Summer

Summer is definitely on its way. We had a first taste on Tuesday, when the temperature soared to 34 degrees Celsius (93 degrees Fahrenheit). Perth summers are usually extremely hot and dry.

Ten things I like about summer:

1. The sun rises early (by about 5am; maybe earlier? I’ll have to observe).
2. The sun sets late – around 7:30pm.
3. The colour of the sky – clear clear blue.
4. The sound of doves cooing in the early morning – they probably start cooing when they wake up with the sun, and now that I am up too, I hear them.
5. The sound of cicadas in the middle of the day.
6. All the weeds in the garden die off. (The grass and other things you planted also die off, unless you keep them watered, but that’s another issue.)
7. No rain.
8. Holidays. The University closes down for almost two weeks around Christmas, so we all get holidays.
9. Barbecues. The Aussie barbie. The smells and sounds – cooking food, sizzle, smoke.
10. Sitting and enjoying an ice-cold drink in the evening twilight.

Ten things I dislike about summer:

1. 40 degree (104 Fahrenheit!) days. Especially when you get a few of them in a row. Being outdoors feels like standing in an oven. Having to wear sunscreen to take the laundry in.
2. Mosquitoes. Flies. Midges. Flying cockroaches!
3. You forget what clouds look like. The clear clear blue sky is usually cloudless.
4. The sound of doves cooing. They never vary their coos. Ever.
5. The sound of cicadas during the day. You can hear them all around you, but you never, ever see them…
6. All the weeds and everything in the garden die off. Everything gets brown and dead.
7. No rain.
8. Holidays. At the hottest time of the year. With no airconditioning at home. Work is at least cool.
9. Barbecues. You get sick of the burnt meat and the same old, same old.
10. Sitting outdoors in the evening twilight. See reason number 2 for disliking summer.

I’m making myself wish for winter, already!

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