Summer’s Almost Gone

Well it’s been a while. Nearly five months since I last put thumb to phone. I’d like to report that I’ve done something amazing in that time; climbed a mountain, written a novel or learned to tap dance. Alas no. The only hill I’ve climbed is Mount Eden, I haven’t even read a book and as for dancing.... well there was an incident at the office Christmas party but the less said about that the better...

So what have I been doing? Well watching the world go by. And if I’m being honest, standing back with equal amounts of amazement and horror as it all goes tits-up. What on earth is going on with the world? Lots but they’re subjects for another day.. 

At least we've had our best summer in a decade to keep us occupied. Actually I don’t know if that’s true, but certainly one of the best since we arrived. Although as I look out the window on a grey and wet Auckland you wouldn’t think that we had. But it’s been great...for some. Well most. But as the fortieth day without a such as a drop of rain passed, we did start to wonder if it would ever rain again. 

Farmers and the water company were seriously worried. Still are. We haven’t had anywhere near enough rain to replenish the supplies but what can you do? Blame it on the immigrants was one National MP’s opinion. Really? Didn’t know that we had such powers. Oh, wait! He wasn’t really taking about white, European immigrants now was he. I guess not because they were still washing their SUVs Every Sunday, watering the gardens and filling their swimming pools with aplomb. What is it with the incessant need to wash your car every Sunday? Ours hasn’t been washed in nearly two years and it’s fine. Or at least I think it is. I can’t for the layers of crud. 

With the weather being this great, we didn’t even contemplate going away for Christmas. We stayed in Auckland and enjoyed the peace and quiet as the city emptied out onto baches and beaches around the country. Plus we have a mortgage to pay so it made sense to enjoy all the festivities that the City of Sails had to offer. And Auckland certainly served up a stunner!

But, as a wise football pundit once remarked, it’s a game of two halves. Whilst the north was enjoying a record breaking streak of weather, those in the south were less fortunate. It rained. A lot. No I mean A LOT. It was still record breaking, but for all the wrong reasons. Parts of Fiordland had nearly a metre of rain over two days. Just let that sink in for a moment. A metre of rain in 48 hours. Roads were washed out, towns cut off and people went missing in the mountains. Yet, a short flight away, Aucklanders were complaining that it was too hot to sleep and the beer wasn’t cold enough. 

So here we are, the nights are getting darker, the temperatures are slowly dropping and Autumn feels like it’s just around the corner. Just the other day, it was a definite chilly 16 degrees as the sun came up and, for the first time in a while, I contemplated putting a short sleeve t-shirt on for my morning run. I didn’t . But I thought about it. And surely that’s the point?

In a few weeks, the clocks will go back and thoughts will turn to Easter, and with that winter is a short hop away. 

But it’s all good. Although Easter might only be a few weeks away, we’ll soon be tucking into pumpkin pie and hanging Halloween lanterns, ready to welcome back the Summer from its sojourn on the other side of the globe. What comes around, goes around.