Spring sprang, again

By anyone’s measure, it’s Spring in New Zealand. The September Equinox arrived at 12:05pm today, so regardless of whether one observes meteorological seasons, as New Zealand and Australia do, or astronomical seasons, like the USA does, it’s indisputably Spring in this part of the world. Well, mostly: The weather forecast has been all over the place this month—sometimes really warm, sometimes cold and snowy (in fact, frost is possible overnight tonight in Kirikiriroa-Hamilton).

Weather and nomenclature/jargon notwithstanding, there have been definite signs of Spring. Up top is a photo of the tree on my street that’s been in so many of my photos. I took the photo this afternoon, after the equinox arrived, because it clearly shows the tree is finally leafing out. In fact, every year I “watch” this tree out my window, looking for this very thing because that means that Spring is pushing Winter off the stage.

So, what are our Spring and Summer expected to be like this year? Even before this year’s El Niño started to SuperSize itself, it was predicted that Kirikiriroa-Hamilton will have temperatures that are at or above normal, and rainfall will be at or below normal. It’s increasingly looking like hot and dry could well be our reality.

This raises a small conundrum for me. I was determined that this year I’d grow more vegetables than I have before (and some flowers, too). In normal dry summers we have watering restrictions, but if we have much harsher dryness this year, will there be total bans on all watering? Parts of England went through that in their summer (and they call garden hoses “hosepipes”, which confused me when I recently first heard it in the phrase “hosepipe ban”). I think that I’ll probably just proceed and hope for the best, though my stamina and energy levels may ultimately decide for me before the weather is an issue.

I’m also trying to work out how a way to hang some translucent fabric under my patio cover to reflect the hot summer sun. Failing that, I have a sun shade that I could tie to the frame with rope or whatever. Stay tuned.

Whatever this summer brings, though, I know I’ll like it—though I can’t promise I won’t still complain if the temperatures really do turn out to be hotter than normal. Or, maybe I won’t: The whole house air conditioning I had installed last year will mean I’ll be comfortable inside my house even if outside becomes too uncomfortable—and that was the exact reason I decided to add it.

Whatever happens, I’ll definitely be documenting this summer, whatever it brings. Of course.