Australia · clouds · kitchen renovation · Mount Warning · renovations · subtropical weather · summer · Tweed Valley

Is it still summer?

After a run of cooler days, I really have to question the sanity of the weather. This is the month of February, renowned for being the hottest month of summer in the subtropics. And here I was today, considering grabbing a cardigan!

I checked out a few fun facts about the history of the weather on this day in previous years. In the last thirty years, it has rained on twenty days. The record low temperature for this day was back in 2000 at 18 degrees Celsius, while the maximum on record is thirty-two degrees Celsius in 2010. Considering today’s temperature reached twenty-seven degrees Celsius, perhaps it wasn’t overly unseasonal weather after all.

This morning, the kitchen cabinet installers arrived and took over my house, while I hid away in my office. By the middle of the day, my kitchen had transformed from this —

… to this.

After the tradesmen left, I was more concerned about the thin layer of dust covering every surface of my house, so taking photos of the finished product was forgotten today. The men did a wonderful job, and I can hardly wait until my kitchen is completely finished, and they did attempt to clean up before they left …

Needless to say, I gave every surface around the house a thorough clean, vacuumed and mopped the floors, and by 9pm, we finally sat down to another quick-and-easy dinner.

It’s getting there, slowly but surely. And I think the messiest day is finally behind me. 🙂

 

 

Australia · in my garden · Mount Warning · native Australian birds · photography · rivers · spring · subtropical weather · sugar cane · Tweed Valley

Friday Photography

The early morning valley looked clear and sunny, and based on the way the weather has changed suddenly by mid-morning the last few days, I went out early to take a few photos. Lucky I did, as by around 9:30am the clouds had rolled in. This afternoon, it rained.

I had several cheeky little noisy miners flitting around me. They don’t stay still for long, so I grab a photo when I can. The background of a grey fence isn’t ideal, but you’ve gotta love this “pigeon toed” stance. ❤

Here’s Mr. Magpie …

And Mrs. Magpie …

… and one of my regular butcher bird visitors. Like the noisy miners, butcher birds don’t stay still for long either!

A post of bird photos would not  be complete without one of our beautiful kookaburras!

Today I have something a little bit different to share. From my back garden I can see distant glimpses of the Tweed River, so I zoomed in on a couple of areas to see what’s happening down in the valley.

It looks like there are still a few unharvested sugar cane fields. It also looks like the farmers are busy working in the harvested fields with the heavy machinery, probably preparing them for next year’s crop.

Occasionally I see a houseboat down on the river, and there was one there today.

I’m not sure what the weekend will bring. We still have chores to complete in the garden, but our weather is predicted to reach around 30 degrees Celsius both Saturday and Sunday. That will limit the time we spend outdoors if the prediction is accurate.

Have a great weekend!

Australia · Mount Warning · spring · subtropical weather · Tweed Valley

Unexpected Mist

A beautiful sight welcomed me this morning when I looked out into the valley. After a relatively warm night I had not expected to see mist, but there it was, dancing ghost-like across the valley and looking spectacular.

We’ve had a fair bit of rain over the last few days, so my theory is that when the warmer air hit the cold earth, condensation rose in the form of mist. Does that sound logical? It’s the same when you get into a cold car with your warm body and breath, and the windows fog up and you have to put on the demister, I imagine.

Whatever caused the mist, I hope it happens again before summer arrives. 🙂

Australia · clouds · colours · Mount Warning · sunset · Tweed Valley · winter

Skies Afire

Mount Warning reappeared today from beneath yesterday’s smoky, dusty haze. The mountain and ranges looked beautifully clear all day but I decided to wait until sunset before taking my camera outside as the weather turned cold this afternoon. I’ve noticed that a sudden cold snap is often a prediction for a beautiful sunset, and I had a hunch that today could be one of those memorable sky days.

So out I went with my camera just after 5:30 pm. Nothing. Oh, the sky had a pretty pastel sunset tinge of colour over the mountain, but this wasn’t the magnificence sky-show I had expected.

And then I turned around …

Towards the north-western skies, stripes of clouds were lit up by the sunset glow. The sky looked magnificent!

I’m sure I will never understand how weather patterns work, it’s all too technical a process for my simple brain. I am just happy to enjoy the magic – no questions asked – and to follow my hunches when I feel something brewing in the weather.  🙂