Sunshine, southeaster and a snake!

Back to some intense heat! Every day's a new day in Cape Town's autumn.
The sea is a deep blue mirror of the endless blue sky above, and colourful fishing boats ply back and forth from Hout Bay harbour, chugging past the lighthouse silently as the wind is offshore and even the shorebreak is silent.
Despite good rain over the last week or so, the sun has dried out the earth again and it's back to the watering regime for potplants, which look as though they have never seen a drop of water. Drooping leaves are the order of the day, and I'm drooping too on my inside balcony where I write and paint and generally pass my day. With the winter sun now shining into the north facing windows, it is like a hothouse in here, which is great on a really cold July day, but a little unnecessary right now. I have a very vigorously growing hoya plant on this inside balcony, as it doesn't get direct sunlight but benefits from the warmth and the door is right next to it. The leaves are a glossy dark green and tendrils are clambering up and across the wooden slats of what used to be the outside of the house many years ago. It's two years old now and not had a flower, so I read up on hoyas and see that they don't like to be disturbed, rearranged, touched or stared at too closely! Sounds like a grumpy old man!
Snake alert!!! Puffadder in garden near front door! Haven't had one in 33 years here. Cat wanting to play with it. Snake catcher rushed out from Fish Hoek and bagged it in 30 seconds amid much angry hissing from Puffy. Thanking our lucky stars!