While city
people generally complain about rainy weather, wishing for rain is part of the
Alice Springs psyche. With vast blue
skies to greet us most mornings, clouds are a godsend for photographers at
sunrise and sunset, and a sign of hope for the residents. True,
a series of cloudy skies, but dry days, can dampen the spirits of the
townsfolk. Should the clouds produce
sufficient rain to actually reach the ground, the mood is elevated to that of
children on Christmas morning, with cries of ‘It’s raining!’ and ‘Can you smell
the rain?’ echoing throughout the streets and workplaces.
Recently
we've had some promising cloud and some short light showers which barely
touched the ground and failed to register in the rain gauges. Yesterday, for a brief time, I drove through
a rain storm where I could hardly see, even with the wipers on full. This should have brought joy to everyone in
town.
Uncharacteristically,
Mayor Damien Ryan, has been praying for fine weather. He’s not the only one. The English Cricket Team is in town to play
the Chairman’s XI, and rain is the last thing on the agenda. With bumper crowds expected, and cricket fans
bearing grins to rival the Cheshire Cat, I’m sure I heard a collective cheer as
I went for my early morning walk and saw the last clouds disappearing behind Mt
Gillen.
Who knew
the Mayor had quite so much influence?