Hot January

As one who works outside I can assure you January was a hot month. Indeed I saw this morning that Climate Council states that January was the hottest on record. Very little rain too, 15ml here in Gembrook, and half that was in a storm very late in the month after a prolonged heatwave, so it really was ineffective.

January also saw our 38th wedding anniversary. Also a visit from our friend Ian Sinclair who stayed six days. He arrived in Aus from Yukon Province in Canada and spent the first couple of weeks in Canberra and Adaminaby where his brother Col lives. It was about -20C when he left the Yukon and the daily max when he was here ranged from 35-45C. He loved our garden and its birdlife but was dismayed at the noise during the day from motor bikes and trucks, which he said had escalated enormously in the three years since he was last here. After he left, the next morning he rang from Mt Terrible to let me know he was there, one of our old haunts. He said the road had been much improved, and had been diverted here and there to cut out the bad bits, which were still obvious. He said he was amazed that 45 years ago we made it up there in our two wheel drive vehicles. When he reached the top there were five vehicles there with workmen installing solar panels for the mobile phone tower. Therefore he had reception and could ring. Back in the old days the fire watcher camped up there in an old cabin for three months, supplies coming up weekly. He loved our visits, broke the monotony, and the grog we brought. Mind you he was most diligent in his tower during the day, but loved our company at night.

At the moment the floods around Townsville are dominating the news. Record rainfall over a week or more and still going. The news vision is sad to watch when you think of the thousands of people and properties devastated. And since, hundreds of thousands of drowned cattle in NW Qld.

The annual threat of bushfires is with us in the south and with several weeks of predicted hot weather ahead all hell could break loose on any day with a strong wind to fan the numerous continuing fires that are currently burning but not running wild or uncontrolled. The bush is tinder dry.

January saw the beginning of the end for horse trainer Darren Weir. As a (very much mug) punter this was astounding. I have watched from a distance as Weir grew from a small country trainer to the biggest in Australia with record winning numbers.The caravan rolls on.

The Australian Tennis open came and went with the usual mountain of publicity. A few weeks prior all the news bulletins and sport shows were full of reporting on tennis tournaments to jog us into gear.
Then the barrage of publicity for the Open and the flagellating appraisals of the "player's favourite tournament", almost nauseating. I admit I watched some, in particular that young Greek guy who knocked out Federer and followed it up till he was blitzed by the poise and power of Nadal in the semifinal. Then, I watched the the final expecting an epic, only to see the Joker blitz Nadal in straight sets, almost without a whimper from the previously supreme Nadal. I think it was mind domination as well as tennis ability.

Not a word about tennis since in the media. Now it's all politics and AFLW. We are driven by the media. All I know for sure is that out of the blue today it rained, don't know how much till Glen tells me, my gauge broke off the post. Rickyralph came up for a visit, he is well. It was a beautiful restful day of rain after several brutal weeks of heat and hard work. Last week was huge as florist customers stocked up for Valentine's Day. Got knocked up. Tired, rested today. Family day tomorrow, Pascoe Vale at Lib's niece's place with Lib's sisters and theirs, in lieu of Christmas getogether that didn't.