Blissful coolth...

I've turned the heater on. First time this year. Last night the thermometer got down into single figures; as a result two little cats curled up tightly behind my knees. Twin thermo nuclear reactors! I woke up boiling from the waist down and with freezing shoulders where the little devils had pulled the blankets down into a bundle to keep themselves warm :-)

T'other Half and I went for a brisk walk with the dog when the sun came up and I, for once, wore a light sweatshirt. Until now I've been overheating in a tshirt. Oh, I DO love this cooler weather! I even sprinted in the park, and jogged along the footpath.

We've been taking the bikes out almost every day too. Both of us have been getting fitter and when I'm on Petunia I can give t'Other Half a serious run for his money these days. He doesn't get nearly as far ahead of me as he used to. Penelope is my faithful shopping friend and her Basil bags have shown themselves capable of taking a good load - tins of cat food and tomatoes, litres of milk, apples, chocolate, fish and an entire rockmelon sat comfortably in the messenger bag today.

Last Saturday we went bushwalking with some friends for a couple of hours around North Head national park in Sydney. Summer's last blast, it was a bright blue day with not a cloud in sight until mid afternoon. People were in swimming at the little coves and beaches around Manly and the Head.

Bet there aren't many people in the water today, though. It's grey and cool and dank. So dank that the lightweight load of washing I did this morning - such as cotton sheets - didn't get dry. It's now hanging, Chinese laundry-style, in front of the heater.

The only thing I hate about this time of year is that it's dark by about 5.15. I keep thinking about the title of Douglas Adams' book, The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul. It feels a bit like that most days when I've finished work and it's too dark to safely cycle down the unlit paths in our slightly unsavoury neck of the woods. Still, it beats the heat.