Slight Boost to Melbourne’s Water Storage.

On the TV News recently it reported that there had been recent good falls of snow that may increase the Snow season for at least another month after the end of the Official Season End at the beginning of September. However what attracted my attention was that this snowfall, when it melts could add up to 16 mm of extra Water to our Water storage supply.

However as the current water levels are metres and metres below their desired averages, there is still much more of an increase to be desired and many people will not be over impressed with this projected small increase, wanting more and wanting it now.

However when you think about what would need to happen to get the amount they want and want now, it may not be all that desirable to get it all in one big lot, and thus small increments is the best way to go till our Water supplies return to normal. After all, to get an instant massive increase in our water levels now, we would need severe Snowstorms and falls and or extreme flooding, wouldn’t we? And both of which will cause extreme and unwanted hardship to both individuals and the overall economy, so again incremental increases, although maybe a little frustrating at the time, are much more satisfactory and beneficial, aren’t they?

And what goes for Melbourne’s water supply levels, also applies generally in most areas of our lives too doesn’t it? Yes we all want current low levels of everything that we desire/want now, to increase now, and in crease dramatically too don’t we? Yet often when they do, it brings resultant, but unwanted costs and burdens too, doesn’t it?

So isn’t is better to be happy with the slight increments as they come along, and make the most of them, rather than wishing for more speedier increases with their also increased costs and burdens. What say you?

Weather Swap? No thank you! Change? Yes!

My American Blogger friend Lynx and I exchange e-mails from time to time, and lately the main topic has been about our respective weather. It seems that her part of America is going through another cold spell and we here in Victoria, Australia, are going through another heat wave. Today, as I post this, it is predicted that today and tomorrow will both be 41Celsius! (Far too hot for me!!!!!!!!!!

I did at an earlier stage, ask her to send us some of their extra rain over there, and lately also some of their cooler weather.

She replied, “I’ll trade you ANYDAY... cold hurts!” To which I replied, “I'm not sure I would totally swap but I would quite happily agree to a mix of the two and accepting the common medium of the two.”

What about you? Sometimes when we are up against something and looking for a change we are tempted to go to extreme extremes aren’t we? Maybe I am the only one here but I don’t think so! Do you? Yes often we tend to go from one extreme to the other in the things we do, and often end up little better off, if not indeed worse than we were! And I am not talking about the weather here! Often we are so desperate for change that we make it rushed, unwisely and often foolishly, when in fact what we need to do, is to find a comfortable situation somewhere in the middle.

With the weather, (apart from migrating to a more suitable place,) there is little we can do. But often in our lives, we do have more say, yet still often tend to go to extremes instead of searching for the middle ground don’t we?

What about you now? Are you looking for a change? Well change can be good and beneficial, just be careful in making your choice and don’t fall for one extreme or the other but seek the happy medium, when the choice is up to you. What say you?

What Is Hot To You May Be Cold To Me.

In an earlier Blog, “It Is All About Your Perspective.” I mentioned that I am one who always feels the cold, even when others think it hot! Now, I do know some people, (one of my brothers & one of my Brother in laws, spring to mind,) who really don’t feel the cold, nor do they understand that others like me do. Instead of accepting the fact that I do feel the cold, they make a big fuss about it. (Well used too, just don’t see them that much on cold mornings anymore.)

Anyway, on these past previous events, there I would be with my 4 or 5 layers on and comfortable with myself when they will come along in shorts and short sleeve shirts and make a big fuss about being hot. Even worse, on other occasions you will be in the house and again comfortable with the situation, and they will come in, and not being satisfied with lowering the heat, insist in opening all the doors and windows to “Cool” the place down, without ever considering why it was at the temperature that it was, in the first place.

I do agree that where a “Hot” person and a “Cold” person have to share facilities that there does need to be common ground, or in this case, a common temperature that caters to the basic needs of both parties, even if not total comfort of either. It is only when one party takes it to extremes that there should be a real issue. Don’t you agree?

So, what problems are there in your life, that you need, in conjunction with the other party, to take into consideration the needs and basic requirements of both they and you, and come to a workable solution that both parties can cope with, without ridiculing the other party as being “weird” just because they respond to the same circumstances as you in a completely opposite way. Over to you: Walter

It Is All About Your Perspective.

It Is All About Your Perspective. 26/8/2007

How do we really perceive reality? This thought came to me recently, just after I made a remark about that day' s predicted temperature, and then very quickly remembered a completely opposite assessment of the same temperature, made many years ago by someone else.

I think most of you know by now that we spent many years in the Transkei region of South Africa based in the Capita Umtata (now spelt Mthatha, I believe.) which was about 100 Kms inland from the coast on the South East side of South Africa, about 400kmns below Durban, Anyway, the winter day temps there were around the 20 – 24c range after a cold night around 2 – 4 C. Very enjoyable indeed I muss add, to one used to Melbourne’s winter highs! (By the way an apology is due here for all those who don’t operate on the Celsius/ Centigrade Scale. Sorry but you will need to do your own Maths to work out the Fahrenheit Scale. Again, sorry, but it is a loooong time since we changed from Fahrenheit here!)!)

However, for our last 6 months in South Africa (and our last winter there,) we were based further up the coast, at Port Shepstone, right on the coast, just 100 kms +/- below Durban.

We had a great time there as the house was on a hill overlooking the ocean, and we had Monkeys running through the yard and what we considered lovely weather. Which it was, except for one week apparently, when, if not all the Indian people, certainly all the Indian people that we were working with there at the time, were complaining about the current Cold Spell that Port Shepstone was experiencing!!!

I really hadn’t noticed it particularly, but I guess when you are used to a constant Temperature around 22c every day, 17c can feel like a cold snap, can’t it?

So for the people of Port Shepstone at that particular Winter- time of 2002, 17c was a Cold snap. But what about winter in Melbourne 2007?

When I heard that that particular day’s predicted top was going to be 17c, I spontaneously burst out with, “Wow, we’re facing a heat wave!” (Not that I really think 17 is hot! In fact I will write a later blog on how I feel the cold more than many, but that’s for later.) When one is used to constant temps around 22c, 17c is a cold snap, but when 10 – 14c, has been the norm for the past few weeks, 17c, even though occasionally seen in winter here, does seem like a Heat Wave. It really is in how you see the same fact from different circumstances and perspectives, doesn’t it?

So what is there in your life right now that you are complaining about or struggling under, that under different circumstances would be seen in a better light? And what can you do now, to show those things in a better light in your life right now?

After all, a lot of these things that bother us are benign in and of their own right and often it is only how we view and react to them that makes them helpful or hurtful to us. And through us, to others!!!!! What say you? Walter