Cicadageddon

We've had a fantastic summer this year. Lots of warm, sunny days with very little wind and rain. Occasional weather tantrums have quickly given way to more of the good stuff. This is the kind of summer that future childhood memories are made of.

My own childhood memories of summer include a soundtrack of cicadas chirping happily from dawn til dusk. Cicadas hung out everywhere when we were kids: on tree branches, on the roofs of tree huts, outside windows and even up lamp posts. I always thought cicadas chirped when the temperature reached 17°C (or somewhere around there), so chirping meant it was a lovely warm day, but apparently it's more like 28°C. Whatever the actual temperature, there's something about this summer chorus that summons up memories of happy days and long, hot holidays.

I was alarmed to discover this week that not everyone feels as sentimental as I do about cicadasong. During an early morning shuttle ride to the airport this week, my driver complained of not being able to sleep because "the skaders" keep him awake all night. He had a reasonably thick accent so I wasn't exactly sure what he meant until he explained further: they're everywhere outside the house, banging against the window all night and some of them even come inside and make a noise! Ah. Not skaters.

Cicadageddon has even been compared to a horror movie. Here's where I confess my unpopular opinion: I love cicadas. Not so much the insects themselves, but what they represent. The chirping sound is male cicadas singing their lungs out to woo their women. It'd almost be romantic, if they weren't so creepy looking.

I say let's enjoy the sound of summer for the few short months it lasts. It'll be winter again before we know it and no doubt we'll find other things to complain about.

Solar powered

Wellington has had a pretty rocky start to summer this year. The conversation on everybody's lips goes something like this: "You call this summer?" "It's almost embarrassing how cold/wet/windy it's been!" "I hope the tourists in town stay for longer than just a few days. I'd hate for them to think it's always like this." "We had summer last Tuesday." "Remember how good the drought was two years ago?"

Wishful thinking in Wellington

But it's true that you can't beat Wellington on a good day and today was certainly one of those. I got to enjoy some time off in lieu and planned a full day of baking and catching up on things at home. What a brilliant day for it!

I don't know if it's my imagination, but I am so much more productive, inspired, creative and motivated on sunny days. Warm sunny days are a bonus. Warm sunny days without wind are the rare pot of gold for Wellingtonions (although we also happily settle for warm wind, like today). Somehow, possibilities are endless on sunny days.

The benefits of Vitamin D3 are well documented, yet Vitamin D deficiency continues to be a hot topic, especially in a country where being sun smart is an essential way of life and we quite rightly err on the side of caution. I think we are all affected by seasonal affective disorder (SADS) to some degree - I certainly am.

Today's productivity mostly involved Christmas baking, which made a huge dent in the mountain of butter and sugar I'd stocked up on. Here's what I've managed to produce so far:

• A second mountain of chocolate truffles.
• A double batch of Tim-Tam truffles.
• 2 dozen spiced vanilla buttermilk cupcakes and a big batch of buttercream frosting for decorating at a work Christmas activity tomorrow.
• A large decadent mud cake, which will be turned into a Christmas present cake for my whānau on Christmas day.
• A batch of shortbread in the fridge, ready for rolling out and baking.

Along with that, I've taken time out for coffee on the new deck, bagged up homemade Christmas gifts for my team at work, attacked various chores in and around the house, plus read several chapters of my book in the sun.

It's confirmed, then: I must be solar powered. Bring on the summer holidays!

The taste of summer

We had summer on Monday. (Ha ha - this is an in-joke in Wellington, where all four seasons are known to be temperamental and likely to keep you guessing.) Although we got off to a stormy start and can look forward to a wet and windy week, we have been promised a warm, dry summer. Bring it on!

With each season comes seasonal food or tastes that just seems to match perfectly. I'm not really one for Pimm's, but there is something about a cool Pimm's cocktail in a tall glass that conjures up images of summer garden parties. In fact, almost any drink in a tall glass goes well in summer, much like roast dinners being synonymous with cold, wintery weekends.

Here are some of the tastes I'm enjoying (and looking forward to) this summer.

• Strawberries. It goes without saying that I will be gorging myself on these at every opportunity. Raspberries are also good, as is summer fruit in general.
• Cherries. Delicious, dark red cherries with flesh that falls off the pit.
• Cider, especially if it's Isaac's pear cider or Old Mout feijoa. So crisp and refreshing.
• Scallops. I'd forgotten how good these are. More fleshy than oysters and far more tender and tasty than paua, I think scallops are becoming my seafood of choice.
• Watermelon. Long hot days were made for cool, juicy watermelon. Vodka optional.
• Gelato. Although this is a year-round treat, Bon Bon Rocher gelato from Kaffee Eis is always a winner.

What's on your summer tasting list that I should add to mine?

Summer daze

So, Christmas is done and dusted. The presents have been opened and new homes found for most of them. Overdoses in family and food were consumed in equal measures. The longest day came and went all too soon but has left us time to slide into warm weather and lazy days. We have almost finished our diet of Christmas leftovers and the hammocks have joined our outdoor furniture. We briefly toyed with hitting the sales yesterday before wisely steering clear of the mania. Yes, the holidays are here.

Summer has officially settled in and the past few days have been reminiscent of the holidays I grew up with. Although the weather is set to change before New Year, I'm enjoying lazing about and letting the weather decide our itinerary. It hasn't properly hit me that I'm on holiday for a couple of weeks. Bring on the relaxation vibes!

I have a list of things to do these holidays but will let my energy and motivation levels determine when and if they get done. No doubt these days will fly by and it will be back to nightmare that work has become - something I'm trying to push to the back of my mind and not think about. In the meantime, there are books to read, coffees to drink, baking to do and friends to catch up with ... but all in good time.

What are your holiday plans?

Mosquito magnet

After dropping hints and promises, summer made a glorious appearance today. My to do list went out the window as I made the most of the sunshine, including a long walk, coffee and newspapers, reading a book while sitting in my hammock swing, a few hours attacking the garden and truckloads of washing. Ahhhh.

While buried in the garden (not how it sounds), I made a few discoveries: a lavender bush that we didn't even know was planted outside our window, an almost-dead plant with rotten branches that fell apart in my hands, a 5 cm layer of sand in the drains and a number of creepy crawlies scurrying out from under rocks after their homes had been disturbed. (You can tell I'm not a gardener; all this is novel for me.)

And then I was reminded that it really is summer. If there's one thing that's synonymous with summer for me, it is mosquito bites. Somehow I manage to block this from my consciousness during the year and am always shocked at the first itch before it all comes rushing back.

You see, I am the ultimate mosquito magnet. For as long as I can remember, mossies have sought me out for a quick snack and seem to revel in telling all their friends that I'm both tasty and have skin exposed. Actually, I've been bitten through my clothes before ... and through sheets in bed, or through the teensiest gap in my inesct repellent shield. I have scars on my lower legs and feet from where I have scratched myself to bleeding point and the scabs won't heal - sometimes in my sleep without even realising it.

I've heard it all: "you must be sweet", "they must like your blood", "don't wear shorts/t-shirts/bare feet" (all summer??), "Brand X is the only one that works", and "well, I'm not being bitten" (which is usually followed by a disbelieving look as I madly start scratching for no apparent reason). It's enough to drive me itching mad!

Are you a mosquito magnet, or do these bloodsuckers pass you by?

Summer's coming

Spring is my favourite season of the year for many reasons, one of which is that summer is on the way and the best is still to come. I'm not a beach babe by any description and reach a melting point somewhere around 25°C, but the thought of long days and heaps of sunshine are a welcome tonic for my soul.

Signs that summer is almost here:

• I can safely wear 3/4 pants and short sleeve tops all day without worrying if the 5 spare layers of clothing I have brought with me will be enough to be keep me warm later in the day.
• My straw sunhat gradually becomes an essential item of clothing.
• White limbs are everywhere you look. Some are practically translucent!
• 50+ women proudly put their cankles on display. (I'll never understand this one.)
• Barbeques become the most commonly planned meal, even for those of us who are only just barbeque-tolerant.
• Days no longer end as soon as I arrive home from work. In fact, it's almost like there's still another half a day to go before bedtime. Bonus!
• Jandals become uniform footwear.
• Gelato becames my preferred means for ingesting calcium and dairy products. 
• Strawberries and other summer fruits start appearing in shops and gardens. 
• Lawnmowers and weedeaters provide the soundtrack during daylight hours on Saturdays and Sundays.
• I can get 17 loads of washing done and dried outside in a single day. *

 What are your telltale signs that summer is on the way?

* Actual numbers may vary, but you get the point.

Summer days and nights

This is my favourite time of the year. Summer has officially started now, and we have been promised a good one this year. The silly season coincides with warm weather here in New Zealand, and there are Christmas parties and gatherings gradually filling up my diary. It has started well; we went away with a group of about 20 friends to Himatangi Beach, two hours north of Wellington, for the weekend. The weather was scorching hot and the sky was clear; perfect conditions for a relaxing time away.

We got into a bit of mischief on Saturday night. We had lots of marshmallows to toast after our barbeque at the campsite finished, so headed to the beach and climbed over the sand dunes, stopping on the way to collect large bits of driftwood. Yes: a bonfire! The driftwood was really dry and we quickly had a roaring fire for our marshmallows. Bliss.

It turns out that lighting open fires in the area is illegal, though. We knew there is a fire ban in cities, but this beach area is out of the way and no real risk. Well, that's what we explained when the volunteer fire brigade traipsed over the sand dunes saying that they were going to put our fire out along with the four they'd already done further up the beach that night. Apparently we needed a permit, and then could have lit one right on the beach at the high tide mark. Bureaucracy, geez! So, like going down with the Titanic, we stayed sitting on our deck chairs and watched our bonfire being put out by a grumpy firewoman (not even a hot fireman to keep us happy!). More than a little naughty, and even more than a little fun while it lasted. :-P

Last night, we had a girls' pamper night at a friend's place. Ok, so it was a Nutrimetics demonstration, and we all bought a few bits and pieces in time for Christmas, but the highlight of the evening was the girl talk which followed. Three of us finally said goodnight around 11pm (on a school night!), after solving the problems of the world. (Kind of.) Evenings like this are always so good for the soul. And what did we talk about? It's girl talk, sweetie, so don't bother asking!

Oh, and I saw the first of the new Goodnight Kiwi ads on tv tonight. For us over-25s, nothing will ever really beat the original Goodnight Kiwi, but it was great to see our old friend back in action on the small screen once again. I'm also looking forward to the other two ads in the series, one to be played between Christmas and New Year, and the other in January 2009.

All is good on summer days and nights like these. :-)