We have just endured the second wettest September on record down here in Tasmania. Personally we are feeling a bit ambivalent – yes, we needed the rain – our Hydro dams are now 43 % full again and our parched midlands green, with creeks and rivers running, BUT – we operate an outside tourism experience! We have been running Louisa’s Walk for over four years now and in all that time, have hardly ever had to cancel. During August and September this year, we have had to cancel quite a few times much to everyone’s disappointment.
However, yesterday, the rain caught us by surprise. We met, as usual, outside the Cascade Brewery building in a fairly steady rain. “It’ll be all right” Louisa said “It’s starting to brighten!”. Well it didn’t. The rain continued for the full two hour performance not easing until the very end. Our audience was warmly clad and all had umbrellas but we find it impossible to perform under umbrellas. Just after the nursery yard I was so cold & wet I could hardly remember my lines!
As we parted from our game and appreciative audience, I started to fantasize about a good tot of rum in a hot cup-of-tea. We called into the bottle shop on the way home & picked up a bottle (I’ll use it up in Christmas cakes!). We stripped off our soaking costumes and I luxuriated under a hot shower. Wrapped in a warm, fluffy dressing gown, roasting next to our newly installed pot-belly stove, that hot toddy was the closest thing to heaven I’ve tasted in a long time. I can still recall its glow as it spread through me. The things we do to tell Louisa’s story! Even today, when the weather has been much kinder, my cloak is still too wet to wear, despite being hung near our wood stove overnight. That’s how wet it was!
