Sweet sweat

What is it with me and web photo host sites? First there was Hello and I loved it until I got stuck in some knot that I can't unravel and am unable either to post or obtain a new account and start again. The final reply from the help desk told me I am able to post - yeah right, I just waste my time trying to sort this out for fun! Then I tried FlickR. I found it very slow and cumbersome, but hey, it had been recommended, so I persisted. Tonight I tried to update the loader as in accordance with the instructions on the site. Guess what? Now the FlickR software reckons I'm not connected to the internet and I'm going nowhere. So now I've found Photobucket.com. I've successfully joined up and posted a photo. Who knows how long this love affair will last but as long as it does, I found the site easy to use and a whole lot faster than FlickR and the picture on my blog is bigger too.

I had my camera charged up and ready to take disaster photos of the cyclone last night but it came to nothing here -thankfully. Photos of the devastated islands lying just off our coast convinced me I don't ever want to go through the real thing. We got a fair bit of rain last night and today, a few flickers of the electricity, a bit of wind but nothing gale force, and that was it.

We are now off cyclone warning status which means the bureau of meteorology has decided Darwin is out of danger. Strangely we had stronger winds tonight after the warning was cancelled than for the whole 48 hours we were on warning - go figure!

The radio told me this morning that supermarket shelves were bare all over town. The most popular purchases were Bundy (Bundaberg Rum), bananas, baked beans and batteries and there was not a battery nor a roll of masking tape left in Darwin.

People's reactions were very interesting. I went for a walk along the foreshore last evening, about 6pm. There were fewer people than usual about, but still a considerable number walking, riding bikes, sitting on the edge of the elevated tide-line watching the waves (waves of any size being quite a novelty in Darwin). People were setting up in groups to enjoy their normal Sunday evening picnic in the park while across the street, others were taping their windows against the threat of cyclone damage.

As things turned out, I'm pleased to say I was one of the former, and while I had the tape at the ready, it became apparent that it wouldn't be needed. I got the torches out and knew where to find stuff but didn't actually drag the mattress into the hall or get the snack foods out of the pantry. Had the cyclone hit suddenly in the middle of the night I would undoubtedly have been sorry, but at least I didn't spend all Sunday setting up a shelter and today putting it all away again like one of my colleagues did.

Another interesting thing was the reaction of family and friends. Some I thought would have cared or at least been interested in my welfare didn't bother to get in touch at all. I received a couple of unexpected calls, a few emails, two unexpected offers of shelter, one 'hoped-for but not counted- on' offer of company and assistance, and of course my oldest and most faithful friend rang twice.

My favourite communication though was from my youngest son who simply texted "We're not in Kansas any more Toto" - thanks John that gave me a great laugh and I really enjoyed it. Sometimes grown up kids can be a joy.