Sneaking into winter

It seems like there are a lot of words about seasons here on my blog lately. But I really like the fact that everything is upside down in Australia, and we're heading into winter. On Facebook, old friends from my old neighborhood are celebrating the last day of school, and the onset of summer. But here the days are getting dark, and the trees are really losing their leaves. A couple of mornings in a row as we've headed off to the bus stop we've seen a local possum hanging out in the top of a stripped down tree. And in the park, while the grass will stay green all year, the deciduous trees are losing their green very quickly.

The semester ended for me at the university. Thursday was my last day of teaching. I have lots of grading to do (they call it "marking" here). But then I'll slide into full time research for a long time. Which is good. While I have a lot of projects ongoing, my pipeline of submitted papers is drying up. Time to write a few more drafts. How boring.

Oranges are in season. Last week we bought a batch of perfect delicious fresh ripe oranges. They tasted like Christmas. And the gas heater in the fireplace is on, making the living room cozy and warm. I'm wearing fuzzy socks and a warm housecoat. It's a perfect time of year to snuggle up with hot chocolate and a novel or two. Or a few.

Nearly June.

So very fun to be living in the Southern Hemisphere.