The weather can change quickly up here beside this glacial lake 278 metres above sea level.

There’s been rain and sun simultaneously as in this sunrise on Tuesday.

Yesterday was sunny and still but with enough breeze for the weekly yacht race which I caught glimpses of between the poplars beside the lake.

This morning I walked a little nervously under these trees as a nor’wester gained strength.

The wind was against me heading out and behind me coming back, so that I was reminded of this cartoon in the Listener I had been reading.

A bellbird as an alarm clock is a pretty fine prospect. Deborah Levy often writes of her bird song clock in her memoir. A bellbird was singing outside the window early this morning.

Later, as I sat reading in the sun, I looked up to discover two ducks about to walk in the door.

This sign by the door tells me they’re frequent visitors.

Other visitors have been a thrush, chaffinches and, of course, sparrows. A sparrow popped out of the hedge where it’s probably nesting.

I don’t miss my chooks too much, but it’s nice to watch the bird life here.