When the weather outside is delightful ....

Christmas spirit has definitely arrived in Brisbane. Today, I saw a bus driver dressed as Santa Claus pass me, "Merry Christmas" on the bus marquee, and squiggles of dark green wreath decorations all suspended along the top edge of the inside windows. I don't think that I'll ever see a Capital Metro bus bedecked the same way.

Last Sunday, we also saw some Christmas-themed acrobats on the Queen St. pedestrian mall. In addition, one of the department stores facing Queen St. has a series of mechanical "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" window displays. It's really odd to see many traditions based on snow and cold Decembers when the temperature outside is in the upper 30s Centigrade. Yeah, like I know what snow-based Christmases are, right? A South Texas boy only sees snow when he pretends the sugar sand of Mustang Island is actually cold. Ha!