We like to feed the birds around the yard.  We have a routine whereby we do a morning feed and often find something in the afternoon for them to have.  It actually extends to feeding a possum at night.
They seem to know the routine and are often waiting for a feed.  Yesterday I was sitting looking out the back and had one come up to me and see if my toe was good to eat.  At other times a bird sits on the back of the chair next to me.  We sagely look around.  Well probably he looks sagely and I look incredulously.
During the storm I saw a bird looking on the ground for food and thought I could learn a thing or two from that bird.  Here I was sitting and concerning myself with the tree fluttering in the breeze and hoping it would not come down while all the while he was under it without a care in the world concentrating on a feed.
I find it incredible how this type of bird knows when it has had enough and stores excess by hiding it.  I do question its method of hiding.  It makes a small hole in the ground and covers the food with leaves.  It does not seem to account for the breeze blowing away the leaves or other watching it and raiding its stash.  Still, what goes around comes around and it looks healthy.
I would never advocate irresponsibility and I know it is up to me to do all to ensure safety for myself and Merril and those around me.  Yet there comes a time when I have done all I know to do and can do.  If I attempt to do more (which is more common than I would like) it is worry.  Worry to my mind is never productive.  When I have done all I can control it is pointless to concern myself about what I cannot control.  To me it is not only pointless it is a waste of time.  There comes a time when I have done all I can just to stand and trust rather than oscillate and worry.
 So seeing a bird happily feeding was a lesson to me.  I reckon there are lessons all around me.  The tv promotes “Lifestyles of the rich and famous.”  I  believe there are lessons to be learned there, just as I believe there are lessons to be learned from the “lifestyles of birds” or “lifestyles of ants” or “lifestyles of gardening”.  I reckon there are lessons all around when I am open to it.

I can imagine others are over this.  I know I am.  It just seems it is like one emergency situation after another at the moment.
I am very thankful that we have come out of things so far relatively unscathed.  There is no doubt the wind was the scariest thing.  It took ages to arrive and the worst of it being Saturday night, took us totally by surprise.    But watching coverage on tv and seeing roofs coming off and large trees fall in streets and onto houses I know it was ok here.
Last night it was rain.  It just went on and on.  We have a home impacted by Burpengary Creek, so we have watched that creek level rise to minor flooding and now it is going down again.  I checked our gauge just before and we have an accumulated total of around 200 mm.  That total is one thing, but it is how quickly we got it that gives pause for thought.
I have had to keep on putting back the putting back in place of everything.  I saw someone from Lismore say it normally takes a day to get everything up or out for emergency flooding and three days to put stuff back and open up a shop.  This is not a shop, but we did spend a day getting stuff away and imagine the getting stuff back in place will take longer.
That is when we can get started.  I think today will be that day but the latest warning is for a dangerous thunderstorm over Caboolture and heading this way.
One good thing though is having moved so much it is easier to determine what is needed and what can go.  We have been doing pretty well downsizing.  I saw a report yesterday that the accumulation of “stuff” is still over the top despite tough economic times.  Storge Units are thriving.
I feel like I have been here before in thinking to worst is behind us.  I live in hope.  I do think today will be the day we start to set up again though.

This thing just does not seem to want to go away.  But as an old doctor said to me.  “If you were a bug why would you not want to live here?”  It seems ex tropical cyclone Alfred would like to stay here.
Yesterday I thought it was all over and today would be a “putting things back in place” day.  Then last night the wind howled again.  We spent the night in a place we feel is the safest in the home.  The tv shows quite a number of people shared our experience.
The wind was probably worse last night than at any other time.  I am thankful we have not lost power permanently.  We did lose it a few times last night, but it came back on again.  We survived the night and on emerging this morning there are branches down.  Something was blown around that did not get affected the night before.
We are still under a severe weather warning but if things go as predicted that warming should be lifted this afternoon.
The winds show an average speed that is not above what we have seen before, but it is the rogue gust that I watch out for.  It is funny but I was thinking about rogue waves in relation to this incident and life in general.
In the early days of this incident wave heights would be reported which showed a certain average and every now and then a wave of unbelievable proportions was recorded.  In a way I feel it is the same with wind.  A strong average wind is one thing while an unexpected high gust can be really damaging.
On the positive side though, I was thinking about my improved general performance.  I can do things that help me to consistently operate at a higher level.  Then out of the blue my peak performance is way above my average.
I totally hold to that.  Improved performances happen when I apply myself - when I feel like it or when I don’t, and groundwork determines the heights of the exceptional.
I can’t predict when it happens, but I have seen it happen.  Although one swallow does not a summer make, one swallow is a good sign. 
Rogue is not all bad, but in this weather event I am over it.