All's Well, But Cold

I looked out out into the garden from our deck this afternoon. The foliage was almost glistening in the autumn sun. The grass is lush green, growing at a fast rate. It's hard to believe that this is so in early March, after summer, a time when usually the landscape is dry and parched.

We had 140ml of rain in February, and I think another 40 or so in the first days of March. It rained again on Friday, not heavy but enough to water the plants in pots. Watering has been no problem this last couple of months.

The honey season has been the best for years. Before the big deluge in February a honey flow was in progress. It seemed to return as the weather cleared, slower, but still happy bees. I managed to get some off for my friend Leanne to extract, and also help Denny, who has health issues and needs a bit of a hand with his bees. I would expect by the end of March there'll be more to take and still be plenty to leave for the bees for the winter. Nothing is certain but that is the indication.

My only complaint is that I'm sitting here with a jumper on and still I'm cold. And last night in bed I was cold for ages before falling asleep. Then Pip woke me twice during the night. Lib and Gord are at Lakes for a few days, home tomorrow. I guess the house feeling empty doesn't help although I've thoroughly enjoyed my evening solitude. I've always found my own company pleasant.

I'm still on my alcohol free experiment. Tomorrow I'll be 70 days AF. It would be so good to have a bottle of red with our roast lamb tomorrow night when Lib and Gord have returned, but I've set my new target at 100 days. I have found life still to be enjoyable without wine, something I doubted prior to me embarking on the experiment. I wondered if being home alone might trigger me relax my resolve but It hasn't been too bad. I think I've established a "new normal", and have a routine of non alcoholic beverage to fill the psychological void and a bit of chocolate and a cup of tea after dinner, followed by a creamy coffee later and maybe a vanilla slice or an icecream.

We go on holiday soon, to Adelaide for a week, that will be another test, a holiday without a rewarding relaxing wine. Then there's a footy club reunion in April, 40 years since Greta premiership 1980, another test. But there were non drinkers in that team, several if I recall, and many moderates. If it was split into thirds, I would have been in the drinker third. I don't feel threatened by attending and not drinking.

I'm off for a hot bath, another cold night ahead. I don't feel justified to turn on a heater just for me. Who knows what the weather will do from here. I have plenty of firewood cut but would hope not to be lighting the fire till May. Who would have thought with the dry weather over much of south eastern Australia and all the bushfires, that we here in the Dandenongs would have had such a mild lush summer with continued green and growth, and now such cold in what is traditionally heatwave time.