Is it running yet ?

 Is it running yet ? well it ought to be . It hasn’t for months , it was sometime earlier this year ; so long ago that I can’t remember . Strange that time is now measured in Covid events . Was it before or after the last restrictions ? Well that is not relevant to today . We are now liberated ; can eat and drink at out favourite places . But is it running yet ?

For over a day now it has been dark, cold and the rain lashing . More like the north of England than  the south of France . The heating, and lighting, have been switched on throughout the day . We remain huddled indoors , the outside looks very unfriendly . This unforgotten phenomenon  of continuous rain has forced (me)  to check that the house is still watertight . Suitable clad in waterproof ..everything ..I ventured forth. Drains were clear , rainwater harvesting in full-bore . But it still wasn’t running.

The second day off rain it finally started . The thirst of the hills and fields had  been quenched and rain was finally running-off into our river valley ; resurrecting our very own stream . Well we wouldn’t what to lay claim to that ! After a prolonged dry spell , the heavy rain  was washing off vegetation detritus and uncollected farm waste. The river was exhibiting  a very polluted brown colour,  which the mediterranean would have to deal with .

 It took a further day for the stream  to clear ; but then less than a week for it to disappear again. We must hope for further rainfall events to replenish water resources, or should we assume that the climate has permanently changed , and plan accordingly . Something it seems all governments are failing to to do with sufficient urgency. They too are not yet running !