Winter is coming...But not here! 😎

The crunch of snow beneath winter boots. Cold air grips and the snowy owl hoots. Skates cut the ice like knives through butter. More snow falls, the flakes drift and flutter. Drifts build thick covering everything, it's deep. Inside it's warm inside, and I'm fast asleep. The winter is long but leave here it will. And summer will come and the birds will trill. The seasons roll though it may not seem like it now. Summer will come, sun and warmth, this I vow. But for now you live within winters cold grip. Cosy inside, the fire and something warm to sip. It's different for me here where it's almost summer. Yeah, it's not fair, for you don't have it, Oh what a bummer.

That little poem was for all of you heading into winter. It popped into my noggin more readily than a poem about summer so that's what I lead off with.

Here in Adelaide we are about to have our warmest day for months with an expected top of 36 degrees (96.8F) and it's only the beginning of November. It'll fluctuate a little over the next month or so but will continue in an upward trend towards the heat of summer. We will reach temperatures of some 45 degrees (113F) at times here over summer and sometimes have periods when the temperature may not dip below low 30's (low 90'sF) for weeks on end, even at night. As the northern hemisphere heads into winter we head into summer which means long days, sunlight until around 2130 (9:30pm) and all those summer activities that makes Australia such an awesome place to live.

I tend to head to the beach 3-4 times a week in the better weather. It's not always for a swim but sometimes is. We tend to go walking, have something to eat (fish and chips being the go-to) and sometimes shoot hoops or throw a frisbee. It's relaxing and energising as well. Of course, when it's baking hot we go later in the evening when it's a little cooler. The sun here in Australia has teeth, sharp ones, and can bite unsuspecting people. What I mean is it can cause sunburn in only 10 minutes or so of exposure so waiting until the sun dips a little more is what we personally tend to do. We play spot the tourist which is easy because they are usually burned red-raw or peeling like a European snake shedding its skin.

I recently went to Finland and enjoyed their summer; A somewhat unusual one that saw some 28-30 degrees for a few weeks running. I haven't experienced a European winter yet although there was one time in Austria (the other Australia) when it snowed and was bloody cold. Well, not by Euro standards I guess, but cold for a couple of Aussies in Europe anyway. I suppose it's similar for visitors to Australia where temperatures can be baking hot. It really has to be experienced to truly comprehend just what it's like. Wondering what it's like? Fucking HOT is what it's like!

This week the temperature spiked up a little here and it'll rise and rise as we get closer to summer. I'm not the biggest fan of the extreme heat but I like those beach days at my local beach only minutes from where I live. It's relaxing and I always find it peaceful. You know, the sound of the waves, the gulls (trying to grab my chips) and the sounds of summer in Australia all around.

If you haven't experienced it then you are missing out on one of the greatest places in the world; An Australian beach in summer. Get on it!