The Nor West Weather Pattern

High Country Weather

Alone we are born

And die alone

Yet see the red-gold cirrus

over snow-mountain shine.

Upon the upland road

Ride easy, stranger

Surrender to the sky

Your heart of anger.

James K Baxter

I drive across town, the nor west arch in front of me. It's 7:30 and warm. I wonder how we're going to get through school. The kids moan like stuck pigs when it's hot. We're not set up for cooling class rooms. We just have to grin and bear it. Teaching-wise, I find I'm not as organised as I should be, somewhat distracted, and this year I have four classes, not three. Uni study has taken a back seat to the house.

I make it to period 4 when I have a free and can organise house stuff. I need to confirm the leadlight meeting with Kay tomorrow. She's just back from South America and sorely missed. After school I drop by Trinity Glass to prepare. With Tam, we go over glass sizes and possible cut downs. When I leave I am so distracted I back into a power pole. Stopping to check down the road, the Suzuki's fine. Lucky I have a tow bar. I don't bother looking at the telephone pole. 

Chris's house on the hill is hot. Even with the windows open. From the balcony I check the nor west arch- it's been changing all day but still hangs over the Alps. I package a tap I'm selling then realise the matching tap could work with a marble basin I bought for the ensuite. Phew, it does. Costs are starting to bite. 

I confirm a meeting with Finlay re lighting tomorrow, next step for the build...pre wiring. I haven't organised this yet, just talked about it. Then I head to Taylor's where it's warm and glorious. If the leadlights turn out as beautiful as the sky, all will be good.

At night, on RNZ, a weather boffin talks about how the world is connected weather-wise. He uses the term, climate drivers. For us in New Zealand key players are warm air over Antarctica, and the Indian Ocean dipole. That's an irregular oscillation of sea-surface temperatures where the western Indian Ocean becomes alternatively warmer and then colder than the eastern part. I suppose the west is warmer now because we keep getting warm air from Australia. Which is why we've had nor westers and Martian red air from the bush fires. The sea temperatures are also warmer than average and this adds water to the atmosphere. Today there's been a deluge in Fiordland, stranding 195 tourists at Milford Sound. We're baking, they're swimming. 

All quiet on site 

Scoff's house