Welcome to the Posts from Your Archives, where bloggers put their trust in me. In this series, I dive into a blogger’s archives and select four posts to share here to my audience.
If you would like to know how it works here is the original post: https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2019/04/28/smorgasbord-posts-from-your-archives-newseries-pot-luck-and-do-you-trust-me/
This is the final post that I have selected from the archives of author Janet Gogerty. In the last few weeks Europe and the UK has been hit by the very hot weather courtesy of North African prevailing winds. Last year in Ireland, when Janet posted this, we were in the middle of the longest (12 weeks) and hottest summer for over 70 years. An almost unheard of hosepipe ban was in effect for a number of weeks….
Australia Some Like It Hot 2018 by Janet Gogerty
As new migrants in Australia, the first time the thermometer hit one hundred degrees we were very excited, a Century meant it was very hot; instead of sheltering behind venetian blinds in the relative coolness of indoors, in the days before most homes had air conditioning, I walked around marvelling at the sensation of the dry heat. If the thermometer hit one hundred degrees Celsius you would be dead. After a week of the temperature reaching over one hundred degrees Fahrenheit every day, the novelty wore off.
Since then the world has moved to Celsius, leaving only the USA and a few other countries using Fahrenheit. But one hundred sounds more dramatic than the slightly higher forty Celsius. When I worked at Heathrow, an English girl told me the first time she arrived in Kuwait she felt as if she had been blasted by a giant hairdryer. A Kuwaiti passenger told me no one had to work if the temperature rose above fifty degrees, but officially it never got hotter than fifty. A Singapore passenger told me the heat was not a problem as every building was air conditioned. I asked ‘What if you want to go for a walk?’ He looked puzzled. Why would you want to go for a walk?
Those who have lived in hotter climes might wonder at the fuss we are making about our heat wave in Britain. Temperatures over thirty, so early in the summer, have weather forecasters excited. We have had heat waves before and after our wet winter the reservoirs were full, so we shouldn’t run dry yet. Despite the usual comments such as ‘it won’t last’ and ‘we’ll pay for this later’ the heat wave shows no sign of ceasing, though some places have had rain. Our relatives, visiting back from Las Vegas, saw rain only once and looked forward to getting back to their air conditioned house.
We are not prepared for hot weather, we don’t have air conditioning, shutters and awnings or a tradition of siestas. In the garden, early morning or evening watering has become part of the domestic routine for those who cherish their flowers. The holiday atmosphere is fun; breakfast and dinner in the garden and days by the sea. Our beach hut feels worth the rates we pay the council for the tiny patch of concrete it stands on; it provides shade, changing room and a kettle. Daily swims have become the norm; as far as I’m concerned there is no point in having hot weather unless you can paddle or swim in a pool, river or sea.
Hot weather is no fun for those who have to work out in it and especially fire fighters. The heat has brought destruction to the moors with peat fires. It is equally oppressive for those who can’t get out. A lady told me it’s the first time in ninety four years she hasn’t worn a vest!
But the biggest cloud, or absence of cloud hanging over our holiday mood is What if it never rains again, is this another big warning about global warming?
©Janet Gogerty 2018
A selection of books by Janet Gogerty
A review for Times and Tides
Yet another delightful collection of short stories from the irrepressible Janet Gogerty. This time twenty five stories on almost every subject imaginable.
The variety of themes are astounding and I will only mention a few in this review.
The opening story, Blind Date tells of just that, a blind date between Michael and Jessica accompanied by Michael’s guide dog Bella. Not a dog to tangle with.
I loved ‘Solar Power’ with its idea of a solar powered hat for elderly Daphne. It certainly put a spring in her step. I chuckled over Ms Gogerty’s comment of ‘Burger Syndrome Spectrum thingy.’
‘Up, up and away’ was an eye opening story involving a hot air balloon disaster – the method of dealing with the rogue balloon was quite shocking. ‘Making an Entrance’ Wow! Never upset a fellow thespian.
‘Restoration Project’ had a very spooky ending…I loved it.
The last story, ‘Christmas Eve’ has all the elements of just how traumatic Christmas can be especially when guests descend with little warning.
I have only mentioned six of the total twenty five stories but all were very enjoyable reads. A highly recommended collection.
Read the reviews and buy the books: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Janet-Gogerty/e/B00A8FWDMU/
And on Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Janet-Gogerty/e/B00A8FWDMU/
Read more reviews and follow Janet on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7236471.Janet_Gogerty
Connect to Janet
Blog: https://tidalscribe.wordpress.com/
Website: https://www.ccsidewriter.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Beachwriter/
Thank you to Janet for allowing me to share posts from her archives and I hope you will head over to explore them for yourselves. Sally.
