Extreme weather conditions

It’s a different Boxing Day this year. Weather has trumped tradition.

It’s not a long-held tradition, just a few years old, but an enjoyable one. By this time on Boxing Day, I’m usually transferring photos from a drive around the countryside and watching the clock for the Doctor Who Christmas Special.

Yes, I transferred one photo but its a lot closer to home. (See feature image above.)

No, I’m not watching the clock because the Christmas Special is now sometime around New Year.

I don’t know what happened to Doctor Who.

I do know what happened to the country drive with my Mum.

We’ve just started an extreme heatwave. There is no let up for the next five days (which is as far ahead as my phone will show me). It was time to start preparing three days ago but Christmas came along first.

This morning, instead of packing Christmas leftovers into an esky for lunch somewhere under a tree or by a river, I was dashing off to the hardware store as early as possible to get shade cloth. The race was on to get it up before the shadow along the western wall disappeared. I only just made it.

It’s made a big difference, but there’s not much I can do about the lack of roof insulation along the enclosed verandah.

As I expect to be renting this place next summer, I might as well invest in some anti-extreme-weather measures that can be taken to new digs if necessary.

Later tonight, I’ll be finding out which plants have survived and creating some shade houses for them, ready for tomorrow’s onslaught.