There must be very few people still alive in Treasure Beach, who can recall the years when we could count on three or four days of constant rains night and day, every October month.
I remember the rainy weather as we called them, to be wonderfully happy times barricaded close bonds we had together, because we could do nothing else. We played indoor games , we did a lot of reading, Our parents were with us all day because the rains did not let up for more than minutes.
In preparation for these days of rains, extra provisions of food and drink had to be brought in, leaky roofs had to be repaired in advance, fire wood for cooking had to be secured and kept dry. All outside activities came to stand still untill the rains stopped.
There was no school in session so as children we thought this was a holiday. We spent hours watching raindrop plopping into puddles on the ground, the window panes would fog up and we would scrawl messages on the frosty glass. It was fun fun fun.
There was a big gully course near our house and it roared for days as the water flowed dowm its course. Mangooses used to burrow into its walls and the rushing water would wash out their nests, and drown them. We hated them so that was OK.
Every pond and swamp lands were full to capacity and overflowing, some across roads and pathways. Great Pond and Snakker pond would join up across the main road to Calabash Bay, hence no vehicular traffic could use it. In those days there were hardly any vehicles using our roads.
Ginny Pond overflowed ln Sandy Bank, Shaw Pond where the Sport Center is now located was twice its normal size, Big Fish Pond and Little Fish Pond suddenly came to life. and Crab Hole was a quagmire..
As if they were imformed, alligators arrived before the rains stopped to take up residence in our ponda, and game birds arrived shortly after, Ducks and teals, and coots flocked into the area ,because there was water everywhere.
I believe some people will have trouble with the names of the ponds in the area, but they really all had names.
Climate changes cancelled out these weather patterns and a series of devasting droughts destroyed many species of flora that covered the land.
Today residents are blessed with running water in their taps, indoor plumbing, and life is good. We had to time our latrine activities for a lull in the heauy rains, then make a dash for it, poncho clad.

You have a few years on me Raymond but I am old enough to remember those October rains. I do believe the end of those days is really evidence of climate change.

Thanks for that story, gives a vivid image.

The October rain was so predictable in that part of St.Best. While I am not from the heart of TB I am quite familiar as to how the October weather affected us in the region. At the same time the ponds in TB got stringed up by the October rain, Campbellwell bottom on the Bigwoods road used to be flooded with flood waters sometimes up to 50 feet high; making the road impassable. Abudance of farm produce from as far as Roundhill could be seen in the flood water. I recalled melon, sweet potato, pumpkin, cassavas escellion, onion carrots in quantities and as a child being shocked as to how it all happened.
Since most of the roads were unpaved mud was something to contend with if one has to go out. Get a water boot or old boot and find a"Shortcut. Hide your old boot or leave them at somebody's home.
It was a temptation for children wanting to swim in those pools of water. The older heads always warn against these waters as they feared they might have a high bacteria count(germs)or fear that children might drown in these waters.
Neighbourliness was at a highpoint then as people assisted motorist whose vehicle shut off in these waters. Neighbors rallied to help with fixing of roofs, share food as people sometimes are not able to go out and get groceries or the " goods truck" is not able to get in the particular area.
The October rains also brought a spike in the number of cases of people with flu. Here again, neighbors, friends and the elders rallied with home-made remedies to fight of the germs.

It was glory time for farmers who used these rains to "jump start" the Fall crops of corn, peanut, peas, you name it.

I am really glad for the introduction of this post with many fond memories. Except that one such October, I went in the water settled in a bottom and missed a scouring from my mother "by the skin of my teeth."