February is the evening of Summer.....acknowledgements to Erin McGrath

So it's that time of the year again. I couldn't imagine living somewhere that doesn't have seasons. The year is broken up into chunks of cold weather, hot weather, days getting warmer and longer, days getting colder and shorter......constant change.

There comes a time when I'm sick of the heat, and that's now. Summer is lovely and laid back. Weeds slow down. The garden is lush and colourful. The vegetable patch is repaying us for all the hard work. (The freezer is full of grated zucchini and tomatoes, ready for winter feasts.) The only real challenge is to keep everything watered.

The gardening is a demanding master though and there is always work to be done. The trouble is, if you don't start before 9 in the morning, the heat will drive you inside when you've only just started. That's fun....for a while!

So February is the evening of Summer. I don't know if Erin coined this phrase, but it's a good one. It is my 'evening'. I've had a couple of drinks after a busy day and bed is looking pretty inviting.

I've enjoyed the warmth of Summer, the antics of the birds, the butterflies and the bees and the beauty of plants in full bloom. I have also delighted in eating freshly picked strawberries and raspberries and, ohhhh, there is nothing like biting into a home grown tomato. But I'm ready for a change.

The mornings are teasing me with the promise of Autumn, slightly crisper, making me want to reach for a jumper. People smirk when you say it's hot in Tassie, but 25 here has the intensity of mid 30s where we used to live, just outside Canberra. I don't miss those days over 40 though!

There is magic in the change of seasons and I am enjoying the prospect of being awake to watch the sunrise and of watching the sunset, snuggled up in a cuddly jumper. The lawn will soon be strewn with Autumn leaves and I can go into caretaker mode in the garden, preparing the place for Spring.

I am looking forward to saying goodbye to the hot weather for another reason this Summer. Ever since I have had a garden, way back in 1979, I have lived in areas where you could reasonably expect to see a snake. I have only ever seen 3 in my garden - all of them right here, at Rancho Relaxo. One was in the bush, on the outer perimeter, and we could leave it well alone. The other 2, and I'm hoping it was the same one, are/is a tiger snake/s.

My first encounter was on the rocks around the pond and then in the greenhouse. I know how aversion therapy works. Everytime I have seen the snake, who shall be known as Tegan, I have grown less and less worried that it is actually planning to bite me. It is a beautiful creature that I can admire, from a distance. I take comfort in the knowledge that it is shit scared of me, and will rival any magician's disappearing act when I approach. Autumn will be spent snake proofing Tegan's favourite haunts.

Why Tegan? Our local friendly snake whisperer arrived to try and catch/relocate our snake. It was love at first sight when he saw K9 and the TARDIS. A fellow Dr Who fan, he recounted the story of the 4th Doctor's companion, Tegan, who was possessed by Mara, the serpent of pure hatred. He never managed to catch the snake, but we had a great time meeting him.

So the evening of summer is drawing to a close. I will love Autumn and relish sitting in front of the fire in Winter. All too soon I will looking forward to August, the morning of Spring.