Eucalyptus Trees & The Storm

Several have asked if we can notice the scent of the eucalyptus trees just over our brick wall. Up until last night, I had not noticed.

Last night we watched an incredible storm come off the mountain. We live on the edge of town now and closer to the mountains. It seems as if our backyard is where the cool front collides with the hot humid weather we experience 9 months out of the year.

The winds were very strong. It was blowing things off of my shelves! And of course - this always happens in Africa - I had just dusted! Then through our screen-less windows, the fierce wind blew in a few tons of dirt all over again!

Yet the neatest thing - and reason for my post in the first place - was the strong scent of eucalyptus wafting through my home. Absolutely wonderful! My husband said, it's like natural aromatherapy! How cool is THAT? See, in the USA, you have to PAY for stuff like that...I just open my windows! :o)

The only thing better would have been if it had actually rained; bringing a more long lasting cool front!

To us, here in Africa, when we say, "Oh what a nice day out," we usually mean "It's cloudy and threatening rain"...but just the brief absence of the sun can make all the difference. The weather stations report two temperatures here; one in the sun and one in the shade. They say there is a 20 degree difference. :o) To an African however, if there's no sun, they're cold. They will have sweaters and jackets on even if it's 80 out - because there's no sun!

Needless to say, we keep our thermometer in the shade. It said 85 today. I don't really want to know what it would've been in the sun. That might be depressing! :o)