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Bright sunny spells, with brief, but VERY heavy showers this arvo.

Today is the "Longest Day" here. Last night I didn't turn the lights on all evening.

The next time the days are getting longer it will be nearly Christmas.

There's a coincidence today er yesterday the 21st was the shortest day of the year here - (daylight wise at least) ...

Hey, Scuzz!

Dat's no cwins'dense. Dat's 'ard siyense. Dat's wot dem auntie-pode fings duz.

(Sorry, I went all BoB for a minute there...)

You have to excuse him...he's from Benalla....

Hey Margot can you clarify something for me please.

In medieval days(?) didn't they call the summer solistice Beltane and celebrate it with huge bonfires where they supposadly increased the fertility of the land by having lots of...um..... couplings (am trying to remain pg)? Or is this something I have read in a fiction book and taken to seriously...or was it the winter Solistice that was called Beltane Eve in England??

Cheers Skie

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Happiness is a journey, NOT a destination.

Garvin-h,

Congratulations on reaching your 1,500 post and becoming a green posting star shooting Legend. Just curious, you posted



Read or heard somewhere that it was called green to "con" people that the place was green, compared to iceland which is supposedly greener than greenland. This could be wrong but perhaps this angle might be worth checking out...just for the heck of it.

Cheers
Andrew

Hi Skie
Did a bit of a search and it seems Beltane is halfway between the equinox and the summer solstice:

Beltane is a cross-quarter day, marking the midpoint in the Sun's progress between the vernal equinox and summer solstice. Since the Celtic year was based on both lunar and solar cycles, it is possible that the holiday was celebrated on the full moon nearest the midpoint between the vernal equinox and the summer solstice. The astronomical date for this midpoint is closer to May 5 or May 7, but this can vary from year to year.[6]

It was celebrated with fires- traditionally a need fire:
Need-fire is a practice of shepherd peoples to ward off disease from their herds and flocks. It is kindled on occasions of special distress, particularly at the outbreak of a murrain, and the cattle are driven through it. Its efficacy is believed to depend on all other fires being extinguished.

As far as the fun stuff goes, that seems to be a modern addition courtesy of Wiccans:

Wiccans and Wiccan-inspired Neopagans celebrate a variation of Beltane as a sabbat, one of the eight solar holidays. Although the holiday may use features of the Gaelic Bealtaine, such as the bonfire, it bears more relation to the Germanic May Day festival, both in its significance (focusing on fertility) and its rituals (such as maypole dancing). Some Wiccans celebrate 'High Beltaine' by enacting a ritual union of the May Lord and Lady.[15]

eg from 'Pagan News'
[i]"Beltane" meaning "bright fire" is also known as May Eve, May Day and Walpurgis Night.
It is the midpoint between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice

It is the celebration of the glory of spring at its height - a festival of sensuality and fertility. The God and Goddess are represented by the May King and Queen, and the tradition of dancing 'round the maypole represents their unity - the pole being the God and the ribbons the Goddess, wrapped around him.

Some covens choose this sabbat to go Skyclad (ie nude), so make sure you check and are comfortable with the dress (or undress) code before attending![/i]

You certainly wouldn't be doing this in mid-May in Sydney or Melbourne

Hi, Andrew, Kim and Scuzz,

Thanks for the good wishes - and my extra "R"

Gavin

it adds colour

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very friendly ebay seller and buyer

We were "threatened" with heavy showers on the forecast this morning, but it's been bright and sunny all day.

Could've hung the washing out to dry if we'd known...

No worries Garvin

Garvin,

Looks like the weather's also celebrating for you. It has become humid again this evening.

Kim,

Only 25 more to go to get that green shooting star posting legend. You should be getting it within the next few hours.

Cheers
Andrew

Hey Adrew,

Yes already there now.
Weather is a little chilly at 3 degrees.

Cheers Kim

It's been Lytham Club Day here today, which is like the local town Carnival.

The weather was kind to us - 20C and sunny, so we were able to sit outside the pub with a pint after the procession.

Raised a glass to my friends in mid-winter-Australia

Hi Garvin,

It's 1.06 a.m. Sunday morning and am wondering whether to go attend the PSM auction. The 1964 navigator stamps fine used has a reserve price of RM150. Maybe I'll skip this one due to church activities just after lunch.

The air is still and the weather a little humid. Supposed to have some rain this morning and then sunny in the afternoon.

I'll raise a cheers for you from this end on your big day yesterday.

Andrew

Good morning all,

About 2 degrees here - bloody freezing.

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Peter

Out gardening this morning while it tried to rain - makes it easier to pull the weeds out.

Warm and sunny this arvo. Managed to fall asleep in the hammock, and when I took my shades off, I've now got white "panda eyes"

Clouding over again now, so I guess we're in for a wet evening.

YAY the droughts broken! It's been raining here for the last two minutes at least

Slinging it down here this morning.

Forecast for torrential rain down south today.

Well, it is the first day of Wimbledon

Well it's been raining in Sunny Sydney for a couple of weeks now. This is back to the way it used to be many years ago. You know rain in the winter & dry in the summer, the way it should be except that for quite few years now it has been thunderstorms & rain in summer and dry in the winter (almost tropical conditions).

The main Sydney storage supply is at 50% capacity hooray!

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Tony

Bright and sunny here this morning, but unseasonally cool: 14C today.

Torrential downpours and SERIOUS flooding yesterday in South Yorkshire where my parents live. Fortunately, they live at the top of a big hill, but lots of damage around Sheffield and Rotherham. There's a reservoir about 3 miles from them which is in danger of bursting, and several hundred people have had to be evacuated as a precaution.

well...it's been raining here in QLD. We got an extra 2 days worth of water in the dams....wow!

_________________
Happiness is a journey, NOT a destination.

It appears that Sydney is still going ahead with a de-salination plant which I think is a good idea.
Dams are 50% full or 50% empty. Depends on what message you are trying to project. Do you know a cure for water on the brain?

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Start the day with a smile - its infectious

Hey Brian,

Need your address to post that QV cover to (email me).

De-salination plants - the proposed site at Kurnell has no major (as far as I know) electricity supply. Now de-salination plants consume a huge amount of power, so you have to ask the question - why there

A nuclear power station would fit the bill perhaps, but the political fallout (had to use that word) would be incredible

Then again, the ANSTO site is in that local government area so who knows

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Tony

Hey, Margo!

You want to try it from where we are...

...rained solidly all day today - and that's on top of what happened earlier in the week!!!

And this is your SUMMER ?????????????????????

Yep!

15C and grey skies...

It's one of the down sides of the Gulf Stream that every so often we get one of these sequences where one low-pressure system after another heads our way. A cycle like this can last for several weeks...

BUT our winters are WAY milder than they should be at this latitude, so swings and roundabouts, I guess...

Icebergs down the Thames .. just what you need to attract the tourists.

All trying to keep WELL away from Green Mercedes cars on the streets ........

Glen

Yeah, I'll keep clear of beat up old Mercs for a while...

btw: Glen & Margo - is it a late night or an early morning for you?

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9.30am in mid-winter Adelaide, overnight showers clearing up, about 15C. I could be in England

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Peter

Similar to yesterday.

Slightly fewer showers, but heavier when they arrive...

It better not be the same for Silverstone F1 next week or Lewis may not be happy.

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Click HERE to see superb, RARE and unusual stamps, at FIXED low nett prices, high rez photos, and NO buyer fees etc!

Mate, as a POM, he should be one of the best-equipped drivers to cope with rain

Warm, humid and the air smells like someone did some open burning. Could do with some good rain.

..Ya ain't da Lone Ranger dare Andrew

BoB,

We eez gittin the HAZE - complimens uff Indonezia. The rains muz kam, or else Tonto will hafs to duzz the Rain danze - and at hes age, he can't do it no more....and the rain won't come no more (from him that is.)

Cheers Bob
Andrew

Same again!

Cool and showery here...

First it was rain storms...now its wind storms.

Commuter chaos in Sydney today with damage to powerlines on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and communters having to be evacuated from stranded trains...

Oh, well...variety is good