Unlike kiwi rail, summer has had the audacity to arrive early this year. When I opened the curtains this morning at 0600 the sun was already our to play shining across the tops of the mountains and making the herbs and salads in the potager glow. 1 December (tomorrow) is the official start but we’ve been basking in hot hot weather for more than a week.  And when I said hot I mean too hot to handle outside between 12 and 4pm.  The bassets really suffer in the heat and spend most of the time laying down hanging their bellies out for the extra air cooling treatment.

We’ve had to start watering the vegetable seedlings otherwise all our effort to raise them from seeds will go to waste.  Otherwise the garden has to fend for itself.  The trees are looking peaky although the roses are throwing out more colour every day.  I love summer and for all the challenges the heat throws at us I’ll take it any day over the cold, wet and dark days of winter.  With apologies to all of you in the northern hemisphere which is suffering badly with the onset of winter.  Tee hee!