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Then and now - the drought · **3 Likes**

In 2015 I posted a pic of mist on one of my dams on a cold autumn morning. Today I looked at the same dam - dry - with the country in the grip of the worst drought in at least 100 years. Almost all of eastern Australia is affected. The two images - then and now - appear below. No further explanation needed.

At this time of the year the wattle is usually in full bloom. This year only one or two are struggling to flower and big batches of both wattle and eucalypts are dying. I have never seen this before. The lower pic shows the meagre display of the few wattles that have managed to flower. The brownish patches are the dead and dying shrubs and trees. Interestingly, the top image (full bloom) had a washed out, white sky. Drought (lower image) does bring brilliant blue skies. (Not happy with this image though. Not the best subject matter for the 02 but it illustrates the point.)

But every day is a day closer to rain. Or so they say.

dbs · 08-19-2018, 03:04 AM

Hi Pji

Where all praying for all of you for rain

Dave

**ffking** · 08-19-2018, 03:58 AM

Originally posted by PJ1

But every day is a day closer to rain.

And further from the last rain - scary!

Unregistered User 8 · 08-19-2018, 04:05 AM

Originally posted by PJ1

No further explanation needed.

Heartbreaking events Pete. Hang in there mate.

Janse · 08-19-2018, 04:07 AM

Vow, what a difference. Global warming?

Photogoof · 08-19-2018, 07:05 AM

Very frightening.

dbs · 08-19-2018, 09:05 PM

I think ( I know dangerous ) that the weather pattern is changing to a El Nino ( the drought one ) and the Northern Hemisphere is having a very hot year this year,we seem to follow suit.

Dave

rpet · 08-19-2018, 10:02 PM

I really like the first one. Its pity that everything is dry now. Hopefully it will change soon.

**Mallee Boy** · 08-20-2018, 01:38 AM

Hang in there PJ, you are exactly right...every day is a day closer.
Good Luck.

reh321 · 08-20-2018, 05:29 AM

Originally posted by dbs

Hi Pji

Where all praying for all of you for rain

Dave

I agree.

gmans · 08-25-2018, 08:56 PM

Originally posted by PJ1

In 2015 I posted a pic of mist on one of my dams

Good series photos and the stories as well.

Cheers

**TedH42** · 08-25-2018, 09:38 PM

Good documenting with good pictures. Looks to be very severe. Some areas near me (Colorado) have grasses that are just straw - no moisture. Fires love that stuff, sweeping through on the wind, and have taken out barns and homes to the south. I hope that you have no fires coming through any time.

The mosquitoes are probably down, though.

**PJ1** · 08-26-2018, 02:03 AM

Thanks for the comments and messages of support. We will get through it. There are many far worse off than we are.

Originally posted by dbs

the weather pattern is changing to a El Nino

Yes. I am not sure what an El Nino means on top of this but it would not be pretty. There are records from coral reef cores going back thousands of years and they suggest that about six thousand years ago eastern Australia had a massive prolonged drought period - and I mean hundreds of years! There was no Aboriginal activity in many areas at that time. I presume that there would be some kind of parallel weather change in the Northern Hemisphere too.

Originally posted by TedH42

The mosquitoes are probably down, though

Actually, the first year we came here they would have carried you away. But we walked in to a bad drought then too, and the mozzies never really recovered.

dbs · 08-26-2018, 03:28 AM

Originally posted by PJ1

Thanks for the comments and messages of support. We will get through it. There are many far worse off than we are.

Yes. I am not sure what an El Nino means on top of this but it would not be pretty. There are records from coral reef cores going back thousands of years and they suggest that about six thousand years ago eastern Australia had a massive prolonged drought period - and I mean hundreds of years! There was no Aboriginal activity in many areas at that time. I presume that there would be some kind of parallel weather change in the Northern Hemisphere too.

Actually, the first year we came here they would have carried you away. But we walked in to a bad drought then too, and the mozzies never really recovered.

Hi PJ1

Were you on the news

Running through the RAIN
I hope it was your part of the country,I only saw but did not know where

Dave

**PJ1** · 08-26-2018, 04:54 AM

Originally posted by dbs

Running through the RAIN

We got 16mm. It will bring a green shoot on to the couch grass which will last about a week. Our main native grasses seem to respond to day length. Even if we get good rain in October or November, they do not start growing before mid-December and they do not grow after mid-March. That's the way the ecosystem has evolved. They grow, they set seed within a month, and the standing grass carries stock for the rest of the year. Good rain other times will produce a little bit of herbage and spark up the couch grass but that is low in bulk and nutrition. The best rain was just over the border in NSW, around Moree I think.

I rode past that dam (top) this afternoon. It is still just as dry.

PJ1
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08-19-2018, 03:04 AM	#2
dbs Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Clare Valley S A Photos: Albums Posts: 7,568	Hi Pji Where all praying for all of you for rain Dave

08-19-2018, 03:58 AM	#3
ffking Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Old South Wales Posts: 6,039	Originally posted by PJ1 But every day is a day closer to rain. And further from the last rain - scary!

08-19-2018, 04:05 AM	#4
Unregistered User 8 Closed Account Join Date: Mar 2015 Photos: Gallery Posts: 8,694	Originally posted by PJ1 No further explanation needed. Heartbreaking events Pete. Hang in there mate.

08-19-2018, 04:07 AM	#5
Janse Inactive Account Join Date: Feb 2015 Posts: 4,460	Vow, what a difference. Global warming?

08-19-2018, 07:05 AM	#6
Photogoof Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Prague Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,422	Very frightening.

08-19-2018, 09:05 PM	#7
dbs Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Clare Valley S A Photos: Albums Posts: 7,568	I think ( I know dangerous ) that the weather pattern is changing to a El Nino ( the drought one ) and the Northern Hemisphere is having a very hot year this year,we seem to follow suit. Dave

08-19-2018, 10:02 PM	#8
rpet Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2018 Posts: 26	I really like the first one. Its pity that everything is dry now. Hopefully it will change soon.

08-20-2018, 01:38 AM	#9
Mallee Boy Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: South Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,904	Hang in there PJ, you are exactly right...every day is a day closer. Good Luck.

08-20-2018, 05:29 AM	#10
reh321 Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: South Bend, IN, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,185	Originally posted by dbs Hi Pji Where all praying for all of you for rain Dave I agree.

08-25-2018, 08:56 PM	#11
gmans Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Hunter Valley,NSW, Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,466	Originally posted by PJ1 In 2015 I posted a pic of mist on one of my dams Good series photos and the stories as well. Cheers

08-25-2018, 09:38 PM	#12
TedH42 F/8 & Somewhere Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Colorado Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,412	Good documenting with good pictures. Looks to be very severe. Some areas near me (Colorado) have grasses that are just straw - no moisture. Fires love that stuff, sweeping through on the wind, and have taken out barns and homes to the south. I hope that you have no fires coming through any time. The mosquitoes are probably down, though.

08-26-2018, 02:03 AM	#13
PJ1 Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Toowoomba, Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,486 Original Poster	Thanks for the comments and messages of support. We will get through it. There are many far worse off than we are. Originally posted by dbs the weather pattern is changing to a El Nino Yes. I am not sure what an El Nino means on top of this but it would not be pretty. There are records from coral reef cores going back thousands of years and they suggest that about six thousand years ago eastern Australia had a massive prolonged drought period - and I mean hundreds of years! There was no Aboriginal activity in many areas at that time. I presume that there would be some kind of parallel weather change in the Northern Hemisphere too. Originally posted by TedH42 The mosquitoes are probably down, though Actually, the first year we came here they would have carried you away. But we walked in to a bad drought then too, and the mozzies never really recovered.

08-26-2018, 03:28 AM	#14
dbs Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Clare Valley S A Photos: Albums Posts: 7,568	Originally posted by PJ1 Thanks for the comments and messages of support. We will get through it. There are many far worse off than we are. Yes. I am not sure what an El Nino means on top of this but it would not be pretty. There are records from coral reef cores going back thousands of years and they suggest that about six thousand years ago eastern Australia had a massive prolonged drought period - and I mean hundreds of years! There was no Aboriginal activity in many areas at that time. I presume that there would be some kind of parallel weather change in the Northern Hemisphere too. Actually, the first year we came here they would have carried you away. But we walked in to a bad drought then too, and the mozzies never really recovered. Hi PJ1 Were you on the news Running through the RAIN I hope it was your part of the country,I only saw but did not know where Dave

08-26-2018, 04:54 AM	#15
PJ1 Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Toowoomba, Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,486 Original Poster	Originally posted by dbs Running through the RAIN We got 16mm. It will bring a green shoot on to the couch grass which will last about a week. Our main native grasses seem to respond to day length. Even if we get good rain in October or November, they do not start growing before mid-December and they do not grow after mid-March. That's the way the ecosystem has evolved. They grow, they set seed within a month, and the standing grass carries stock for the rest of the year. Good rain other times will produce a little bit of herbage and spark up the couch grass but that is low in bulk and nutrition. The best rain was just over the border in NSW, around Moree I think. I rode past that dam (top) this afternoon. It is still just as dry.

Nature Then and now - the drought

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