Mon, 10th Dec, 2018 10 Mile Outcamp, Tarmoola Station, 60km north of Leonora, WA

7am 24 degrees, clear sky and strong NE wind. 1ml in the rain gauge from last night’s drizzle.

Mum rang for a chat about the lovely rain they are having. I looked online and there were photos of the Barron Falls and Paronella Park (after 120ml).

Steve went for a drive to check out our track to make sure we can get out tomorrow to go shopping in Kalgoorlie. There are two creeks flowing but the base is rocky so all good. He saw the geologists and they said the track in from the highway was rocky but fine. I walked to the first creek for a look. Flowing well.

The sun is shining and with the wind blowing it won’t take long to dry things out as long as we don’t get another big storm like yesterday’s. More rain is predicted later today though.

Checked out the well. Water is dripping back into it so Steve raised the sensor again as the tank is overflowing. He decided not to waste that water and rigged up a bucket to catch the water with the hose in the bottom to feed it back into the well.

Kym sent us a photo of the plane which is now leaning on a tree.

She suggested I join the Leonora Grapevine Facebook page as they had lots of information and fabulous photos and videos of the storm/cyclone that hit yesterday showing the corrugated iron, branches etc getting thrown around the caravan park. Fences down, a big shed wrecked and the power is still out for a lot of people. One chap said they registered 140kph winds which is equal to a Cat 3 cyclone. I copied a photo of a great lightning shot a chap captured.

Deanne had asked on Facebook if we got any damage from the hail. At first I said no but then Steve spotted the small dimples at the top of the van. Poor old girl!!

Wendy rang for a chat on her lunch break but as the phone is in the van connected to the aerial I didn’t hear it till I went back in and checked the phone. Rang her back and we had a quick chat before she had to deal with a customer. She had seen I was online and thought I was free but the internet is only in the cottage at the moment. Glen gave me a booster so I can get the internet in the van but I haven’t worked it out yet.

After lunch Steve rang a couple of wreckers looking for a secondhand sub tank for the truck. He found one in Perth and they will send it to Kalgoorlie which we will pick up when we go down to shop before Christmas.

37 degrees now so time for a dip in the pool. So nice to just pop in and keep cool.

Collected some more bits for the tip and the steel piles. Dark clouds are building up in the west. Forecast for severe weather so we moved the truck to under the awning of other quarters – only covers the front solar panels but it is better than nothing. Got everything else prepared.

4pm lightning and thunder start, 37.2 degrees. BOM says the severe weather warning has been moved further east from Kalgoorlie so we are clear of the bad stuff. Sat out watching the light show.

4.30pm the rain and wind picked up with lots of thunder and lightning. Steve decided it was time for a dip.

4.45pm it was all over. The sun is out in the west but we are still watching the lightning as the storm heads south-east and listening to the rumbles.

Opened up the van and cottage again. Checked the rain gauge, 3ml.

Another rain cell come past to the east with lightning and thunder but no rain.

Played two games of Skipbo before dinner – Steve won both games.

Cooked dinner then watched a movie with a nice cool breeze blowing in the window.