Today is the first day of autumn. I’m sure many of you are somewhat startled by that statement, knowing that the equinox is still three weeks away. As I have mentioned previously, Australia cannot be bothered to follow the laws of physics or astronomy, but once again, they seem to be spot on. (And – courtesy of The Prof - there is a case for their rebelliousness – but I would like to remark that the Romans were wrong about a great many things.) This morning the dark clouds that have covered the sky for the last three months are no where in sight. The air is cool and dry with a crispness that makes you want to shop for new shoes, sweaters, and spiral bound notebooks. The sunlight has the unmistakable golden slant that tells your body to get ready for Sunday afternoons watching ‘the gridiron’. (More than anything else, the lack of a fall football season screws up my celestial body clock.)
Normally, I am invigorated by the first day of fall, and I welcome the relief from summer’s oppressive heat, looking forward to cozy evenings spent making stew, curling up on the couch under a Mexican blanket, and staring at women’s boots with a covetous hunger that borders on psychopathic obsession. But this year, there was no oppressive heat from which to be relieved. In fact, this was the coldest – and certainly the wettest – summer I have ever experienced in my life. Allegedly (BK, I am reporting hearsay and have not verified the facts in the statement I am about to make), there were only 2 days over 30 degrees (86 F). In February, (I did check this statistic) the mean temperature in Sydney was a stifling 24.9 (76 F) degrees and we had 448 mm (17 inches) of rain. Neither of those points truly warrant complaint, but neither fit with my definition of summer, considering ‘back home’ the average summer temperature is 94 F (34 C) with 0 inches (0 mm) of rainfall.
But blogs about weather are boring. Hopefully tomorrow, I will be writing a blog about tonight’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade. But wait, you might be thinking, wasn’t Mardi Gras three weeks ago, and doesn’t it usually fall on a Tuesday?
Allow me to reiterate: Australia cannot be bothered by a calendar based on reasonable and predictable celestial phenomena.
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We had a similar cool and wet summer up here in Brisbane, and I loved it! It doesn't sound like Perth, Darwin, or Adelaide enjoyed this anti-Global warming though. I fear that we won't be smelling burning leaves this autumn, huh? :-(
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