Unless you have arrived directly from Saudi Arabia or the Great Sandy Desert, our island is shockingly dry at this time of year. It is now over five months since the last rain drop, and the colours of the landscape are muted by dust and thirst. Coming from a rare visit to Australia in spring, via the rich surrounds of Ubud, where green claims a new intensity, our little garden with its lemongrass, sand and rock statements is harsh reality under the blazing sunshine.
The goats snuck in the back door while I was away (and Aquaman was napping on the job), and smashes the basil, silverbeet and papaya. At sometime during their feast they had a conscience and left the three precious sunflowers untouched. Now, standing proud in the red dirt is a beacon of yellow, a huge smile from nature, my first sunflower.
We have had rain for one night in months now and have had to buy it in as we have tank water, the vege patch has gone to seed and a much as the days are clear and blue, the ground is brown and crunchy. Fingers crossed for a decent downpour just to settle the dust at least.
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