The scorching mid 40 temperatures of last week have finally subsided putting and end to Victoria's worse heatwave in more than a century. The extreme heat sparked rail disruptions, power outages, bush fires and an increase in heat related illnesses and deaths. The more respectable summer temperatures of this week are such a relief and much appreciated by all.
Our household struggled through two separate power outages which left us without cooling or refrigeration for long periods of time.
I think this photo of my buddy Gypsy tells if pretty accurately.
This was taken on an evening when we had 45 degree heat and no power. We had hosed her down in the bath several times but because it was so hot she was dry within minutes. Miss Aimee kept her cool throughout the evening with wet washes. The rest of us sucked on the rapidly defrosting icy poles from our freezer and sprayed ourselves with water bottles.
In the midst of this heatwave my husband lost an elderly member of his family. Although her death is suspected to be heat related we can't be sure until an autopsy is completed. At 78, it may just have been her time and I would much prefer this to be the case than to think of her perishing in extreme heat.
This week promises to be better already. Not only is the weather more bearable but most mums let out a collective sigh of relief when our children returned to school yesterday for the 2009 school year.
I have rediscovered my creativity in recent weeks and am delighted to be using my makeshift studio. My limitations mean I can only sit and paint for short periods but i am enjoying immensely the opportunity to paint whatever inspires me. I have quite a few projects on the go so that I can move between them. I'm dabbling in mixed media which has taken me out of my comfort zone and is more unstructured and freeing.
This is a sneak peak at one of several paintings I have done featuring angels. This is just a small snippet of the canvas.
I'll share photos of my finished works when I can get an 'assistant' to help me with the photos.
Stay cool my friends,
Hugs ~ Kerryanne
I'll share photos of my finished works when I can get an 'assistant' to help me with the photos.