December 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere

[Ray]

Some Daylilies flowering now and a Japanese Iris.byeRay

[Lesley Cox]

I was going to stay up until midnight and be the first to wish everyone a great Christmas Day but I'm so tired, just finishing a few things before going to Zzzzland. It's almost 11.30pm, the dogs have been out, we've sampled Roger's Chistmas cake - he poured another half cup of whisky over it today. That's the third!!! - and the few dishes in the sink can wait until breakfast time. So.....to all my Australian and NZ Forum friends, and to anyone else who visits this thread occasionally, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in 2010.

[cohan]

i was just thinking of you folk earlier this eve--i was (half) watching a silly christmas movie on tv, about a little town with a regional headquarters for santa's workshop..lol.. and they mentioned that christmas was coming to new zealand first, so they had a little early celebration for that time...lol
it will soon be christmas eve day here--still banking and shopping to be done..
a great day to all of you ahead of us!

[Paul T]

Merry Christmas to All.

Lesley,

I too thought of being first to wish a Merry Christmas but couldn't be bothered turning the computer on when I got home from work well after midnight.

We've had a very nice christmas present already..... nearly 20mm of rain this morning.  Hallelujah!!    I hope we get lots more, but this is still so wonderful.

All the best everyone.

[Maggi Young]

nearly 20mm of rain this morning.

Who said Santa doesn't listen to grown-ups? 

[Paul T]

Ah but Maggi, are we talking physical or mental age?

[Maggi Young]

Ah but Maggi, are we talking physical or mental age?

I refuse to answer on the grounds I might incriminate myself!

[Lesley Cox]

So Christmas has come and gone. Bruichladdich and a Bill Bailey DVD for Roger and a pile of timber for me. And I invented a new recipe. See Cook's Corner. No rain alas but a thin drizzle and 14C this morning after 32C on Christmas Day with a very strong (gale force) nor'west wind. I'm watering today

[Paul T]

We've had more than 2 inches or rain at my place so far..... absolutely fantastic!!  The 36mm in the raingauge this morning (24 hours to 9am) is the largest entry for a day in over 12 months.  The 52mm so far for this "rain event" is also the largest in over 12 months.  We got 63mm one day early last December, and 72mm in total for that rain event.  The last rain event that delivered over 2 inches of rain before that was January 2007.  So this has definitely been a decent bit of rain.  We need to it keep going for a couple more days at least though, with some nice followup as well.  At least this should put some moisture into the soil, at least to a degree.

Definitely a nice present for the Silly Season!!  

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Good thing the rain didn't come in a parcel Paul !! 
Great to hear you're getting some moisture after all !

[Paul T]

Just checked the raingauge as I got home from work a few minutes ago (12:20am).... we've had another 11mm today.  Forecast for more tomorrow and the next day, although small amounts.  We've had a lot of drizzle today, which isn't much at the time but it starts to add up.  Keeps everything moist as well, so no evaporation.    All good!! 

[angie]

nice to hear that you have had some rain, I am really pleased for you and your plants.
Its freezzzzzzzzzzzzzzing here in Scotland.
Angie

[Paul T]

Angie,

It was actually cool enough yesterday that we had to dust off our jumpers!!  Been a long while since we've needed to wear them. 

[cohan]

We've had more than 2 inches or rain at my place so far..... absolutely fantastic!!  The 36mm in the raingauge this morning (24 hours to 9am) is the largest entry for a day in over 12 months.  The 52mm so far for this "rain event" is also the largest in over 12 months.  We got 63mm one day early last December, and 72mm in total for that rain event.  The last rain event that delivered over 2 inches of rain before that was January 2007.  So this has definitely been a decent bit of rain.  We need to it keep going for a couple more days at least though, with some nice followup as well.  At least this should put some moisture into the soil, at least to a degree.
Definitely a nice present for the Silly Season!!  

i just noticed you sound as mixed up as many of we canadians--talking inches and mm in the same paragraph

[Paul T]

Cohan,

I try to stick to mm in sizes and rainfall here, but in this case I thought that the traditional inches worked as a measure to aim for as "more than" (if you know what I mean).  Saying that the last time we'd had "more than 50mm" just didn't have the same ring to it as "more than 2 inches".  It was actually a deliberate choice.