Episode 13 - The Sky is Falling

"My name is Billie Bean and I'm a real cool dude, but I have a nitrogen fixation," rapped Billie Bean as the music blared out from the radio. The Jones family were in the shed, working to keep their farm machinery in tip top shape. "Spike" Medic (Mike to his Mum) was having the time of his life handing tools to the Jones kids as they needed them, and Billie was having the time of his life grooving to "The BB rap". The music suddenly stopped and a deep voice from the Weather Bureau echoed a "sheep weather alert" through the shed.

At the sound of the weather warning, Mr Jones crawled out from under the tractor he was servicing. "We'd better make sure the lambing ewes are in that tagasaste paddock," said Mr Jones. "That way they can shelter from the rain and cold winds." Jason and Julie winked a 'see you later' to Spike as they, their father and sheepdogs jumped into the ute and drove in the direction of the tagasaste paddock.

"Hey Billie, give us a hand with this spanner," called Spike. As I helped him carry it back to the tool box he complained about the weather warning ruining his day. "And I was having so much fun helping Julie and Jason with the machinery maintenance," he grumbled.

"You know Spike," I began, only to be drowned out by a deep rolling RRRUMMMBLE, RRRUMMBLE, RRRUMMMMBLE. It was followed by a blinding flash of light, and a sound more deafening than a tonne of lupins being poured onto a metal truck tray.

"Help! Help! The sky is falling," shouted Albert Annelid as he wriggled into the shed. "Calm down Albert," I replied. "It's only a thunderstorm."

"What do you mean it's only a thunderstorm?!" shouted Albert. "There's fire in the sky, there's more noise than I can stand and the sky is dropping cold, hard, round balls all over the place. It must be breaking up and soon it'll fall down on all of us - and there's no time to get a scoop out on this story before we're all destroyed!" He finished with a sob.

I tried to comfort Albert but his words set my mind racing. This sounded like a severe thunderstorm, and it could do a lot of damage on the farm. What if the tops were broken off the crops? Can they regrow? What if the flowers were broken off the crops - how could they produce grain? This could be serious - will this storm affect crop yields? Will the damage from the storm prevent Jason going to Japan? Now that's another story...