New Years

Went up the Blue Mountains with mates. Was way hot, like 45°+ hot in Sydney and ~10° or so colder 1.3Km higher up in the sky in the mountains.
Sat on the floor and chatted, drank, sat, chattered, drank. Watched some Red Dwarf, sat and drank more. Ate an amazing amount of BBQ meat drank and ate. Repeat again for New Years Day.
Came home to Sydney and the devastation that heat wrought.
Garden looks like it has been blow torched. Beautiful Coppers Tree Ferns (Cyathea cooperi) that can withstand 40°C for several days all have frond scorch but look like they will survive. All the spiders and most of the other bugs and critters are dead and I’ve not seen any of the geckos (Phyllurus platurus) or smaller skinks that are usually busy doing their herpetological thing. We are right on the Lane Cove National Park so some of the larger animals like the Blue Tongue Lizards, possums, and all the birds we see have put in an appearance but without the little scurrying thinks they normally eat I imagine that they’ll stay away until the critters populations can rebuild.