the cold (but sunny) weather we encountered in mid-August AUGH--lucky devils who live there! All day, yesterday, I was absolutely furious because we actually had a temp. of 72ºF (22.2ºC); it is the middle of February--it is still supposed to be winter!! One of these years I really do want to have a second home...somewhere in OZ or NZ, so I can spend six wintertime (more or less) months in each place. (Though I expect I'd have to be divorced or widowed first...)

To relate to the opening ?--dunno whether you're the only one, Anna, but I had heard of swale; read-only, though--don't think I've heard anyone use it in conversation.

The...uh...oh yes--dipthong in the middle (gosh, that sounds like it could be a song title, doesn't it?) of swale is just like the one in chair...isn't it? Chay-urr?