True Black Heat….could be us one day!
My beloved Blue Mountains village of Blackheath has long been the butt of jokes regarding its chilly location. Bleakheath, Lackheat…..yes yes, we deal with these corruptions of our name with good natured humour. But remember…we are closer to heaven than our neighbours down the hill! And have you heard the news? Temperatures are rising worldwide!
Mind you, we have been known to have a flurry of snow or hail in November. Our snowy Christmas cards can suddenly look all too appropriate;
Oh good grief!
But hey……there eventually comes a day when the sun reaches down and plants a hot kiss on our brow.
SUMMER!
There is an explosion of birdlife. Gang-gang parrots arrive to feast on ripening pravissima wattle seeds.
Hello!
Mrs gang-gang cockatoo
Tiny thornbills crowd into the birdbaths until bigger birds demand a turn.
Oh the bliss!
Even Sydney tourists up for Christmas need a dip.
Wow, it’s supposed to be cool up here!
It’s all very exhausting. This magpie was even too hot to bathe…or fly.
Give me strength!
There is a particularly sweet fragrance in the air, especially in the evening, when doors and windows are open. It’s star jasmine.
The spinebills adore star jasmine too.
You can make a temporary festive wreath with twining star jasmine. Your visitors will enjoy a whiff of perfume as they cross the threshold.
Heavenly.
Lilies are in bloom everywhere;
‘Christmas’ lilies.
Day lilies
At beautiful Rose Folly in Park Street, lilies have taken over from the roses. Oh my word…they are just as spectacular.
Lilies at Rose Folly in Park Street.
Further along Parkes Street is an apple tree, with branches hanging over the fence. I am dreaming of the day I might pick one as I pass on the way to the village shops.
Coming on…
Hydrangeas are in bloom, including this beautiful oak-leaf variety growing nearby in Gardiners Crescent.
Down at the duck pond the wood ducks are hopping from foot to foot as the metal railing heats up.
Ooh, that’s hot mate!
All the picnic tables in Memorial Park are full, and groaning under the weight of post-Christmas bounty. And am I imagining things, or could that really be people in the swimming pool?
Ah yes, summer in Blackheath…..we are dealing with it as best we can. How we will cope with global warming I have no idea!
Summer is a trial for Editor Des.
My first experience of falling snow was in Blackheath, outside the Gardeners Hotel! I’ll never forget it! My daughter who lives in Blackheath tried to tell me, the weather there is no different to Lithgow, so I don’t know where she got that from.Once again loved your blog, with delightful photos of birds and flowers.I don’t know about Des in the nude but we’ll avert our gaze because of the heat.
Well done Pauline.
ll
As soon as there is news of a snowfall families arrive from Sydney to show their children what snow is like! Editor Des suffers greatly from his furry birthday suit.