It’s true, Summer is a state of mind.
When Adam and I arrived at the Hunter Valley 1am on Monday morning, it was a chilly zero degrees! The electirc blankets that my stepdad had thoughtfully turned on for us though, spoke of warmer times. The toasty interior was matched my a sunny exterior the next morning! Blue skies, rolled-down windows, then crisp beers, and it could have been January (Sorry to you poor Northern Hemisphere people, to whome this whole blog will seem confusing)!
All that said, it could have been cloudy & miserable & it would have been summer time. Such is the joy of good company (Ads and Colin), great family (Dad & Aunty Susie, who in an aside, conclusively proved that I am blessed with a “fun” family with whom anyone can enjoy hanging out with, having some wine & playing some pool), good food & great surrounds!
We were only there from Sunday night till Tuesday afternoon, but I certainly feel well rested from the experience, even after spending a morning following the manly pursuit of wood splitting! (Of course, Adam swings an axe like a girl swings a handbag! Thankfully I was there to return testosterone to the town!).
People occasionally ask me why my skin is always so warm, even in miserable wintery weather? Well, you can bring on the miserable outdoor weather, cause it doesn’t mean an fig, when you can draw on the inner glow of good times!
Here’s a couple of pictures of Tasmania. Another time when I expected winter & got summer (Though, as warm & happy as it looks, it was bloody cold down there!0

I see those little foxtails & it takes me to a special place!

If you have a Flickr account, click on this pic & view it large. That tree was so cool! So many little & twisty branches!

Another pic that is best viewed large. I look at the deep dark road against the warm light & it just makes me want to travel. It reminds me of an old Tolkien poem from LOTR (apologies if I get a word or two wrong, I’m doing it from memory.)

The road goes ever on and on,
down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the road has gone,
and I must follow if I can,
pursuing it with eager feet,
until it finds some larger way,
where many paths and errands meet,
and whither then? I cannot say.