I have been wondering how everyone was coping with the extreme cold....my heart goes out to you. Don't know what's worse extreme cold or extreme heat/drought, which is what we are dealing with. We haven't had a drop of moisture for over 88 days....even the biggest trees on our block are suffering. Today, I am sitting here in a puddle of sweat, literally wearing nothing but a cotton sarong. We don't have aircon, just ceiling fans. Fortunately a few years ago we put in solar panels to help with massive rises in electricity. Water here is also very expensive. We have a solar hot water system, to save it overheating I am running my washing machine on hot for all our washing, the water going into the machine is at boiling point. The dogs are sprawled out on the tiles and I have covered the bird cage with a wet towel to stop our old budgies from falling off the perch. I am grateful for what we have....but am sick of the relentless heat and hot easterly winds. All the best to you coping with the cold.