drought

I cannot remember the last time I needed an umbrella.

I know it's been the better part of three months.

I have a sneaking suspicion that the last time I needed an umbrella I probably would have disregarded that need and dashed wherever I needed to go. It was probably 5.45am, I needed to fetch the paper, or hop in my car. Rain makes my hair frizzy - care factor?

But it's been such a long, long time.

In the time the Thornlie tree man has been perched on a limb, staging his protest, it has not rained once.

In that time, cyclones have lashed the North West coast, and a bushfire has caused immeasurable heartache. But still - no rain here in Perth.

Christmas, New Year's, Australia Day, Labour Day, parties, road trips, heartache, work, work, work and other stuff in between. No rain.

Since it last rained, the good stuff in life has diminished rather than flourished.

And I know I shouldn't whinge, there are people facing harder things than I am, that have faced harder things than I have, that will face harder things than I could ever imagine.

But the fact remains: No rain = bad juju.

I have even left Perth for little chunks of time. Went to Canberra - no rain, hot weather. Went to Adelaide - no rain, hot weather, a pair of pandas. I wouldn't know rain if it slapped me in the face.

The only sniff of rain I've had is a song called The Rain - it's Aussie hip-hop, don't hate...

It teases with its lyrics: Hush child from the joy to the pain, it'll all wash away in the rain.

And that's it. I don't need rain because it's wet. I need rain because I need it to all be washed away.

So hush child, from the joy to the pain it'll all wash away in the rain.