Monday, January 21, 2013

Hot! Hot! Hot!

hi!
 
sorry i've been absent this week...
but i can't promise much this week either.
 
the weather has just been so
hot hot hot
that sitting here at the computer is a struggle
and i've only been visiting when absolutely necessary...
like checking the bank balance before payday
&
removing most of the 84 emails that arrive over a couple of days!

 

by the middle of every afternoon
we are beside ourselves with the heat
so we take off to the local council swimming pool
where the side nearest the bleachers
is shaded.

we ...  that is whoever we can drag along with us...
stay there cooling off for a couple of hours
before heading home to make a cool salad for dinner.

after dinner
we are hopeful that the temperatures come down
so that we can relax and sleep soundly
with our fans whirring beside us
or overhead!

such is the simple life
of surviving summer here in queensland this year.
we got lulled into expecting cooler wetter summers
over the last few years
so this hot dry one has hit us hard.
everyone here
just copes in the best way they can.

some have aircon and modcons...
in our leaky old wooden queenslander
we'd need to stop up the gaps
to stop the cooled air from drifting down through the floorboards
or out through the not quite flush fitting windows.

we love our old 'granny' house...
but in the heat of summer
or the depths of winter...
she has her shortcomings
but
we love living in her anyway!

is your house
practical
or a character?

or maybe both?

have a great week!

naturally Carol xox

 


18 comments:

  1. Hello Carol:
    It does seem incredible that whilst you are sweltering in the heat, we are shivering in the sub zero temperatures of Budapest.

    Lazy days are surely the best that you can do....make the most of it!

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  2. Cold! Cold! Cold! over here! Home sweet home!

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  3. I wish I could send some of our frigid air so we could maybe swap, your heat for my cold, take care and keep cool!

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  4. Outside it feels like minus 15 these days. Lots of cold and hard winds. So we need to keep the heating on and the windows shut. I wish I could send you some freshness and vice versa you could send some warmth. We have an old house, more than 100 years, but fortunately we had it insulated a couple of years ago. This makes a lot of difference and now it's very comfortable inside.

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  5. Here it is cold cold cold! I hope you can find a cool spot there today, Carol! We live in an old house which has the original (sometimes draughty) sash windows....it isn't practical but we love it anyway!
    Have a happy week.
    Helen x

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  6. I know how you feel Carol.
    We had high 40's the other day, it was a killer.
    Loving your new header..xx

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  7. Day after day of heat can be so exhausting. We've actually been pretty lucky down here with just a few rally hot days and one or two warm nights, but I dare not speak too soon, Feb is usually a hot one! Upstairs is always roasting in summer and downstairs is freezing in winter, but I do love this place regardless..x

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  8. I hope it cools down for you soon and you get a bit of rain. It's been raining over the weekend here, but today the sun is back out, steaming us, and the fans are full blast. I've missed your posts!
    Salads and swimming are one of the joys of summer...stay cool! xx

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  9. This summer sure has been a scorcher hasn't it Carol. Lucky you to have a pool close by to cool off in. We are making full use of the beach being just down the road.
    Given the choice I'd pick character over practicality..we're in a suburb where all the houses look the same and lack personality.
    x

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  10. Oh Carol, that does sound tough. The heat is so unrelenting in an Australian Summer and this year seems to be like the ones of old. Though when we were in Qld recently, the heatwave hadn't quite hit, so it was actually beautifully pleasant. The dry heat, I find bearable, it is the humidity that really gets to me. Love your description of your house, I often wonder just what they were thinking when they built our house too... though it was in the late 1800's, so I should just be grateful it is still standing, haha! xo

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  11. It's warm enough down here in Tassie (even we got 42 degrees!) and unfortunately not many of us have aircon or pools because it's so rare to need it. I can't imagine how you all cope up there in Queensland with those consistently hot temperatures without aircon. Hope some cooler weather comes your way soon. Mel x

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  12. Hope it cools down for you! Have a wonderful week! xo Heather

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  13. Yes, definately feeling the heat here in Brizzy too Carol! And thank God for local pools! We are fortunate to live in a well insulated brick and tile house, but the office is the hottest room on in the house, making it a real effort to get things done. I would love to live in a Queenslander or little cottage, just a house with more character that I feel expresses more of who I am..one day!

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  14. Hi Carol,I always remember grandmda did her gardening and housework early in the morning in summer. I guess you'll be the same? Over here in NZ the summer has been quite a mild one...not too humid at the moment which is nice...good for me with my gardening jobs. Hope you get a bit cooler weather soon! The pool habit sounds nice though!

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  15. First off - the trees in that photo are so fun. Secondly, it's so crazy to hear all about the incredible heat there and try to wrap my mind around it while I'm shivering and knee-deep in snow here. Wouldn't it be great if we could trade spots for just a day or two?

    Stay cool.
    Jenny

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  16. Carol, I know what you mean. When it is extended heat like this, it is just ridiculous!!
    Our house is double brick (dark brick '70s style) and everyone says that it must be cool in summer. Well it is until we get a heatwave and then the bricks tend to retain the heat. Hubby has been hosing the house off, but the dam level is getting low and we don't want to waste too much. Hope we get some rain soon! cheers Wendy

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  17. After two wet summers,we've been spoilt.We seem to be pretty comfortable in our old girl,I think good roof insulation makes a huge difference, and the wood heater has been our only heating for the past two years,inspite of gaps here and there.The pool method of cooling sounds the best though.

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  18. Sorry to hear you are copping the heat too. It really drains your energy doesn't it? A squirty bottle of water is handy to mist oneself with when it is so hot :)

    x

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i am delighted that you care enough to comment..i love to read each one of them..thank you!