UV hits 11+

Tuesday was an absolute smoker here in Perth, with some thermometers registering 41 degrees. Sophie said the beach was perfect, and the wind off of the ocean made it feel rather refreshing. I, however, was working at the site which is well in-land, and basically resembles the middle of the outback. The wind had probably the most notable effect, making it difficult to breathe, and yet, if you went into the shade it almost became cool outside. Truth is, I'm loving the extreme heat, and can't seem to get enough of it as evident by my sunburn...Sophie prefers moderation and the benefits of using sun screen.

The day was marked with these ever-present thunderstorms that actually produced very little rain. I found myself constantly looking towards the sky for that signature "twirling" of the clouds and the imminent Tornado, but when the humidity is limited to 20%, not much really happens. (I've been told that Typhoons are the big threat here)

Sophie and I headed up into King's park in the evening to check out all of the crazy parrots, rainbow lorikeets, and cockatoos that play in the Palm trees. The residual heat from the day sucked out the smells of the Eucalyptus trees and the red needles from the conifers. There are also some fat Boab trees in the park, genetic remnants from the time of Gondwana, when Africa and Australia were one land mass.

I took some photos of the gum trees that line the entrance to the park, and got this great effect from the colored lights which are aimed up at the barkless trees.

This last picture looks through the trees, and down onto the Central Business District. On this evening, there were a large number of people setting up chairs along the high ridge of the park, sipping local wine, and getting the occasional sound clip carried through the wind of the concert below.