This can’t be

the last week of summer in Tasmania – far south Tasmania. It’s 37.7 degrees outside and 45 degrees in the hothouse. And boy is it HOT! The solar hot water temperature is 62.5 and it’s very quiet outside for a Saturday afternoon. The skate park is deserted and I imagine that they’re all at the beach down the road.

The chooks are in the shade under the lemon tree but the hot north wind is making it very uncomfortable for them. They haven’t realised that it is better under the large, old oak tree – yet.

This is actually a photo taken in spring, as the leaves were just coming out. It’s a lot denser and darker under there now!

M and Terry the dog are both having a siesta in the lounge and I only venture out to check on the chooks occasionally. The only ones who don’t seem too affected by the heat are the goldfish in the pond. It does look very inviting.

I ensured that I was out early to water what I could but was mindful of keeping it to a minimum as the fire service reminded us this morning. Even so, the zucchini leaves and some of the tomatoes and snow peas are looking very sad. I’m kicking myself as I put some teeny weeny brassica seedlings in a couple of days ago and I think the rainbow chard has keeled over with a vengeance. The cauli’s and broccoli might, just might, hang in there.

The hot north wind is the worry. M was out early also this morning, checking the fire pump, just in case. So far so good down our way but I’ve read that there is a vegetation fire in the Derwent valley already. Our local fire volunteers are always very edgy with a day like this and who could blame them? They’re the real heroes in my eyes.

So there’ll be salad and steak cooked on the gas barbecue for dinner tonight and I think today might just be right for a cool and icy gin and tonic this evening. (we’ve been rationing ourselves due to lack of resources). I do have to make some brownies for a birthday gift for a friend tomorrow so at some stage the oven has to go on, sigh. I would imagine that for the second time in three years we might even turn the reverse cycle heat pump on tomorrow – if we can remember how! Because we’re expecting the highly unusual same sort of weather tomorrow too.

Is it safe to eat ice cream that has been in the freezer for well over twelve months? I’ll let you know as I think a bowl of cool ice cream might be right…….

Jan