Rhonda Bracey: At Random

I *thought* it was cold when I got up this morning! It’s the first time I’ve felt cold here in one of the coldest places in Western Australia, and now I know why – it was 1.5C overnight here in Bridgetown (source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology website). It’s been that before, but I haven’t actually *felt* cold – this morning I did, so I guess winter is setting in…

Actually, I think everybody else here thinks it’s cold as the wood fires are on all day, every day now. And sometimes the wood smoke is a bit much to bear. Everyone here seems to have a wood fire (potbelly, tile fire, whatever). These fires all use timber from the forest floor and offcuts from the sawmills. We have a tile fire too, but have no intention of using it if we can get away with not doing so. Chopping wood just doesn’t appeal!

That’s why we had a reverse cycle split system air conditioner installed when we moved in. Yes, the air conditioner uses electricity, which burns fossil fuels and adds to greenhouse gas emissions, but hell, burning fuels directly and creating an awful lot of smoke pollution doesn’t seem any better, in my book. Meantime, we haven’t turned on any artificial heat yet – I’m making do with tracky dacks, uggs, and polar fleece jackets. So far that’s working!