Here are my answers to this week’s SYW from Di

What season are you in where you live, and what time is it?
Down here in the Southern Hemisphere, we’re basking in the golden glow of Autumn. In the Western Cape, South Africa, it’s affectionately known as the Secret Season—a time when the weather seems to strike a perfect balance. No scorching heat, no icy chills, the winds take a well-earned break, and the rains aren’t quite ready to make an entrance.
Unlike some parts of the world, daylight saving doesn’t exist in the South African Standard Time (SAST) zone. With our clocks fixed two hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), I find myself happily typing away as the clock strikes 16:00—right in the heart of a secret-season afternoon!

What is your favourite season of the year?
Autumn/Fall/Secret Season is my favourite time of year. See above.

Can you ski or ice skate?
Back in 1993, Verbier welcomed me to the snowy slopes of the Alps. Skiing was fun and we had a good instructor but I was not exactly the most graceful lady on skis. I was the one careening out of control down the slopes. It’s a small miracle I emerged without a collection of casts and crutches!
Ice skating, on the other hand, was a breeze. Having spent my childhood zooming around on roller skates, gliding across the ice felt like second nature—though thankfully with fewer driveway tumbles!

When was the last time you built a snowman?
I’ve never had the pleasure of building a snowman—South Africa’s general shortage of snowflakes is the reason for this! My grandchildren, on the other hand, got lucky. Kokstad, where they grew up, occasionally served up some snowfall as a rare treat. I visited Kokstad a few times during winter but never when the snow decided to bless the kids with a day or two off from school!

Gratitude

As a snow-starved South African, in my youth I imagined snow to be nothing but fun! Now that I am older and wiser, I am ever so grateful to be blessed to live in a warmer climate where the hazards of extreme weather are things I only read about! I can’t imagine having to get a kid into layers of clothing or a snowsuit before leaving the house. My grandsons would head off to school barefoot all year round. Their winter wardrobe was refreshingly simple: a fleece and tracksuit pants were all they needed to tackle the chilly mornings!