Yeah, that's hot

Forecast for today, 14 Jan. Yesterday it was 30C at 9pm. We put some wet laundry out about the same time, it was dry by 11pm - all in complete darkness :-)

Rain

I've just been reminded of how I used to like the rain. In the UK it's a non-event, an everyday annoyance. In a dry climate, when the rain comes, it's a relief. The air is scented with green ethers and one can sit under the eaves and look out as the drops fall and puddles form on the ground. And when it goes on through the  night, you sleep well; perhaps the morning is somewhat cold and then the sun is warm again.

I much prefer rain that way - all the more valuable because it's rare.

Pete is a mother

Remember our pet huntsman spider, Postman Pete? He is still hiding out in the letter box, despite the occasional bouts of bad weather, daily intrusion by the real (human) postman and us peeking in to check up on him. Him? Well, not quite, because Pete is a mother.

A couple of weeks back, he spun a thick, white web under which was a soft white cushion of what could only be little baby spider hatchlings! Hundreds of them, perhaps thousands! Since then he - and she shall remain a he - has been sitting atop his brood looking menacing, and we've been slightly more cautious when checking our post.

Here's a pic of the one BIG happy family :-)

Jump!

Today we cleared the new house of the old, tired decor till the skip was overflowing with drab curtains and blinds, broken up wardrobes, drawers, mirrors and tons of greenery hacked out of the once overgrown garden. Job done, we headed up into the Hills to Stirling and had a walk around the Woorabinda reserve. As late afternoon moved in, the sun came out and we drove down to the ocean for an amazing sunset on the beach. We even saw a dolphin frolicking some 50 meters into the water - see if you can spot his fin in two of the sunset photos. All the pics are here.

It's been a good day; a very good day. So......... JUMP!

Rally without a cause

There is an annual rally in Norwood, a bosh (bohemian and posh) suburb of Adelaide, and it brings out the creme de la creme of petrolhead amateurs. It's really just an excuse to take the piss, and there is a street party to prove it, with the whole of the main drag closed off for one afternoon. They race around the Hills in souped up vintage cars (aka old bangers) and then mosy on down to line up on The Parade to show off. All spick-and-span chrome, American muscle cars taking up two parking spaces at a time, MG and Jaguar leading the British pack, Porsche Carreras and Targas, as well as Italian fiery flair led by - you know it - the Fiat Cinquecento. A version of this model used to be the national car of old Yugoslavia, which tells you how good they really are.... If it doesn't start, you can stick it on your stove to boil some spaghetti or in the garden to pot a plant. There were several podium ceremonies, until everyone got a medal. Champagne gushed, eyes sparkled, sausages sizzled on the barbie... Happy days!

    

Sprung

Within a day, at the very end of August, the weather turned to spring. From heavy rain one day, all of a sudden it was sunny the next and the temperature hovered around 27C for a whole weekend. We discovered Semaphore beach, with wide dunes full of flowers, much less crowded, sheltered from the wind and peaceful. Off to the beach...

Postman Pete

Helen opened our letterbox to pick up the post and... a small furry object wiggled out from under her palm. He likes the metal letterbox cos it's warm during the day and safe during the night. His species like to live in and around houses and come out at night to feed on insects, so people keep them as useful pets.

Two days into his sojourn, we realised we'd rather like to keep him - he is very cute and furry! We just need to pick up our post a bit more carefully until we grow more accustomed. It's one thing to be told they are harmless, quite another to believe it!

Friends and family, meet our new Australian pet and sub-tennant, Postman Pete, the friendly neighbourhood huntsman spider :-)