The Rime Of The Ancient Stocktaker
Over the last few days it's felt a bit this like i'm on a boat, stuck in a storm.
I bet when Samuel Taylor Coleridge first penned The Rime of the Ancient Mariner in 1798 he would never have thought of 2 guys sitting in a late model Nissan Pulsar driving through half a foot of (quickly rising) flood waters. But alas, that has been our situation.
Water, water, every where,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, every where,
Nor any drop to drink.
Last week as we're driving back from Goondiwindi we drove through some pretty fast rising waters and discovered that the road was closed just minutes after we got through. Then later that day the road through Aratula was closed only an hour after we got through it. Yes, it was raining... hard, and yeah, there was flooding pretty bad. We got lucky.
In mist or cloud, on mast or shroud,
It perched for vespers nine;
Whiles all the night, through fog-smoke white,
Glimmered the white moonshine.
Yesterday while driving north from Brisbane to Childers we hit some pretty heavy rain and once again found ourselves in the midst of not just a little rising rainwater, but at least 4 major areas where the water wasn't just at the road level, but was moving OVER the road at some pretty amazing speed. Luckily for us we were following other vehicles so knew how deep the waters were and got though ok. The last of these crossing had the water about 3/4 of a foot deep and rising VERY fast. We got to Childers only to find out that once again the road had been closed just minutes after we got through.
The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew,
The furrow followed free;
We were the first that ever burst
Into that silent sea.
This morning we did the first of our stocktakes, which went pretty well. As were were soon to end though the heavens opened and down came this torrent that would make Huka bloody falls cower in fear and intimidation. Just kidding, but it did rain pretty damn hard, and the sky blackened to the colour of Crowly's damned soul.
And some in dreams assured were
Of the Spirit that plagued us so;
Nine fathom deep he had followed us
From the land of mist and snow.
The rain stopped though before we left the job and the drive here was fairly uneventful, lucky for us. I'm a bit over this whole dodging flood torrents thing. I know we live in Queensland and flooding seems to be a bit of a thing here but damn, enough is enough.
See! see! (I cried) she tacks no more!
Hither to work us weal;
Without a breeze, without a tide,
She steadies with upright keel!
BTW... if you ever want to read a truly impressive, truly magical piece of literature, I very much recommend reading the full Poem that i've been quoting above. Tennyson and Shakespear may get more credit, but Coleridge was a literary genius that seems to get overlooked far too often. His story of the Mariner is intense, with peaks and valleys of emotions. You can read the full poem here: http://www.famousliteraryworks.com/coleridge_rime_of_the_ancient_mariner.htm
I bet when Samuel Taylor Coleridge first penned The Rime of the Ancient Mariner in 1798 he would never have thought of 2 guys sitting in a late model Nissan Pulsar driving through half a foot of (quickly rising) flood waters. But alas, that has been our situation.
Water, water, every where,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, every where,
Nor any drop to drink.
Last week as we're driving back from Goondiwindi we drove through some pretty fast rising waters and discovered that the road was closed just minutes after we got through. Then later that day the road through Aratula was closed only an hour after we got through it. Yes, it was raining... hard, and yeah, there was flooding pretty bad. We got lucky.
In mist or cloud, on mast or shroud,
It perched for vespers nine;
Whiles all the night, through fog-smoke white,
Glimmered the white moonshine.
Yesterday while driving north from Brisbane to Childers we hit some pretty heavy rain and once again found ourselves in the midst of not just a little rising rainwater, but at least 4 major areas where the water wasn't just at the road level, but was moving OVER the road at some pretty amazing speed. Luckily for us we were following other vehicles so knew how deep the waters were and got though ok. The last of these crossing had the water about 3/4 of a foot deep and rising VERY fast. We got to Childers only to find out that once again the road had been closed just minutes after we got through.
The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew,
The furrow followed free;
We were the first that ever burst
Into that silent sea.
This morning we did the first of our stocktakes, which went pretty well. As were were soon to end though the heavens opened and down came this torrent that would make Huka bloody falls cower in fear and intimidation. Just kidding, but it did rain pretty damn hard, and the sky blackened to the colour of Crowly's damned soul.
And some in dreams assured were
Of the Spirit that plagued us so;
Nine fathom deep he had followed us
From the land of mist and snow.
The rain stopped though before we left the job and the drive here was fairly uneventful, lucky for us. I'm a bit over this whole dodging flood torrents thing. I know we live in Queensland and flooding seems to be a bit of a thing here but damn, enough is enough.
See! see! (I cried) she tacks no more!
Hither to work us weal;
Without a breeze, without a tide,
She steadies with upright keel!
BTW... if you ever want to read a truly impressive, truly magical piece of literature, I very much recommend reading the full Poem that i've been quoting above. Tennyson and Shakespear may get more credit, but Coleridge was a literary genius that seems to get overlooked far too often. His story of the Mariner is intense, with peaks and valleys of emotions. You can read the full poem here: http://www.famousliteraryworks.com/coleridge_rime_of_the_ancient_mariner.htm