6 Months On

Yep, there's a lot of this going on in my suburb, following the floods, 6 months ago.

Remember chirpy, optimistic Karen?... 'Oh it only went 1 metre up the walls this time. In the '74 flood, it was right up to the picture rails Karen'? ... well the council finally gave her permission to raise her 100 year old (literally falling down) house higher. Her exterior walls had a very scary lean to them. I think she might be getting new walls! I ran past the other day. It's all happening. The garden has been cleared and the diggers are in! Yay.

Karen's porch 6 months ago...

... and her yard. 

See that green wall in the background? I had my eye on that during the river rising. There were time action photos of the water rising up it on flickr during the flood. I was extrapolating from the green wall to my ground floor apartment next door to the left as there was no footage of our place available. We were all guessing and calculating. Centimetres. Within centimetres.

Karen's place - now a lot higher than this picture!

Remember Sharon's shop? after the water receded?

Well she's back.

All good. 

But business is slow.There are less customers as the walk by ferry traffic does not exist anymore. 

Hurry up with the ferry terminal please, Brisbane City Council. 

Sharon has her flood photos up on the wall of the shop.

This year's flood....

... and 74's flood. See the Billy Tea sign? Just? To the left of the dinghy.

Sharon used to live here. Next to the shop. 

She lost absolutely every belonging she ever had. She's too traumatised to move back in... just in case. So she tells me she now lives "on a hill". 

More house raising.

There's one street near Sharon's shop that has a workman's ute out the front of every house.

You cannot think.... the construction noise is so loud. I run fast down that street, especially on Thursdays (bin day)... double whammy.... bins and noise!

There's lots of this too.

Haven't gotten around to putting those sandbags away yet....

....or the dinghy.

Oh and there is still a massive bun fight trying to extract funds out of the 'Premier's Flood Relief Appeal'. Millions of dollars (of your generous donations) are still tied up and thousands of flood victims are still waiting for funds from 'The Premier'. Ken included! 6 months on. Millions of dollars. 

Speaking of Ken, I am taking my boys down to see him next week, during the school holidays. Will show you his new kitchen and some of his new walls. It's all moving too slow for his liking but he is in better spirits. If it wasn't for YOU, and your generous donations, he wouldn't have a new kitchen or any walls..... as he hasn't received a cracker from the government yet. 6 months on!

James is good. See him most weeks. He's at the bus stop as there is still no ferry terminal/business. Some weeks he's not there as business is slow without the ferry passengers anymore.

Today, you'd never know there had been a flood from where I am sitting at the moment. The river banks are green as the grass has grown over the mud. 

It's a beautiful day. 

Have a great weekend!