Perfect, if slightly damp, Sunday

Poor old Brisbane and in fact much of Queensland has been drenched! It continued to be torrential all day and the wind has thrown it's two cents in as well. I have never heard it actually whistle and howl so loudly before! Every window and door in my house is rattling and the branches of the trees next to the house are rapping on the windows in a very agitated way.
We've got sideways rain and the water-catchments and nearby creeks are looking scarily full. The house is damp, my pile of laundry grows unrelentingly larger but from the sounds of things I could be a lot worse off, other people have lost power and are watching waters rise across their backyards. People in northern cities of Queensland are facing hurricanes. Hopefully it will be nothing like the floods of this time two years ago...

Little "Bow Tie Killer" is keeping watch for me

We barricaded ourselves in and admittedly it was good to have the excuse to relax and catch up on some reading {of the blog and books-from-the-library variety}. Of course I did have a pile of back to school books to cover awaiting me on the dinning table but I just gave those an occasional cold stare and otherwise ignored them for today. Tomorrow!

a couple of the new collection of zakka books from the library - I love them!

I did lots of other things to prep us all for the back to school performance that will begin on
Tuesday morning - or may not... I have heard a rumor school may not open because of the weather
{I don't believe it though}. Either way I have clean socks, ironed uniforms, frozen sandwiches
{thanks Michelle and Ben for the hot tip} and bags and lunchboxes ready to go!

It was so dark inside the house today. The lamp light cast some pretty shadows.

And in much happier news... "The Jungle Giants" came in at number 83 with their song "She's A Riot" in the Triple J Hottest 100 2012!! And no wonder, they have been working their butts off, playing heaps of gigs and festivals, making radio appearances,  touring with some amazing bands and just being so brilliant and fun to watch live. I love their music!

I was super happy and have never been so tensely awaiting the countdown. My friend Cesira who is their amazing and beautiful guitarist was so excited. They have produced two Eps and are now recording their first album which I can't wait for. Here are some links to two of their latest filmclips if you'd like to hear and see more. 

"She's A Riot" and one of my absolute faves "You've Got Something"

coming to you from dampened circumstances but not spirits, Ains xx

Capturing the Flood

Casey is a guy I met at college ~ he takes some stunning photographs and these recent ones taken during the floods have captured his part of town and where he works in a beautiful way.

"Recently the beautiful city of Brisbane was struck with its worse flood since 1974, wiping out the majority of Ipswich and some of the most iconic points of the CBD, unfortunately a lot of homes were destroyed, people left stranded and at the worst, lives lost. My heart goes out to all who were affected by the tragedy and hope for you all to find your feet as soon as possible. These photos are to tell a story to not only those involved in mother nature's course but to those who were not granted the chance to experience the emotions that came with this unfortunate disaster."  ~ Casey

Check out Casey's Flood Photos and more of his work here. Thanks for being cool and sharing these with me Casey x Ains

• I have just added another helpful link to "saving your flood damaged photographs". 

RGB Digital Pro Lab with their suggested method for cleaning individual photographs 

and whole albums.

                                                                                                   

Here are some more really good links if you would like to do something. I know most people wanted to go out and physically help clean up however were unable to.

Perhaps you will find something here that will be appropriate for you to get involved with.

Daydream Lily ~ Auctions, fundraising and other flood related links

Meet Me At Mikes ~ Queensland Floods : Ways to help

BrisStyle's ~ Handmade Ark Flood Appeal

and... because you got to eat ~ Baked Relief  has coordinated bakers with places to go to supply baked goods and cool drinks to clean up volunteers. This epic and very practical site is the place to go if you would like to donate baked goods and or your time to distribute them.

I am amazed by people!

This photograph was taken about a week before Christmas. I was visiting a friend who's daughter had made a sign for their flooded back yard. We were all concerned about the effects of the weeks and weeks of rain we had been having... little did we know.

As the flood water recedes

Here are some photographs taken by my friend Leesa in the city and New Farm 
after the flood waters receded.

This strip of the river is always bustling with cyclists, joggers, serious walkers, market shoppers, tourists, and city workers on their lunch break.

Seeing the river board walk being broken apart and pushed down the river by tugs was very sad. 

Leesa, myself and another friend met up there for a weekly walk whilst I was still pregnant with my now six year old and then after he was born. We each had a little one in a pram and we used to powerwalk from New Farm around to the city and back whist inevitably talking and laughing heaps. 

The houses along the bank made us curious and wonder at the happenings inside them 

and I for one was jealous of their inhabitants.

Apparently my baby was good whilst Leesa's squawked the whole way, I had forgotten that.

And, naturally we always ended up at Moray St Cafe for a coffee and some delicious breakfast. They had a very superior kind of fruit toast {which also happened to be the cheapest thing on the menu} which had gigantic pieces of fig and apricot and nuts in it!

Since then I often took my boys along there on bikes or scooters whilst I attempted to jog 

but I hadn't been in a while.

I will look forward to it being rebuilt and although I always really appreciated what a beautiful shimmery breezy spot it was I will love it just a little bit more.

all photographs from Leesa Perry Photography

How to save your flood damaged photographs!

One of the images on the news that distressed me was of muddy, soaking family albums sitting on a pile of garbage. Family photographs are so precious to me and I would be so distressed if they were to be damaged. Many people have digital copies of their special photographs, however some people don't...

photo by Leesa Perry Photography

Your photographs can be saved!!

Mark from Brisbane's Art House Reproductions and Inkjet Lab is offering an amazing service for flood damaged photos to preserve, scan and copy them to disk free of charge!!

 "Art House Reproductions and Inkjet Lab survived the flood unscathed and would like to do our share to help."

Their office is in the beautiful inner city suburb of Bowen Hills and I believe the flood waters got pretty close.

Mark has added some tips on how to clean your photographs and store then until they can be scanned and has created a page on his website here to help you with this.

from Mark Lutz at Inkjet Lab :

"If you see anyone with damaged photos get them to rinse them thoroughly in fresh clean water and lay them out on towels to dry. This will help save the vast majority of them. if there are any photos in frames behind glass, get them out of there asap, taking great care when peeling the photo off the glass as it can stick, then rinse as before."

If considering Mark's generous offer please go to his website for exact details. He requires you to store your clean wet photos in sealed bags and get them to him as soon as possible. 

SOME FURTHER TIPS TO SAVE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS!

• The important thing is to clean them to remove mud before they dry!

• They need to be immersed in clean water and rinsed by wiping your hands over the 

   wet surface under running water.

• Dry them on a flat surface in a clean dry area. Lay them out on a clean absorbent paper towel or cloth.

• They must be thoroughly dry before storing away again.

If you are scanning your photographs yourself keep in mind that as long as they have been cleaned and dried as soon as possible they then can be stored and scanned and retouched at a later date.


• Another helpful link: useful information on cleaning 
individual photographs and whole albums ~RBG Digital Pro Lab

Immeasurable Loss

Feeling very fortunate my family is safe and dry.
I hope everyone else is too.
It's scary thinking of what other families must be going through today.

My most sincere sympathy to those in South East Queensland who have not been so fortunate.