Experiencing hot flashes

Yesterday we arrived at our current house sit, in Nicholls, Canberra. Canberra is the capital city of Australia, and yet is only its 7th largest city. There are five cities with populations in the millions (Sydney 4.6 million), but Canberra has only 367,000 residents.

Our latest housemate, Ollie-The-Dog

Our homeowners picked us up from the airport, and it was about a 25-minute drive to their suburban home on the northwest side of the city in Nicholls. In Australia, each district of a city carries its own name, which is very different from what we're used to. In Canada there are informal ways of naming various areas of a city, but here they are formally known by their district within the city.

We arrived to a forecasted high of 41°C (106°F), having left a high of 16°C (61°F) at our previous home. We're in a large modern home, and although the main living area is air conditioned, the sleeping areas and bathrooms are not. Yesterday, to go from the air conditioned area to the bedroom, it felt a little like stepping into a sauna.

Those who live in hot climates will appreciate the next photo, sent to us by our new Australian friend, Tony. I laughed, as I could relate - we'd experienced #13 and #18 that day!

Not surprisingly, we had a good thunder and lightening storm yesterday. Thankfully our housemate is not afraid of storms, so that was good. The downpour was needed as the land was certainly parched.

Yesterday, these plants had not bloomed.

Today they were wide open and beautiful. Today was 10°C cooler, and far more comfortable. We went for a walk with our new housemate, Ollie-The-Dog, a 10-year-old border collie. He's an outside dog, which is a first for us; he has free run of the large yard, and sleeps indoors in the laundry room at night. Ollie has a beautiful temperament, and is a pleasure to be around.

Tonight the overnight temperature is an expected 13°C (55°F), and it certainly feels cool this evening. Living in Canada, we're used to rapid fluctuations in temperature, and this is similar.

This photo is of tonight's sunset - red sky at night, shepherd's delight. We'll have to wait and see what tomorrow brings, but we know for sure there won't be any snow, so we'll be happy :)

Note: We have the prior approval of the pet's owners to post photos on this blog.