what a downpour!

Last Saturday I went riding on my bike. I decided I'd go a little further than just around the block.
It had been cloudy all day, with rain predicted, but what the heck....the only rain we'd been having was a spit here, a drop there. I'd go riding...it would be fine.
And it was.

At first.

I went around the block, crossed over Glen Osmond road, then turned into the walking/biking trail inside the Glenside facility. Followed it all the way to the end, crossed Greenhill Road and continued along enjoying the cool air....
 After half an hour, I decided I should turn for home.
Two minutes later a few spits of rain came down, then there was a rumble of thunder, and suddenly the heavens opened.

There I was, out in the open, half an hour's ride from home, getting rather wet. A lot wet.
Soaked. Saturated. Drenched.
I had to take my glasses off to see where I was going.

To be safe I walked the bike across intersections, which had become completely flooded in the first few minutes! Water up to my ankles! Really!
Would I lie to you?
My sneakers are still drying out.

It wasn't cold at all, well, I didn't feel cold, just so very wet.
It didn't seem like such a big storm either, in spite of the amount of rain and every single intersection being flooded so badly the water was meeting in the middle of main roads and the gutters had gushing torrents which would have swept away a small boat.

I made it home safely, had a hot shower, then dried off the bike.
And wouldn't you know it! The rain stopped.
Hah! I knew it was going to be just a shower....

Sunday morning I bought the newspaper and learned that it had in fact been quite a severe storm, with flash flooding in a lot of suburbs.

All I can say to that is...all's well that ends well.
I handled the bike fairly well, didn't fall off or crash into anything, made it home safely.
Through a storm!
With thunder!
And a bit of lightning too. 

Maybe I should be a little more careful in the future......

Comments

  1. Phew!! Glad you're okay. Next time, have a listen to that forecast.

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  2. Hi River,

    Oh dear! Sounds a bit like Manchester weather.

    :0)

    Cheers

    PM

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  3. The weather is so very unpredictable these days. I remember that storm. It came as a surprise to many of us.

    It's good that you navigated your way through it safely and good too that you're not precious about getting a little wet. Soaked in fact.

    After the drought of recent years I have resolved not to let myself complain about the rain again. But floods are something else.

    I might complain of floods.
    Think Dorothea McKellar's My Country:
    ... I love a sunburnt country,
    A land of sweeping plains,
    Of ragged mountain ranges,
    Of droughts and flooding rains...

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  4. Wow! I can't believe you had to ride during that weather. It was quick but incredibly strong and violent.

    If you can make it through that then you can do anything!

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  5. You can't take a trick when you go out riding, at least you didn't crash this time instead you nearly got drowned. The important thing is you got home safe and sound :-).

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  6. Some of my fondest memories are riding full tilt up the Upfield Bike Path in the midst of a mad storm. Laughing madly to myself and all the other riders caught unawares. Wincing as the rain stung my bare skin! Taking my feet off the pedals as I whooshed through massive pools of water that were growing larger and larger. Aaaaah.

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  7. Delores; I've never paid much attention to the forecast, unless they're predicting a heatwave, then I want to know which days and how many.

    Plasman; so that's what Manchester is like?

    Elisabeth; it was a surprise, but I don't mind getting wet, never have. I remember walking home from work through a similar storm in 1999. As I sloshed along the footpath a bolt of lightning struck the road about ten feet away. Closest I've ever been to lightning!

    Sarah; I didn't have a lot of choice, I had to get home. I could have waited it out somewhere, but I was already soaked completely, so I just kept going.

    EC; thank you.

    Windsmoke; nearly drowned? No...just very, very, wet. I loved it! But I won't be doing it again if I can avoid it.

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  8. Ah, the joy of getting outside in the lovely weather, the fresh air and enjoying the freedom of bike riding..brings back memories! (Achoo!..sniff.)

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  9. Thats memorable! Glad you got home safe. When I was a kid in Manila, I look forward to bathing in the rain. In the streets. With other kids. Not kidding.

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  10. .....maybe you and your bike have a weird 'Rain Dance' connection? You could hire yourselves out to farmers!

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  11. HHHMMMmmm... Brave? Or Foolhardy??!! The jury's out!! Congratulations on surviving what must have been a VERY scary experience!!

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  12. Tempo; that really is a freedom feeling isn't it?

    Joni Llanora; I remember the warm rains we had in Brisbane, I'd take the babies outside to play and feel the wet.

    Kath Lockett; the rain was already on its way, I just didn't realise how much or how fast it would hit.

    Red Nomad; I'm going with foolhardy. That's me all over. It wasn't scary at all. Storms have never scared me. There's not much at all that scares me.

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  13. Oh goodness if that was me I'm sure the weather would be saying Farmers Wifey, ride faster!!!!

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