Rain in Mangakino

Friday evening (21st) brought rain, but by Saturday morning the rain had paused leaving a heavy overcast sky. Abigail, James, and I decided to go for a bike ride. We were looking for some fat bamboo that we could cut down and make a raft with. We found a few stands of bamboo around town, but it was all too thin. On our cycle, we also found a couple of miniature horses keeping the grass down at a bach, and a bit further on a group of kittens resting on a chair. The first of the wild blackberries were ripening, so we munched on a few of those, and visited the local BMX bike park on the way home. The rain started up again in the afternoon, so we spent the afternoon reading and playing games. First Carolyn and I battled each other with backgammon. I won four in a row, but Carolyn insisted that we keep playing until she won, so we had a fifth game in which she annihilated me. Then we all played yahtzee (all except Esther, who doesn't like the way we all scream when someone gets a yahtzee). James won decisively, and I lost almost as decisively. We then had the whole family participating in the card game of Emperor and Scum, during which I had the misfortune of spending most of the game at the "Scum" position. (Interesting how, when we win or do well, we ascribe that to our competence and skill, but when we lose or do poorly, we blame bad luck or misfortune or a hundred other excuses. Reminds me of the first chapter of C.S. Lewis's 'Mere Christianity', which I have reread recently). Watching the news in the evening informed us of the numerous weather warnings indicating heavy rain covering much of the North Island...


The rain continued heavily all night, and into the morning. When I woke I was a bit concerned to see the puddle next to the tent. The roll-out awning was collecting the water and it was running off one end in a continuous stream and feeding the growing puddle next to the tent and under the caravan. I donned a raincoat and went to have a look. Behind the shed at the back of the property I found some old discarded spouting. I tied one end of it to the awning, and had the other end angled away from the caravan and tent. Now the water was being directed away from us, and the puddle slowly receded and disappeared over the next couple of hours. The rain continued and was very heavy. Just before we left for church I noticed when I was in the large tent (sleeping quarters for Abigail and James), that the ground beneath the centre of the tent floor was feeling cold and squishy. Somebody (who shall remain nameless) against his better judgement, and aware of the possible consequences, pitched the tent in a small hollow. I cleared the mess on the floor from the middle of the tent and dumped it to the side where the ground was slightly higher, and we headed off to church. The rain continued heavily while we were at church, and about this time the previously dry ground had decided that it had drunk its fill of rain, and couldn't hold any more. On our return, water had pooled in every available hollow. The caravan was sitting in a large puddle, and the centre of the floor of the large tent was floating on a cushion of water! We evacuated the large tent to the caravan, and Esther's small tent was becoming quite damp, so we evacuated that also. In the afternoon we visited Tom and Mavis (from church) for afternoon tea. They have been in Mangakino since the 1950's and we enjoyed talking with them.

Monday morning. The rain has slowed to a drizzle, and even stops sometimes. The puddles have receded somewhat, although the jury is still out regarding whether the children will sleep in the tents tonight. The whole of Mangakino is without internet, and Telecom mobile. My 2-degrees mobile (which uses vodafone) is still operational though. I'll have to post the blog through my phone.