While it’s hard to find joy in Orange’s freezing winters, it’s the city’s ability to provide its residents with four distinct seasons that many people find so attractive.

But there are times when the seasons seem to linger just a little too long.

Citizens of a city where jumper weather can last from March through to early November should be entitled to expect a mild summer as a reward for their winter pains.

If you're going to get the extremes on one end of the climatic scale, it should earn you a reprieve at the other - in theory.

Unfortunately, as locals would know, life in Orange is not so simple.

It's the season of the summer heatwave and our city has sweated reaching well in to the mid to late 30s for several days in a row.

Lawns and gardens have suffered, air-conditioners have been asked to work overtime (and there will be a second wave of heat pain when the electricity bills arrive later), and bits of our district coaxed into green life by the early December storms have turned to unhappy brown.

And amid all this, more than one Orange resident would have grumbled about how unjust it is to have a nasty summer follow the traditional nasty winter.

While we’ve been thrown the occasional reprieve in the form of a short and unexpected heavy rainfall or lightening show, for the most part we’ve just been forced to endure the heat.

But in the face of a testing climate, have developed some charming coping mechanisms.

A harsh life outdoors has encouraged us to make our life indoors as pleasant as possible - with pubs, restaurants, cafes and bars full of happy people escaping the heat.

It seems we're affected by our weather, but not limited by it. Resigned to it, but rarely bitterly disappointed by it - because we've grown used to it.

This most recent summer heatwave has come and gone, but there's sure to be another one - or two - before we get to the end of February.

In the meantime, Orange residents will do what they always do: enjoy the nicer weather while it lasts and brace themselves for what they know is coming their way.

But we must not despair … there’s something to be said for wood fires and woolen hats.