We are now in the middle of summer.
While Sydneysiders enjoy the barmy (yes that’s spelled correctly – as in “barmy army”) weather with temperatures in the high 30s and 40s here in Devonport it’s been cold, wet and windy.
That’s my idea of perfect summer weather.
This week we’ve gone from very cold (according to the weather app it was 12 degrees which “felt like” 6 degrees) days to beautiful mid 20s.
Today the wind had finally stopped and the day started with gardening, which is our standard Sunday morning activity.
We recently bought a new toy – a battery powered whipper-snipper – and today was its first run.
That may sound like something for your five year old (a battery powered garden tool) but it’s actually the latest in technology from Stihl and is very much a big-boy’s toy.
(It’s really called a cordless grass trimmer.)
Now, between our ride-on mower and the whipper-snipper I can turn our acre into a beautifully manicured garden (yeah right, well at least the grass is getting more controlled).
Next on the agenda was a bath with epsom salts, which is supposed to relax tired muscles.
The bath in our rented house is quite large and is a small spa.
I used a small amount of shower gel which turned into a HUGE pile of bubbles once I turned on the jets (one day I’ll get the quantity right but not today).
Then a salad for lunch.
I’m pleased to say my salad making skills have improved significantly since being here – my recipe is basically to throw in everything I can get my hands on (almost).
Then off on our regular adventure, exploring the area.
This week was a visit to East Devonport in search of the headland we can see from our house.
It’s surprising just how many interesting pockets of housing and fascinating landscapes we keep finding around here.
We finished our travels with a visit to the local plant nursery.
This was quite a pleasant surprise for us.
While it looks very ordinary from the road, you know the sort of thing; small town nursery with a limited range and mainly unhelpful staff, we were amazed when we walked in the door.
It’s a delightful place with an extensive range of outdoor settings, barbecues, plants (naturally) and other quality items which would make excellent gifts, topped off by very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable staff.
Not only that, but it also has a lovely coffee shop and is just around the corner from our house.
Last week I wrote about Danita’s tours she’s developed for visitors and today definitely added some new locations to our list of worthwhile places to see and cafes to visit.
So there you have it – a typical summer’s (non-work) day in Tasmania.
When we originally decided to move here, the most common response was, “but it’s so cold there”.
So far we haven’t lived through a full winter so we’ve yet to experience the cold that people talked about (not Tasmanians by the way).
But summer is being delightful.