Water water everywhere...

Well, it's been a mad few weeks in south-east Queensland, with flash flooding, tidal flooding and pretty much any kind of flooding you can think of. I live in one of the worst hit suburbs of Brisbane. Our house came through entirely unscathed, while homes no more than 300 metres away from us were inundated to their roof lines. It all feels quite surreal; except that it's very real and the damage is palpable whenever we leave the house to do a local errand. Mud everywhere, people's worldly possessions lining the streets to be hauled off to the dump, army trucks (actually, I haven't seen any of these but I know they've been here) marauding the streets, police patrolling to deter looters. We ended up taking our planned two week holiday a couple of days after the floods hit and left our house for a displaced local family to stay in while they cleaned up. If there is any silver lining in this cloud of devastation, it is the reinvigoration of community spirit that has suffused our neighbourhood. From near and far, practical help, goods, money and emotional support has been flowing into town. I met more of my neighbours in three days than I met in the two years we have lived here and all sense of private property has flown out the window as people share houses, power, cars, etc with those who have lost theirs. It is humbling to be part of it. My only personal 'complaint' is that my gym was flooded and is still closed. Hopefully it will reopen next week. I have tried to mobilise myself to do other non-gym related exercise, but the local running tracks are pretty stinky and the snakes have come out to play as they seek drier territory. I did manage to get in a couple of wonderful swims in the mouth of the river near my family's holiday spot while we were away, but I can't bear to swim in chlorinated pools, which are the only option now I am back home. I knew I was having a relationship with exercise, but now I realise I am also having a love affair with my gym. Fingers crossed, it reopens next Wednesday. Can't wait!