Thunder

What was that I was saying about it never being dark enough for a Christmas tree?

At 3pm we were having afternoon tea on the balcony, Ella just out of the swimming pool and me just back from Woolworth's with a chocolate cake and a box of Smarties. Ella decided it was Beinau's birthday (Beinau being a little bear that Kath and Annette brought as a present. God knows why she's called him Beinau and God knows how she's spelling it, but until she can tell me I'm using something between French and the international phonetic alphabet).

Anyway, three birthday candles and a game of picture dominoes later the skies darkend and we were treated to the most spectacular tropical storm I've seen in all the time we've been here. This was the view from our balcony at 4.25pm.

I've never been great with thunder since my Nan left me stranded under a tree when I was seven. She was supposed to collect me from school but forgot because she was making a birthday cake for her new fancy fella, so there I was quivering in a thunderstorm while she faffed about with the frosted icing. Anyway, I'm determined Ella won't be a scaredy cat like me so we've been "enjoying" the terrific claps of thunder all afternoon.