The forecast, then unforecast, rain materialised after all, and it was good to wake up to the sound of gutters dripping on tin roofs, knowing that at least some of the garden would survive another day. Of course, the garden is not the important recipient of rain; the catchment area is what needs it. One cannot help wondering if the river/s that feed our main supply dam at Theewaterskloof actually are still connected to the dam, or if their courses have been altered in some way (siphoning off for agricultural irrigation, or an unknown interference from some source that has gone unnoticed), as the other smaller dams in the area appear to be almost full. There certainly is no shortage of water up in them thar hills. In addition, the rain isn't falling in what was originally the catchment area, and sometimes there is more in my rain gauge than in the mountains!
By mid-morning the sun was bright over the rain-washed land, but a welcome westerly wind direction kept the temperatures fairly crisp and altogether pleasant.
Cousins out on holiday from the UK are asking the normal questions about what is being done to augment our water supply and is there a central depot where we will have to go to collect water after Day Zero. It seems pretty pathetic that we can't tell them why there aren't desalination ships anchored off the coast or increased dam capacities planned, let alone that we have no idea where the water will come from after DZ. They are assuming 'water is in the pipeline' after having lived in the UK for many years now. They have obviously got short memories!
(Please note that these are my own ramblings and I don't claim in any way to have any knowledge of diversion of rivers!)
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