The current reality

There’s a new reality that seems to be settling in on Hamilton: Lots of rain and warm weather. It makes plants grow quickly and well. That means more outside work is needed—and harder to get done. That’s the current reality here in Hamilton, and probably will be all summer.

Yesterday, we had a sunny day after the better part of a week with rainy and/or mostly cloudy days. It’s been impossible to tell when it would be dry enough to mow the lawns, so yesterday I again seized the opportunity to mow them, only nine days since I again seized an opportunity to mow the lawns (I say “again” because I’d first done the same thing nine days before that, and also another two days before that). The weather made both the mowing necessary, and made it difficult to get it done—three times now.

This is likely to be the pattern for the summer ahead. According to the forecast from NIWA, temperatures in the Hamilton area are “very likely to be above average”, and rainfall is likely to be “near normal”, however:

Warmer than average regional seas are expected to fuel occasional heavy rainfall events; however, during periods of high pressure, dry spells will occur… A dry spell is possible from mid-December to early January. The risk for dryness and drought is elevated…”

To sum it up: Higher than normal temperatures and near normal rainfall, though there could be severe storms and there could also be dry/drought conditions. Oh, and “New Zealand’s risk for ex-tropical cyclone activity is normal-to-elevated through April.”

What all of this means in practical terms is that getting outside work done this summer will be a challenge. It could be too hot in the middle parts of the day. It could also be too dry, so I’ll have to water my plants more often. Or, it could be too wet. Or stormy. Or—who knows?

The only thing I know for sure that whatever happens, weather is likely to continue being a major character in my story for awhile yet. All I need to do is plan for—well, anything, really. I’ll probably need to adjust my daily routine so I can mow the lawns in the morning, when it’s cooler (assuming it’s not to rainy and stormy…). If I don’t succeed at changing my daily routine, I’ll have to mow in the early evening (assuming it’s not to rainy and stormy…).

The photo up top is a close up of the lawn that I took yesterday, and it's why I had to mow it: Those weed stalks I keep mentioning. The grass itself wasn’t bad, but the weed stalks were already getting quite high. Action was required.

Challenging as all of this has been for me, I know Leo appreciates the effort. When the grass (well, weed stalks…) start to get long, he poops on the patio because otherwise the grass (those weed stalks in particular) tickle his nether regions. I can understand how that would be annoying. And obviously the lawn is only there for him, so best I just focus on my duty to him. Or, at least, that’s the sort of thing I imagine him thinking. He’s a taskmaster, that Leo is.

The truth is, that not just the current reality, it’s every day. I guess keeping the lawns mowed and Leo’s nether regions untickled is just the price I have to pay for being allowed to live in Leo’s house. Seems like a fair deal.