Monkeyin' around

Here are the sock monkeys I made our grandkids for Christmas this year. They were more time consuming than I had anticipated but turned out pretty cute I think. Don't tell Gracie, Ike or Scout!

It's getting pretty warm here; around 30*C (90*F) everyday and the low at night is only 20*c (68*F), give or take a couple of degrees. After my mid-morning walk with Rio today, he and I both came home and went right into our unheated pool. My first time and it was wonderful! The boys are more courageous and have already been in. You were right LaRee, I'm going to be glad for it as the temperature rises. Need to start walking the dog earlier when it's cooler. The heat is also bringing out the "mozzies"(mosquitoes) at dusk and we are seeing many more flying foxes or large bats flying around at night. It's a little creepy when you first see them because they are big (12" body) but we are use to them now.

Lots of Christmas decorations going up around town - the Mall and lights on the houses, which just seems bizarre; my North American internal clock tells me it has to be cold to be Christmas. I wonder if down here Santa wears his "togs" (swimsuit), thongs or pluggers (flipflops), and sunglasses instead of that warm red suit; it would make more sense. I hear that a typical Christmas dinner is something on the "barbie".

Just so you know: we've all heard this saying closely associated with Australia, : "throw a shrimp on the barbie". Well, that isn't quite right because the Aussies call all shrimp - "prawns". So what you really should be saying is, "throw a prawn on the barbie". Doesn't quite have the same ring , does it?