The sounds of summer - Mr Whippy

After a slow start, the Australian summer has arrived in its full glory and it is hot, damn hot.  Yesterday was 37 degrees and even in the shade with the breeze blowing, there was no escaping that heat.

Naturally talk at the BBQ soon turned towards cool things, ice-cream in particular and my friend began to regale us with the story of how the night before she had been walking the dogs with her husband when they heard the siren song of the Mr Whippy van.  In the heat they tore across a major road and through the suburb, lured on by a tinny rendition of "Greensleeves" until at last they arrived at the van and forked out $8 (!!!) each for an ice-cream (he did give them mini free ones for the dogs).

Then with precision timing, as we were still laughing at her story, we heard the fateful music.  Heads popped up like Meerkats, and the ice-cream truck (this time playing "Teddy Bear's Picnic") rounded the bend.  Before he had even stopped the truck the crew were up and running across the park.

There are some things that just taste better, even if you do pay a premium for them - chocolate in the shape of a bunny, grated cheese, a sandwich someone else has made and yes, ice cream out of a truck.  I don't think it matters how old we get, when you hear that music playing, everyone wants an ice-cream.