Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON
You know the sound of rain? The sound that most of the world takes for granted? The sound that those of us who live in Victoria haven't heard for so long?
Sometimes the sound of rain can be music to our ears. And when you live in a severely drought-ridden state, as I do, that precious sound can be more musical than Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus".
We've just had the driest ever start to the year. Until the first drops of hesitant drizzle began to fall late last week, this was a scorched landscape. Less than a millimetre of rain (yes, that's right, less than a millimetre) has fallen since before Christmas.
It's been a tough six weeks for Victorians. The deadliest bushfires in our history began on January 30th - and one of them is still burning out of control. Then we had an earthquake on Friday night, which left a few people shaken, literally and metaphorically.
But yes, we have been blessed by rain. And now, as we move into the second week of autumn, I have to decide where exactly I must start to rescue my garden. But for the moment, I want to ask you a simple question. In the first picture, what caught your attention first?
Was it the raindrops on the windscreen? Or was it the flower carpet roses in the background?
Both the photographs in this post were taken in exactly the same spot, with one subtle difference. In the first frame, the rain-spattered windscreen is in sharp focus, but in the second frame (below) it is the roses in the background that are the main subject.
Visit Luiz Santilli Jr for the home of Today's Flowers.
