Autumn has arrived - finally!

Since my last post, autumn has finally arrived.  The nights have cooled down to about 15 degrees and we are getting some sleep at last.  The days are a beautiful 30 degrees, and when the sea breeze blows through in the afternoon us parents sitting on the sidelines of sports training actually need to put a jumper on!

Some photos of a lovely surprise the kids got at nippers a couple of weeks ago...a fly-by from Rescue 1 - the surf life-saving helicopter.

Which then dropped a rescue diver into the water to 'rescue' one of our life-savers.

Who was then airlifted back to the beach.

Before the helicopter came in to land on the grass outside the club!

Watched over by our trusty lifeguards (hubby behind and best mate Scotty in front)...

the kids all got to go and talk to the pilot and look through the helicopter...

before it took off home again.

From all accounts the other nippers club's further down the coast are very jealous because their council wouldn't allow the helicopter to land on their beach.  Our kids had an absolute ball.  Thanks to the guys at the club who made this happen.

We are suffering...

According to the ABC and the weather channel on Foxtel, Perth has just broken another heat record, with the temperature climbing above 30 degrees in the city (let alone in Mindarie, where it was just as hot) for the 26th day in a row.  This beat the previous record set in 1988.  Supposed to be 35 degrees again tomorrow.

It was cooler last night though, finally dipping below 20 degrees for the first time in 17 days.  This is the first summer that we have lived in this house that I have said, "I WISH that I had air-conditioning!"

The worst part of it is that a lot of the hot days have been humid days, thanks to cyclones and lows sitting up north.  Perth's heat is normally dry, which is lot easier to cope with.  We haven't even been able to use the pool because the temperature in there is 35 degrees - which is not exactly refreshing!  The beach has been getting a lot of use - with even me getting in, and I don't get in unless I absolutely have to.  Even our water-hating dogs have been getting in.

The garden will be getting a lot of new plants once the weather cools down.  There have been quite a few casualties, and not just in our garden.  I don't think I've seen so many dead plants around for a long time.

So the icy-poles are in the freezer, the windows are open letting in the cooler night air, and the alarm is set early so that Miss 12 can get her trombone practise done without drowning in the sweat that drips off her.

Roll on winter!!!