They warned us that it was going to be hot yesterday.  So I closed the house down against the heat (windows, curtains, doors all shut, including internal doors). Jim was given firm instructions to keep his phone with him, to heed any warnings that came his way and to implement the Running Away Fire Plan if need be.  Lindsey and I went to work on what was, I have to say, a very pleasant early morning.

And the morning remained quite pleasant. But by lunchtime the temperature had gone up quite considerably. I'm not sure what the final temperature was; I think the official temperature was 41 or 42d but I suspect it was hotter than that in the Summerhill carpark. Mercifully, the air conditioning was working in the shopping complex.  It wasn't working on the last warm to hot days we had and it wasn't nice at all in the surgery.

Then the cool change came through and the temperature plummeted down to around 27 or 28 in almost no time.

Fortunately there was no need to implement a fire plan. The only time of danger around our place was, oddly enough, well after the cool change had come through and as the sun was setting when we were treated to a loud thunderstorm.  What made it a bit risky was that there was no rain but there was wind. A local lightning strike might have been interesting.

This morning when we went out to the  Bridge Mall Market, we were wearing jumpers and wishing we had jackets with us.

These extremes really aren't necessary, dear Weather Dogs.  A nice, steady 25 or 26 would be more than satisfactory. Very acceptable, in fact.

In anticipation of a nice, steady temperature, we have brought the barbecue out of the garage.  We also bought a camping gazebo for the back garden.  And a camping picnic table.  There's another camping picnic table on its way so we can have an 8 seater rather than a 4.

Here is the garden earlier this afternoon:

I think it will look rather lovely when it has more boxes with veg and flowers, and perhaps a few shrubs (though we might need a jackhammer to dig holes for the shrubs).

Oh - and I have been cleaning some of the windows. I had a problem getting the fly screen back on the first window I cleaned.  It simply would not go back.  It was manifestly too big to go back, which seemed ridiculous because it had fitted into that space when I took it out.  So I asked that nice Mr Google if he could help and he drew my attention to a YouTube video produced by Bunnings.  It's remarkably simple when you know how!!  If the weather holds, I might do a few more windows tomorrow. It makes a significant difference. The house is 13 years old and you begin to wonder if the windows have ever been cleaned, given the grime and the cobwebs. Come to that, I don't think I have ever lived in a house that has been quite so cobweb infested on the outside, and I've lived in some quite rural properties the past. I suspect that the spiders will win no matter how hard I try.  But I am going to try :-D