.

Driving back from Jean's place I saw how much tree foliage was piled high on the roadside and even huge trees had been just bulldozed and pushed to the side of the road to allow traffic through. Some properties still had a tree over the roof and many had fences down and outbuildings destroyed. Such high winds, the same as if it had been a category 2 cyclone, means that anything with wind resistance was likely to be damaged. So much loss and destruction, such a loss of income and so many homes deroofed, these are of course now damaged by continuing rain fall. I am so lucky it was all concentrated further up the coast so my damage here is minimal and can be tidied up without resorting to having to hire someone to do the job for me.

​So my few days away were a real learning experience and I am ashamed I often complain over such a little when so many people have lost so much. But I am only one small human being in a large universe and sometimes that makes me feel lonely and inadequate.