I have counted two frosts in Castlecliff this month, although the frigid mornings have given way to bright, windless, sunny days: perfect conditions for surfing and for our passive solar renovation.
One particularly stunning day early this month I was able to enjoy riding some of the best waves I've ever seen at the North Mole, and then return home to a solar-cooked meal and a solar-heated shower in a solar-warmed home.
It would have been the perfect day but for an unfortunate moment in the Tasman that left me with two halves of a formerly whole surfboard. Worse yet, it was my wife's board - still, I suppose sacrifices must be made.
Thanks to free sunlight energy, afternoon and evening indoor temperatures in our villa have been consistently between 20 and 23 degrees this month, and I've only run the wood burner two mornings. This is the type of performance we hoped for when we started the renovation nearly three years ago and, as regular readers of this column will know, it is the cumulative result of many small efforts and attention to detail.
I've written about most of them over the course of the past 16 months, and will continue to do so as long as community interest, my mental faculties, and the Chronicle persist. But for the time being, I want to turn it over to you.