Willow Vale Tuesday 17th May

Weed proliferation blankets any bare ground. It's still warm enough and wet enough for seeds to germinate rampantly; in the vegie garden a local variety of lettuce I let seed each year is germinating now. For a long time I thought of lettuce as a summer vegetable, but here in sub-tropical Queensland it does best in the cooler months.

Big spider webs are thinning out in the garden, but this one caught some early morning light. Over winter the big spiders seem to hibernate, not sure if that is technically correct, but there's a distinct absence of the large webs during winter.

This mornings sky was clear and blue with warming sunlight, clouds built up in the afternoon, but it's taken till 5pm for cooler air to be felt in the house. Strong winds of last week have abated making it very pleasant to be outdoors. 22 degrees today and 12 forecast overnight.

Burrawang Tuesday 17 May

Weather is once again the topic of conversation as we continue to have a cold snap. On my last visit to the fruit shop there was much speculation as to weather the cold weather would be followed by a colder or warmer winter. The shop owner who would be keenly interested in weather conditions as they affect the quality and quantity of available produce also feels the effect of the colder weather when he goes to the markets in the early hours of the morning. It was interesting that he could discuss the subtle differences of each day of the preceding week with me as the queue formed behind me.

Until this morning we had woken to frosts 4 days running.

 And evenings have been bitterly cold. (Isn't this like a Philip Wolfhagen painting?)

Until this morning when the area was covered by a dense fog that didn't lift until about 10:30AM. I don't know what the difference is between fog and mist. But the fog today was yellowy grey and I always think of mist as white.

Since the fog cleared it has been warmer.

Burrawang Tuesday 10 May 1:35PM

After a cold and overcast day yesterday it is sunny with a few light clouds and a gentle breeze today.
Although we are still in the first half of autumn we are having wintery conditions. It will be interesting to see if this means we will have a very cold winter and possibly some snow. As this is only our third winter here every season is still a new experience.
Frost on the weekend has meant that the garden is going into winter mode. I have removed the last of the tomatoes and basil and will now focus on the woody herbs for flavouring in the kitchen.
There are still rosella, currawongs and bower birds about but not nearly as many as there were in the past few weeks.  The deciduous trees have lost about 80% of their leaves so raking is now (or should be) a daily activity.

Willow Vale Tuesday 10th May

After a cool, overcast and drizzly day yesterday, I woke to sunshine and blue skies with puffy white clouds. Sunshine makes such a difference to temperature at this time of year, so one less jumper was put on this morning.
It's a hive of activity in the garden with walks serenaded by the chirping calls of WagTails, Fantails, Silvereyes, Thornbills and Honeyeaters. I could watch for hours as these small birds dance and dart between the foliage of trees, eating a few remaining mulberries and insects curled in drying leaves. Butterflies are still plentiful, as are the cabbage moths, making for a morning job of removing their freshly layed eggs from the brassicas I'd like to be eating in a couple of months.
A gusty westerly wind comes and goes and I can see dark cloud banks forming in the skyline to the South, perhaps some more showers this afternoon. Great weather for working in the garden, at a time of year when I won't lose several litres of fluid through sweat.

Burrawang Tuesday 3 May

9:20 PM. No photo today. With the exception of a fairly sunny day on Sunday there has been little change in the weather all week. It seems churlish to complain when the south of the United States and Auckland have been devastated by tournedos  and Brisbane has been affected by storms this afternoon.
While I enjoy the cold weather, I find the constant damp and overcast weather a bit depressing. The opportunity to spend some time in the sun on Sunday really lifted my spirits.
Since moving to the highlands about 20 months ago it has been interesting to experience 2 cycles of seasons which were very different.
More wet weather is forecast for the following week and I think that the trees which have lost half of their leaves will soon be bare.

Willow Vale, Tuesday 26th April

It's still raining, showers were forecast for today, but very heavy downpours and strong winds persisted through this afternoon. Rainwater tanks are all over flowing again and the ground remains squelchy.

Growth is rampant in the garden, though I am noticing a seasonal change in the weeds proliferating. Chick weed, dandelion and creeping vine are relishing the conditions of wet mixed with sunshine this Autumn. It kept cool today reaching about 22 degrees mid morning and then cooling. It's soggy, damp and dull, mixed with lush vibrant green.

Burrawang Tuesday 26 April

3:30pm. 14˚C.
After steady rain overnight it cleared briefly this morning and. and we had a few hours of sunshine before the overcast conditions returned. It has been overcast and showery since Friday and the wet weather is predicted to continue until Sunday. So the word for the weather is ..... damp.
In the last week the autumn colours have become more prevalent and the trees are shedding their leaves more rapidly.

These shots were taken late yesterday morning at Red Cow Farm and show the full blaze of autumn colour. The golds and reds are even more luminescent against the dull grey skies.