Day Nine - Christmas Count Down

Ninth Day of Christmas


No matter where you live in the world the weather is a conversation starter and a significant influence on your mood and activities.  Sunlight has repeatedly been found to boost a positive mood, dampen a negative mood and diminish tiredness.  Anything that alters our mood can also affect our behaviour.  Happy people are more likely to be social able and affable.  On the other hand, grey weather may induce "grey flanneled thinking" and a bleak mood.  Research has found that the more weather departs from the optimum of 20 degrees Celsius the more discomfort we feel. The more discomfort we feel the more grumpy and argumentative we become.  Other aspects of the weather such as humidity can also affect or mood.  High humidity can lead to tiredness and irritability.  While Barometric pressure fluctuation can trigger headaches while rainy days can cause us to feel less satisfied with our lives.  

The weather also influences how we plan to spend our holidays, especially Christmas vacation.  In Australia, Christmas occurs in the first month of summer.  It is often quite hot and humid at this tie of year.  People tend to go to the coast and head to the beach where tey can enjoy swimming, surfing and fishing.  Others go camping in national parks or near dams where they can enjoy more water sports like boating and sking.  

At the moment I am in Mackay, North Queensland and it is a very warm 29 degrees with a high humidity rating of about 80%.  Issy and I are at the local pool taking a dip to cool down. A slight breeze is helping and I am feeling relaxed and refreshed after doing a couple of laps. We would go to the beach but we are not sure about marine stingers at this time of the year.  There are a number of National Parks we have visited on previous occasions but decided it was too hot to go walking through the bush this time around.  When we came to Mackay in June we went up to Finch Hatton Gorge and hiked in the rain forest before going for a cool dip in the creek.  It was lots of fun. 

 Mackay is a pretty city but I find the temperature to be too hot and humid for me to stay for very long.  I know it is cold in other parts of the world and families will be enjoying sledding and other winter sports.  What are you up to right now and how has the weather impacted on your activity of choice?

Journal Prompts - All about the Weather

  • Describe the weather in your community at this time of year. Record it in your journal with as much detail as you can.
  • What type of activities have you planned around the weather? Make a list of fun activities you can participate in that rely on that type of weather.  A great go to list for when you are stuck for ideas.
  • What would it be like to spend the holidays in another prt of the world that has different weather to where you live now? Would you  enjoy it? Why/Why not? 

Journal Writing Tips 

Keep the ticket stubs from places you have visited as reminders of the venue and price. Can be used as a journal prompt in itself.  Also include clippings from local papers or tourism brochures as memorabilia. Post cards are great for adding images when you don't have access to a camer Given today's prompt is all about the weather I am going to buy the local paper and clip out the weather details for the day and paste it into my Christmas journal.  Might be informative for future generations if global warming makes it impossible to live outdoors in some locations.  That is if you believe in global warming.  

Diary Entry

Love to watching birds so please that the park surrounding the local pool is an oasis in the city for my feathered friends.  Have spotted at least 8 different species of bird in the space of 20 minutes in one tree.  Several of the birds are nesting and others are busy feeding their young.  I always feel more at peace in outside while observing the natural world.  Need it after the last couple of days of mayhem.

Time to retire to the air con and get some lunch.  Have a great ninth day of Christmas - only 16 days to go.

Cheers Til' tomorrow.

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