Now that summer is almost here, we can spend our days in what has become all the rage in Australia -our "outside" room ie sitting under the pergola. Our pergola overlooks the coastal plain towards the bay and in the far, far distance you can see the huge ships travelling along the coastline. At night, it is like looking down on a thousand fairy lights.

At the moment our pergola is not covered as we removed the old shade cloth at the beginning of Spring and we are debating whether we should put some new shade cloth or waterproof the area by covering it with some plastic roofing. I quite like it open as it has lightened the area somewhat.

In the summer we spend many an evening just relaxing under the pergola - we've had many a barbecue and party under starlit skies and when our 21 year old son has friends around this is where they often congregate to "chew the cud" over many a barbecued sausage and beer!