It's funny how life can throw things at you which force you stop and smell the roses.
We've been suffering extreme temperatures for the past few days, over 40c and up to 45c. The whole state is sweltering and there have been widespread power outages as a consequence.
Last night was our turn.
Power went off about 6.30pm. I was in the den with the portable air conditioner on and Pepper the dog and Charlie the cockatiel also enjoying the cooler room.
Dinner was about to be served and because we knew that we were about to have these days of heat I had done some food prep several days ago. We had cold spinach and ricotta pie with a tossed salad.
Usually we eat in the den, but the sea breeze had fortunately arrived and we could open the doors to the deck and although the sun was still hot and determinedly shining in we ate at the dining room table, at the shaded end.
When we finished I went out onto the deck and sat at the little table and read while the sun "sank slowly in the West"! Pepper lay in her "flat- pack- dog" pose, on her side with legs outstretched and enjoyed the breeze and the sound of the next door puppy chewing his squeaky toy.The skyline gradually rosied over and glowed faintly green as the dusk crept on.
It was now too dark to read so I just sat and called Tony to join me
A black flapping shape passed over and then some more. The bats were flying over from the Botanic gardens to the river valley below us and across to Queens Park. I remembered the bats that used to fly past our balcony in Sydney when we lived in Elizabeth Bay. There were hundreds of them and they traveled in small groups. Our bats last night were not so numerous and passed singly or at the most in pairs.
The moon was now clear in the sky, a very slim crescent shape with Venus glowing beside it. The hillside opposite us was for once in darkness. The only lights were cars crossing the bridge and weaving their way up the hill.
I finally moved back inside to find and light some candles. A romantic glow made our room look special and I was about to boil water on the stove for a cup of tea when the electric buzz of the fridge and the radio and beeps from microwave and TV rudely interrupted. I almost wished them away again.
[photo not mine but gives some flavour of the scene]
