Time for...a cool change

I thought when I was in Las Vegas in 2004 that I'd experienced heat. I hadn't. Today, there is a TOTAL fire ban across the great state of Victoria (Tocumwal is actually in New South Wales, but it as close to the Victoria border as damn is to swearing). Temperatures will vary in the area from high 30s to mid-40s Celsius. Here in Tocumwal (pronounced TOE-kum-wol), the mercury should top off at around 42C. That's bad enough; however, these 'extreme' temps (the locals say that anything over 38 or 39 is really oppressive) are accompanied by a really wretched hot northwest wind. It's almost sickening. Fortunately, we're in for a 'cool change,' this afternoon -- though the full effect won't likely be felt until overnight. With a cool change, winds shift from the northwest to the south and are markedly cool. These winds will drive temperatures down by several degrees within a few hours. In fact, here's what Wikipedia has to say about the cool change phenomenon:

A Cool Change is a term used in south eastern Australia for the arrival of a Cold Front in the afternoon or evening after a day of high summertime temperatures.
The arrival of the front often produces falls in temperature in the order of 10C to 15C and sometimes thunderstorm activity.

We had a few evenings last week with a cool change and the effect is positively gorgeous. We're not likely to see much if any rain here...because of course we're in drought, but it sure would be nice to settle the dust.

For me, the cool change has lots of metaphorical meaning. Really, it represents a complete turnaround. The movement from something stifling to something freeing and refreshing. Do you remember the Little River Band from the late 1970s? They were an Australian group that had a number of hits in North America, among them Happy Anniversary, Reminiscing and Cool Change. The chorus from Cool Change goes like this (sing along if you know it):

Time for a cool change...I know that it's time for a cool change.
Now that my life is so prearranged I know that it's time for a cool change

Now that my life is so prearranged. I know it's time for a cool change.