The Grass is Greener

The Husband didn’t go back to work at all yesterday. Apparently the site, which was 20km closer to the cyclone, was rather a mess and needed to be straightened up before the bulk of the workers returned. It didn’t help that the sky refused to cease tipping bucket-loads of rain over Karratha and the Burrup Peninsula (where the plant is being built) until the early evening. That of course meant that he was pottering around the house all day, his restlessness causing me to be similarly on edge, so I abandoned work at lunch and watched some tennis with him. As soon as I stopped working he relaxed – it was like he felt guilty for not working when I was – so I spent the afternoon with him, watching tennis and doing a few jobs.


By late afternoon the rain was still falling but the sky had brightened somewhat so we ventured out in the car to buy supplies for the weekend. What we saw on that drive to the shops was a different Karratha. It was a Karratha with fast-flowing creeks, rivers where there had just the day before been only dry, sun-baked earth. It was a Karratha with grass, dressed in a colour other than red or brown. It was actually quite beautiful. It’s ironic really – in England a grey, rainy, gusty day would bring feelings of gloom, of a depressing predictability; “another cold, wet, dull day.” In Karratha a day like that becomes exciting – instead of monotonous blue sky, searing heat and sunshine we get blustery conditions that cool down the usually sauna-like air, rain that provides much-needed moisture to the parched ground and a dark sky that is a welcome relief from the blindingly bright sunlight. Plus, it felt rather cosy being holed up inside in the cool, dry house as the weather raged on outside. Usually I’m wishing I was out in the sunshine, making the most of the beautiful weather (an English habit that will probably never die, however long I live in a warm, sunny climate) so it comes as quite a relief to be content with being inside!

It’s true what they say, the grass is always greener on the other side....