Natalie and I were talking this morning as we wandered up to the coffee shop to enjoy breakfast. She was telling me how much she loves winter. I took the opportunity to remind her that a Blue Mountains winter isn’t quiet the same as a Sydney one.

It reminded me how much I love the winter light, the lower temperatures, the rain, the mist, and the gorgeous shapes deciduous trees make. I must admit I adore winter too. Despite having lived is some ridiculously hot places I have never really warmed to them. I spent a full year in Darwin and the Tiwi Islands, where I really loved the wet season, only because of the storms and rain that made the place so beautiful. Everyone said, of you will love the dry season, well, I only did comparatively because of the lower temperatures and lower humidity.

I also spent three years living in Kuwait. 55 degrees Celsius was the summer average, though the public thermometer said forty nine constantly. The hottest day I remember was 65 or 68. They back announced it as usual, to avoid everyone stopping work, a few days latter. Oh, by the way, last Thursday was a record high in the desert. Interestingly, when I check up these figures today, they aren’t so correct either. Because it really depends on where they measure the temperature. Officially the highest is only 52 in the shade, 63 in the sunlight.

So the 55 summer average was a myth… an urban legend…

Anyway,

winter, isn’t it just lovely….

Mount Wilson trees, The Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, Photograph and text copyright © Len Metcalf 2020