A Change of Season
After the bone chilling cold of winter and the wet colourless spring, summer has dawned blue and bright. I am beginning to understand why the summers here at the end of the world are so full of activity. People, like bears, hibernate in the winters here, some days it’s too cold to move! But come the spring and people start to emerge and venture out into the fresh air only to run back inside out of the spring rains. Last year, our first here at the end of the world, was magical! My drab lifeless garden did just about “spring” into life over night and I spent my days wondering around the garden marvelling at all the colour. This year it has been more gradual and very, very wet, no magic there at all. But now the summer has finally woken up and we have had a cloudless week to bask in the sun.
With the summer comes energy and desire to absorb the warmth of the sun. It’s also a time when every house on our street has washing lines packed with washing day after cloudless day. People are cleaning windows and gutters and lawnmowers and weed trimmers sing all day long. Children’s voices can be heard as they charge up and down the street on bikes, "trikes" and scooters. Hibernation is over and it’s energising.
Each day, after the usual morning ritual I had all the housework done in quick time, the fact that the Butterfly chooses to sleep in late does help, but the sunshine and blue skies made it all worth it. I throw open doors and windows in celebration and set my washing machine to work. Even now the washing line is sagging with curtains and linen and winter jackets that we won’t need till next winter. The Butterfly slips into a sundress that is far too small for her and is outside within minutes of finishing her breakfast and only ventures back inside for a drink or a toilet break. She has been outside with her balls and "trike", riding bouncing and kicking. She had her paints and sidewalk chalk out and has brightened up our veranda with her artwork. We have played hopscotch and soccer been on and off the swings and see-saw and avoided the slide. She got soaked helping me clean windows, wash floors and the dishes and happily past me peg after peg to hang the washing. I have made a huge bowl of jelly with five different flavours, just for fun! We have had cheese muffins for breakfast and crumpets for our picnic lunch on the front lawn. We go for long rambling walks soaking up the sunlight and over dosing on vitamin D. Back home and the Butterfly collapses on the sofa with a sucker and a cup of juice and I make juice pops or coconut clusters, then we are back outside so the Butterfly can go for a ride on her “trike” up and down the road, stopping on occasion to have a lengthy chat with one of the neighbourhood children. Then its home for a bath where she splashes about singing her own little made up song at top volume, as only the Butterfly can. Supper is light, quick and easy easy just how I like it and then we were off again. We climbed into our trusty $200 Nissan and head for the foreshore for a stroll, or a charge about if you’re a Butterfly, to take advantage of the last bits of sunshine before it starts to set. Home again and a sun kissed, worn out Butterfly climbs wearily into her bed and is asleep almost as soon as she wraps her arms around her “Fred.” Wine glass in hand the Mauritian and I stand out on our veranda and watch the sun set over the mountain bringing to a close a beautiful summer day.
Back home the seasons blend into one another, the sun always shines strong and warm, the rain is never cold and you only need one closet of clothes all year round. Back home there is colour in the garden throughout each season, a social gathering around a braai is not uncommon in mid July and I don’t recall the Mauritian ever wearing long pants unless it was a formal occasion. Back home the seasons started and ended at precisely the right time of year, it cooled down in March and warmed up in September. Back home I only ever closed my windows and doors when we went out. Yep back home the weather was reliable and predictable and yes I’ll admit it, back home has the best weather in the world! Here at the end of the world the seasons are definite but unpredictable, like I said earlier, last year the spring was sudden and colourful while this year it has been wet and gradual. But the days are longer, the sun feels warmer and the clothes are drying quicker therefore it is spring! Last year the winter was swift and wet this year is was gradual and dry, the mountain was white with snow the days were short and the nights were long and cold therefore it was winter. Last year the snow on the mountain only started to melt in mid November, this year the melt has begun a month earlier, the sky is azure there is little or no wind and there are days between short hard cloudbursts therefore it is summer.
The thought of summer is what makes living through the winter worthwhile. Looking forward to the long summer days makes the cold winter nights bearable. I never realised just how unappreciative I was of the summer or of the comfortable all year round weather back home until my very first summer day here at the end of the world.
So what am I doing inside sitting at my computer I hear you asking yourself? It’s raining that’s why!
With the summer comes energy and desire to absorb the warmth of the sun. It’s also a time when every house on our street has washing lines packed with washing day after cloudless day. People are cleaning windows and gutters and lawnmowers and weed trimmers sing all day long. Children’s voices can be heard as they charge up and down the street on bikes, "trikes" and scooters. Hibernation is over and it’s energising.
Each day, after the usual morning ritual I had all the housework done in quick time, the fact that the Butterfly chooses to sleep in late does help, but the sunshine and blue skies made it all worth it. I throw open doors and windows in celebration and set my washing machine to work. Even now the washing line is sagging with curtains and linen and winter jackets that we won’t need till next winter. The Butterfly slips into a sundress that is far too small for her and is outside within minutes of finishing her breakfast and only ventures back inside for a drink or a toilet break. She has been outside with her balls and "trike", riding bouncing and kicking. She had her paints and sidewalk chalk out and has brightened up our veranda with her artwork. We have played hopscotch and soccer been on and off the swings and see-saw and avoided the slide. She got soaked helping me clean windows, wash floors and the dishes and happily past me peg after peg to hang the washing. I have made a huge bowl of jelly with five different flavours, just for fun! We have had cheese muffins for breakfast and crumpets for our picnic lunch on the front lawn. We go for long rambling walks soaking up the sunlight and over dosing on vitamin D. Back home and the Butterfly collapses on the sofa with a sucker and a cup of juice and I make juice pops or coconut clusters, then we are back outside so the Butterfly can go for a ride on her “trike” up and down the road, stopping on occasion to have a lengthy chat with one of the neighbourhood children. Then its home for a bath where she splashes about singing her own little made up song at top volume, as only the Butterfly can. Supper is light, quick and easy easy just how I like it and then we were off again. We climbed into our trusty $200 Nissan and head for the foreshore for a stroll, or a charge about if you’re a Butterfly, to take advantage of the last bits of sunshine before it starts to set. Home again and a sun kissed, worn out Butterfly climbs wearily into her bed and is asleep almost as soon as she wraps her arms around her “Fred.” Wine glass in hand the Mauritian and I stand out on our veranda and watch the sun set over the mountain bringing to a close a beautiful summer day.
Back home the seasons blend into one another, the sun always shines strong and warm, the rain is never cold and you only need one closet of clothes all year round. Back home there is colour in the garden throughout each season, a social gathering around a braai is not uncommon in mid July and I don’t recall the Mauritian ever wearing long pants unless it was a formal occasion. Back home the seasons started and ended at precisely the right time of year, it cooled down in March and warmed up in September. Back home I only ever closed my windows and doors when we went out. Yep back home the weather was reliable and predictable and yes I’ll admit it, back home has the best weather in the world! Here at the end of the world the seasons are definite but unpredictable, like I said earlier, last year the spring was sudden and colourful while this year it has been wet and gradual. But the days are longer, the sun feels warmer and the clothes are drying quicker therefore it is spring! Last year the winter was swift and wet this year is was gradual and dry, the mountain was white with snow the days were short and the nights were long and cold therefore it was winter. Last year the snow on the mountain only started to melt in mid November, this year the melt has begun a month earlier, the sky is azure there is little or no wind and there are days between short hard cloudbursts therefore it is summer.
The thought of summer is what makes living through the winter worthwhile. Looking forward to the long summer days makes the cold winter nights bearable. I never realised just how unappreciative I was of the summer or of the comfortable all year round weather back home until my very first summer day here at the end of the world.
So what am I doing inside sitting at my computer I hear you asking yourself? It’s raining that’s why!
Comments
Post a Comment