14 May 2011

A Second Summer

Thanks to Il Nina, we had a long, hot, humid summer. It was a relief when the nights became a little cooler in April. A cold snap shortly thereafter brought out winter coats and jumpers. However, over the last week or so, it's as if summer was only taking a break. It's back, and we're enjoying temperatures close to twenty degrees. I'm sitting here in my shorts, with all the door and windows of the house open, letting in the sunshine and warm breeze.

One effect of this unusual weather pattern is confused plants. Yesterday my husband pointed out a little daffodil in an eastern facing garden. I was quite alarmed. The poor thing obviously thought that our winter had come and gone, and it thinks we're on to Spring. I hope that all of our bulbs don't get the same idea. They'll only die off quickly when the real cold weather hits in a week or two. For now we can enjoy the surprise treat, but hope that the rest hold off for at least another three months to brighten our cold September.















Apart from enjoy the warmer temperatures, a bonus of the second summer is that the roses (among other flowers) continue to bloom. This one has a special place in my heart because of its name, Charlotte :-)

And the cats are pretty happy about being toasty.

If you follow me on Twitter you'll know about my big news this week - we're going to have a second winter as well, as we've booked flights to Europe next year. The flights on Malaysian were basically half price. We're somewhat anxious about how we'll afford everything else, but it's just too good an opportunity to pass up. We haven't had decent skiing since we went to Canada in 2007. Of course, we'll explore a bit as well. We're flying into Frankfurt and out of Rome, so we'll go through the Black Forest, Switzerland, the Italian Lakes and the interior of Italy. We'll visit the seaside town that my husband's great-grandfather emigrated from. I'm excited beyond words, and already my head is full of travel information and possible itineraries (this does mean that there hasn't been much writing going on). We have a good nine months to plan and save for what will be the longest (and best) holiday of our married lives so far. Come next March, this will be me!


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