marge. marge. the rains are here!

"At last, rain is on the way!" the weatherman exclaimed on the news yesterday. This is a big deal these days, as Australia has officially been in drought for the past 3 or 4 years. Not just parts either, but the majority of the country.

Obviously it's been a very big deal for the farmers from the beginning, but now the cities are finally starting to take it very seriously too, with severe water restrictions increasing as the dams are at less than 40% capacity. Gardens are dying, houses are cracking, and cars are filthy.

I glance up at the TV to see the weatherman excitedly gesturing to a faint smear of white cloud way off the south west coast, somewhere over the Antarctic (Indian) Ocean. I guess his job has become a little dull these days with endless reports of "dry and sunny". His arms swooshing across the screen as if to waft the cloud in our direction.

Then I hear him resort to the statement that is becoming so common among the weather folk...
"This may bring the slight change of a possible shower."