2 1/2" rain in 1/2 hour but the Virgin stays dry

Torrential rain and thunder - floods everywhere - this is the side terrace.  Wish it had come before we started work on taming the garden for the weeds almost begged to be pulled out afterwards.  Another area of garden round the tennis court yet to be done - see extras.  Thousands of lemons just begging to be used so made lemon cordial this evening - wish I could take bags full of all the citrus fruit home!  They have fruit rats here - they don't come in the house but just live off the fruits available.  Saw a 3 foot long, pencil thin,  bright green and black snake after the floods - it was far more frightened of me than I was of it