Winter.

A lovely walk along the Water of Leith this morning. I Tried a new path as the flood works are near completion and they have reopened the footbridge. It was VERY muddy and I looked a bit silly in my office attire and high heels.

In the quest for a blip I walked home that way too - but the ducks-with-equity-cards had gone and since I was early for school pick-up I nipped in to the Botanics for a look.

It's been unseasonably mild here at around 10 degrees, but there's a terrifying heatwave in Oz at the moment - Bushfires raging. I exchanged a few texts with my sister who lives in Canberra (hello Jinty!) and she said it was very hot and sweaty.

The Canberra Times said Bateman's Bay (you can see it by clicking here is hotter than in ACT.

The fires are 60 km from Canberra at the moment...but it's quite unsettling. We visit Oz just after the last bush fires in 2000 (?) Jinty had just bought her dream home the Christmas before and within days of moving in were told to pack the car and wait to see which way the wind changed.

Thankfully they were OK. But other friends of theirs lost their homes. And we could still see the blackened Gum trees when we visited a year later.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those who are currently at risk.

Jinty asked for a cold blip to take her mind off the 40 degree heat...so here's an empty Botanics scene. Edinburgh Castle is hiding behind the tree!

Keep safe! xxx