Tues, 22nd Jan, 2019 10 Mile Outcamp, Tarmoola Station, 60km north of Leonora, WA

7am 34 degrees, clear sky. Gusts of wind from the north then nothing.

Wind swung around to the east – hot and dry.

Finished packing the shopping away. Cleaned the van then sprayed with surface spray as the little ants are invading us. Bought some ant powder too to put on their tracks outside.

We bought a rain gauge too so we can compare that with the old one which we now know isn’t correct. First we need some rain to compare otherwise I will use the hose!

Steve replaced the other toilet’s cistern and seat – the frogs are not happy. We also got all the bits needed for Steve to put on a gas hot water system for the shower block – not that we need to heat water at the moment.

Bought a jumbo fly catcher – it is huge so that should get rid of a few hundred flies.

Worked on my blog etc. Little finches and scarlet wrens are using the bird bath so I put on the sprinkler for a bit as they were all sitting with their beaks ajar.  There are also some bigger birds and a willy wagtail flitting about.

Lunch in the van, 43 degrees with a strong wind blowing. After lunch cooled off in the pool though it is cooler to stand up wet and let the wind blow on then actually sit in the water. But it hydrates us which is good. Someone else decided to have a dip in the bird bath – it is a smaller goanna which we think is Claude who lives near the old water tank.

We put the sprinkler on between us and the bird bath and when Steve moved it Claude decided he wanted it. I took a video. He gave up and went back into the bird bath.

He eventually wandered off and the birds came back. Turned off the sprinkler as the tank gets full then the well runs out of water again. The birds were enjoying the cool moist earth in the shade of the tree.

The cows wandered over too but I told them that was far enough as they had taken liberties while we were in Kal yesterday and wandered on the lawn and left some calling cards – which I will have to collect with the shovel.

As we soaked in the pool more and more birds arrived.

This one must be in for hide and seek – he looks like he is counting to 10!

The numbers continued to grow.

Steve put the rain gauge up on a post and I moved the old one near it. The wind has picked up and clouds are coming down from the north so we might get some rain to test it out.

I worked on my 1000 piece jigsaw – it is slowly coming together.

2.30pm, 45 degrees in the van with hot gusty wind.

3.30pm - Much darker clouds now in the north west and I heard a rumble of thunder. The wind picked up battering our awning and the shade cloth over the pool gets a good flap on.

The rain started but it was nearly horizontal with the strong wind. As we had been getting in and out of the pool we had left the tarp off so the fresh rain was going into it. Took a video too.

After some rain on the roof we put the pipe in so we could get some more water in the pool.

That cell passed over us so I checked the rain gauges. The old one said 8ml and the new one said 2ml. That means our 90ml we had in December was probably only 22ml but that was still a good dumping for an hour.

It is lovely to sit outside watching the storm head towards us. Some great flashes of lightning. Sat there as the drops of rain fell until they get heavier and start to sting!!

Another storm cell arrived with lots of wind and some lightning and thunder.

5pm had our drinks watching the clouds move south-east and some more lightning flashes and rumbles as it disappears.

The rain has cooled off the pool so we had another dip – much nicer. The temperature in the van dropped to 40 degrees too.

6.30 the sun peeked through the clouds then disappeared again as the clouds continued moving south.

No more rain, just heavy clouds hanging over us and the wind comes and goes. The little bird that was playing hide and seek was still hiding. He was behind Steve’s chair and hadn’t moved so Steve put some water in a dish and shooed the bird to it. He sat on the edge but didn’t do much – poor thing.

Still 38 degrees in the van at 7pm – not too bad.

Left the generator on again to help the fridges. Only needed one fan tonight as the rain has freshened the air.