Rubbing it in

An incoming email from famous neo-classical composer and pianist Ludovico Einaudi:

Spring is coming!
As we reconnect with nature and the world around us, Spring represents a time of looking forward; as we plant the seeds for our year ahead.
To celebrate the changing of the season, I’ve released a collection of songs inspired by the coming of Spring and it’s yours to enjoy at the link below.

And yes, he provided the link as promised. And even a countdown to the Vernal Equinox (not the meteorological one).

The thing is, he’s forgotten all about his Southern Hemisphere listeners here. Spring isn’t coming for us. In fact, if Spring is coming for them up North, we’re headed straight for Autumn. Goodbye sunshine and long summer nights, goodbye crippling heat, goodbye days on the beach, blue skies, and fresh, new growth.

Hello winter storms, roaring fires, copious red wine, and (apparently) disconnecting with nature and the world around me. Oh, and the 2024 Euro Championship.

Of course, those of you who know me will also know that I have no issue with any of this. Because why on earth would I?

Happy Spring (or Autumn) to each and every one of you.

Oh, Autumn

You sly dog, you.

We were out at dinner last night, attempting – amongst other things – to plan the weekend. But there’s no point in planning outdoor stuff when the autumn weather forecast is decidedly autumnal. So I checked on just how bad it was going to be.

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OMG! Batten down the Beagle!

Looks like it’s not quite time to pack the sunscreen away just yet.

The only down side (there’s always got to be a down side because there are no clouds to have silver linings), is that we are kinda desperate for some rain. And even though we got a bit last week, the damn dam levels are now down to 32.8% (from 34.1% last week), and just 2.8% above the critical level of 30%.
I’m not sure what happens then, but apparently, whatever it is, it’s not “panic”:

Without rainfall, the Voëlvlei Dam would only be able to supply the metropole until July and the West Coast municipalities until the end of May. However, the council said it did not want to “unleash a panic” and it has the situation under control.

I wonder what they have in mind? A time machine and a DIY Desalination Plant kit? Cloud seeding? Vague hope?
This assurance from our local city council comes after the government minister for Water and Sanitation went onto the radio and asked religious individuals to “pray for divine intervention” to end the drought.

That plan is evidently yet to kick in effectively.

Enjoy the weekend, and please don’t water your garden.

No more swimming problems

It’s autumn. The pool heating has been switched off (the local equivalent of your UK central heating going on) and it’ll be a few months before it goes back on.
Still, at least there won’t be any issues like this for a while:
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Obviously, whales can’t do that, so surely all aquatic mammals should be dead by now? Cause of death: “Drowned, after getting a stitch.”

(Or not.)

Autumn is coming…

Uh-oh.

This shouldn’t really come as any sort of surprise to people around here. This happened last year at this time, if I recall correctly. And possibly also once before – was it 2011 maybe? Anyway, I digress. The combination of the time of year and a stiff overnight breeze resulted in a veritable plethora of leaves all over the floor. A sure sign from Mother Nature that it’s been hot and sunny for long enough.

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It doesn’t mean that summer is quite over – we still have a couple of days this week which are going to hit 30ºC – but the nights are getting noticeably cooler and the mornings noticeably darker.  I know you’ve noticed it too.

I don’t want to call it just yet, but it’s coming.
Be ready Cape Town, because summer is almost over.

Almost.

Still in Sheffield

…although time seems to be going impossibly fast. I managed to upload some photos on the fast internet as well.

What it does mean for you guys (I’m afraid) is more quota photoage, and this one sums up the autumnal sunshine here quite nicely, I thought:

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So yes, the weather here hasn’t been so bad.
Meanwhile, my kids were in the pool in Cape Town this morning. It was 7.6ºC here.