Camellia and Earthquakes and Rain

Earthquakes and rain. Earthquakes and rain. Earthquakes and rain. Well that is what it feels like this evening. In fact the earthquakes started yesterday, with heavy rain starting in the early hours of this morning. Strong south-east winds accompanied the rain making my daily dog walk very difficult. Even the dogs were subdued as I held the umbrella into the buffeting wind.
The rain has added to the miseries of the people of Seddon, twenty minutes’ drive away from here. Many more building in Seddon and surrounding areas were badly damaged and volunteers were hard-pressed to try to make them weather-tight. We must count our blessings in that no-one has been badly injured let alone killed.
I was at our SeniorNet Photo Group yesterday afternoon when the 6.6 earthquake struck. We had just finished our session for the day…the theme being “Derelict”. I was just closing up the lap-top when wham… bang…. rumble….a big earthquake struck. As quick as greased lightning most of the dozen older folk present dived under the big benches the computers sit on. The elderly man sharing my shelter was most upset. He and his wife had moved up here to Blenheim to get away from the earthquakes in Christchurch.
Oops...there goes another big one as I write this blip up at 8.58pm. “Severe…. 5.4.”
I have cleared out a space under my desk here at home…for myself… but Fergus the dog has just shot under there leaving no room for me. He is very frightened of earthquakes.
I do hope you enjoy my image for today…a lovely rain-drenched pink camellia which I photographed this morning before the gales started blowing.
Over and out.