Second Wind of Summer

My Dear Princess Normal & Dear Fellows,

You may have wondered about the hayfeverishness that I reported yesterday. "But surely it's AUTUMN in New Zealand?" you may have said to yourself. And added, "That is bally rum!" if you are also Bertie Wooster.

Yes, that is what I thought too. But after a spate of Autumnal weather a couple of weeks back, Summer has returned. Our sojourn in the Bay of Plenty was hot, and the weather in Wellington has been really lovely the last week.

Actually it's even nicer than Proper Summer, because it's not so sticky and yuck and my knickers don't make a SHOOP noise when I take them off in the evening.

Was that graphic enough an image? I can go further if you like.

So I've really been enjoying the sunshine and clear evenings. The only downside it the amount of pollen or spores or whatever it is in the air. Basically, on some days it feels like all of New Zealand's native flora is having wild plant-sex with each other in my nose, but I can live with that.

The thing is, isn't this supposed to be New Zealand's Southern-Hemispherical version of OCTOBER? It is disconcerting.

The only thing to remind me that the seasons are shifting is that the clocks have gone back. Now you are only 10 or 11 hours behind me depending on where you are. 

And here it starts to get dark at 7pm. I'm told that because we are not as southerly as you are northerly, our nights will never be as long as yours. The Kiwi who told me this said it like it was a good thing, little realising I am a weirdo who LIKES long Winter evenings.

Still, I have noticed something else about sundown here. It comes FASTER than in Scotland. I think so anyway. It feels like the sun decides to go down then it FALLS from the sky with a THUD. 

I'm not kidding. It actually makes a noise. "I think I'll go down now," says the sun. "WHEEEE!!" it continues. And then it is gone.

And as if she heard me, Florence is singing "No Light, No Light" on Alexa. It's a perfect song to accompany the dark. And I love it.

S.