A little drop of rain ....

 

It has rained today at Gerolstein.

Like, really rained ...

We're used to puddles and lakes and so forth, because our land has a large clay content, but ...

We are bounded on both sides of the farm by what might be called 'waterways'. No, they're not our responsibility, they (and the bit of land on either side of them) belong to the local Council, currently represented by a thoroughly nice chap named Fred.  

Fred has been very helpful over the Council 'river reserve' land that permeates Gerolstein. but he doesn't live here, so he doesn't quite understand ...

Last time he was here (when Council trees and weeds were invading us), he told us we mustn't bank up the top of the river bed crevice, where the ravages of Saltwater Creek in a bad mood have eaten away the deep river's edge, with our available animal (horseshit) and vegetable (grass cuttings) refuse ...

Well, Fred, this is why.

The gap that we mustn't fill was well and truly filled today ...

And the flood doesn't stop there! The unintentional sub-river flows on ...

On it heads (that's their river to the left, behind the trees) past my washing line towards my house. Yes, my bathroom is five metres away ..

And to the cottage ..

That's the septic tank, foreground. I just paid $390 to have it emptied ....  I suppose it will now be full again ... and the deluge may have swept away my outpipes ...

Oh well, the peahens are having a nice paddle ...

I guess one could laugh about it, while sitting in front of a logfire with a whisky ... but ...

Sorry Fred.  We're going to go right on protecting, as best we can, our property from your wayward rivers .....