Surviving our first Winter
September 16, 2008
This is about the time when most sensible Queenslanders run for their lives back home. Winter has been and gone and it’s still below 10 everyday. We were told September is a difficult month in Tasmania - windy, wet and still cold. We’re getting plenty of rain, the tank is full and the dam is overflowing and there’s regular frosts. The wind is the worst of it though. It’s comfortable outside in the garden if the wind is low but as soon as it picks up it cuts straight through you, chilling you to the bone.
I’m finding this change of climate all a novelty still, the crunchy grass and frozen water bowls, towels frozen like sheets of cardboard on the line and it snowed on our property one morning, not enough to settle but I’d never seen snow fall before so for me it was quite an event.
We drove up into the snow in the mountains a few times to throw snow balls and let the dogs enjoy a new experience of playing in a frozen white forest. Floyd wasn’t too impressed with having frozen paws but Oscar took to snow ball catching with great gusto.
Our house is far from being warm enough. There’s no insulation, very high ceilings and one crappy ’70’s fire place in the dining room, which barely heats that room let alone the rest of the house. We definitely need a plan to upgrade the heating capacity of this house over summer. Skylights, insulation, larger north facing windows, possibly a heat pump in the office and a new fireplace. Sounds expensive - and it will be so I’ll probably be in a cold house next year too… but at least I have a plan 
Thank god for hot water bottles. If someone tried to take my hot water bottle I think I’d become quite violent.
