It's raining really seriously today and the weather forecast is for more of the same for the whole of New Zealand and basically for the whole of this week. We suppose that since we haven't really experienced rain for weeks on end here yet, we can't comment about the 'irritation' factor connected with the rain, but as far as we are concerned, the rain is totally glorious! Clearly, when you come from an area of South Africa which counts every millimetre of rain and which is more drought stricken than not, it is just lovely to hear rain pounding on the roof and to look out of the window at the emerald green lawns and happy shrubs and trees. Of course, at the moment, with autumn in full swing, most of the trees lining the streets in our suburb are of varieties that are in the process of shedding all their leaves - the colours have been spectacular and although some of them are already quite bare, many are still bathed in reds, golds, browns and oranges and make for a very pretty show, especially at dawn and dusk when the light is so gentle.
Some of our neighbours have been out there armed with their leaf-vacs, clothed in their 'protective gear', sucking up all the leaves on their lawns and pavements - very industrious, but to our minds, a bit premature, since there are so many more leaves to come!
The general rule here with things agricultural, is that you don your earmuffs, gloves, gumboots and protective glasses when you mow the lawn! We think that this is a bit over the top and not really necessary - except for the boots which make sense.
Speaking of boots and footwear in general - kiwis for the most part, take off their shoes before coming into your home. It's not unusual to arrive at someones house and see a row of empty shoes parked neatly outside the front door. Everyone inside is padding about in their socks. Even people like electricians and telephone installers leave their shoes outside before coming into your home, even if it isn't wet and muddy outdoors. We can only assume that it's a habit which comes from years of rainy winters and no home help. Since the carpeting in our home is a soft beige colour throughout, I have been grateful not to have had filthy boots tramping about in our house up to now and will be even more so once the winter really takes hold. Since I don't darn socks - not for anyone, if they start becoming threadbare, they will be designated to the dusting cupboard before hitting the landfill.
Gumboots come in every imaginable colour and design - from the usual black numbers, to pink and floral for the kids and ladies who are so inclined. There are 'specialist' varieties, with steel toe-caps built in and if you have an image to uphold, gumboots are available in 'camouflage' print - green, black or grey, whichever takes your fancy.
The roundabouts which have so impressed us with their seas of colour, are mostly over now - the petunias and impatiens have done their job and in the course of last week, we saw many roundabouts getting their revamp - traffic cones placed around them and teams of people clearing the 'old' flowers out and within two days, replanting the whole area with new plants. Our nearest one, has been planted with what looks like alternating panels of green and red cauliflower-like plants. We don't recognise them but will assume that they will be really spectacular once they are fully established. There must be some way of setting the new plants out so precisely - the plants look as though they are absolutely evenly spaced and each row forms what appears to be a perfect circle around the whole roundabout. It was, to be honest, the speed with which this has all been accomplished that has impressed us so much.
This morning I heard that 'English' tea - the kind we all know and grew up with, is called 'gumboot tea' - as opposed to green tea, herbal tea, Earl Grey tea and the various fruit tea varieties. I haven't heard it used before here, so don't know how widespread the usage is, but it was mentioned that it's a kiwi word for 'ordinary' tea. I'd be interested to find out if this is true.
Dis al!
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