Summer’s Coming!

In less than a month we will officially be in summertime. December 1st is officially the first day of summer, and the recent spate of sunny weather is an indication that summer is surely on the way!

Gardening: The first weekend of November was a busy weekend for much of New Zealand. There were sunny days (and very little wind in Kapiti). We started getting our gardens ready, and planting lettuces, tomatoes, and other summer fare.

Sporting: The weekend was also a big one for New Zealand sport. The Black Ferns had a hard-fought win over France and booked a final spot in the Rugby World Cup. The All Blacks had a good win over a spirited Wales in Cardiff, and their ‘A’ team beat Ireland ‘A’. The Black Caps qualified for the cricket T20 World Cup semi-finals. Then, too, the Kiwi Ferns scored a comfortable win against the Cook Islands in the Rugby League World Cup. These wins did wonders for our mood and wellbeing. It feels good when the weather is fine and your sporting teams are doing well.

Fireworks: Another common event at the start of November is the celebration of Guy Fawkes Day. November 5th revisits Guy Fawkes and the “Gunpowder Plot” in which he and others were planning to blow up the English Parliament as a political protest. Nowadays it presents an excuse for children of adult age to let off fireworks, marking the discovery of the plot. I find it curious that New Zealanders could still have any kind of attachment with that event. Millions of dollars are spent on “things that go bang in the night”. I understand 28% of New Zealand homes have a dog, and 44% have a cat. These animals are terrorised by loud noises for a few days each year, and the dry weather is perilous with fireworks-caused fires. The fire at Pegasus Beach that destroyed around 200 hectares of forest is one of hundreds of FENZ callouts every November. I think it’s about time New Zealand grew up and banned the importation of fireworks for sale.