Jacob's River Estuary, Riverton, before the sun was up. The colours were subtle, calming.

Cosy Nook Harbour Southland. There is a storm passing through, and the haze is salt laden mist driving inland.

Ian rescued Reg's oil can and cleaned it up, the inside did not really need much apart from removing the congealed old oil.

Corrosion

After gaining permission for access from the local harbourmaster I was down at the wharf looking for corrosion this morning. I had seen this door when driving by and thought it would  suit the project.

Leaving the valley and into the sun, we may just catch the last of the light. Blenheim to Nelson in winter. This shaft of light carried over this hill and left it's outlined shadow on the next.

The trouble with a bowl of grapes is the temptation to eat the fattest, most purple, perfect specimen that you have in front of you. I ate before I checked the photo and then sadly realised I had not focussed on the closest, most at risk grape, it was too late by then. March is such a bountiful month.

I managed to clamber down to the small sandy beach below our holiday accommodation at Whale Bay. It was before sunrise and the shadows were soft. I would like to be able to draw  boulders like these and hope to use my photos as reference.

From the car window I just caught this hillside in the sun, not a good photo but it reminds me of the day and yet looks like another place with the altered light.

We saw miles of windswept Manuka filling the valleys and huddling together on the exposed cliffs in clumps. If you ever  get the opportunity to peer over the Department of Conservation platform near Te Toto - do. I was there on such an awesome day and it took my breath away.

A weekend away, on the exposed west coast. The constant roar of the surf breaking on the rocks just below the deck, tui in the flax, curtains moving in the breeze, summer is coming just around the curve of the earth.  

Out for lunch with a friend and a discussion started about ways of taking black and white photographs. The camera's software, the computer's software, or even the scanner and printer set up probably all have facilities for altering an image. This was taken with the camera in a black and white mode. Composition seems to be far more important, focus needs to be first rate, ohh there are lots of things going on that need to be thought about. I wish I had focussed better on the abandoned coffee on the table in the distance.

Out looking in shops made me aware of the popularity of  spotlights in domestic homes, even noted on the recent Australian Block series. Then I heard on the radio that reading lights, standard lights and spotlights are making a comeback,  they have never disappeared from our house. Accessory of the month.

This jug reminded me of a short train trip to Entrevaux that we did years ago, on arrival at the destination a little tourist shop was selling souvenirs and we succumbed to the temptation, buying a set of 5 miniature pottery vessels. Not the easiest thing to travel with, but they made it back home to NZ. They now hang outside against a brick wall, swinging to and fro in the wind. I have just taken them down and washed them, remarkable all the more for all still being in one piece.

Decorative eggs, when I looked at this at home afterwards I realised that I should have repositioned  the egg on the left, and now it really annoys me. Unbalanced. The egg shapes were quite tactile and I was drawn to touch them, I also liked their colours.

It is the colour of the wood that I like. It is similar to the trestles with planks that I bought. These drawers are rough and ready, opening and shutting them prove that, just a little too clunky to save up for. Made from recycled timber. I think I might be trying to get over the phase of false old stuff by becoming more familiar. It's not working.

This bowl of string made me want to buy it and line it up on my shelves, I find the old world look of the labels and waxed paper made me want to touch the display. Clever marketing. It doesn't matter if it is false. I wonder when this phase will pass. String is very handy but I have many rolls and balls stored at home for immediate use. The string stayed in the bowl. Koko's again, 743 Mt Eden Rd, Epsom, Auckland.

I have found somewhere that sells recycled objects for the home. Re-using wood, metal, animal products etc, not particularly fine traditional things more quirky and individual. You could say it is false shabby chic maybe.  So I took my camera along and asked if I could take some photos. Once I had sorted the focus out with help from Diane  (mental block or had it been too long?)  I took some. I also bought a recycled trestle table made in China from European Elm, I'm thrilled with it. Quite heavy. No effort made to refine or hide earlier use, guess you could say it is almost honest. Will post a photo at a later date.

Something had to happen, and soon because the groundwork I'd done on understanding my camera was fading away. The notes, the lessons, the instruction book, all were like a foreign language. Diane and I decided to see if we could get back into some sort of routine and today we started. Six photos of the same thing and I chose shadows. We had spent the morning inside trying to sketch heads in the Brick by Brick Cafe and finished photographing around the area outside.

The first one is taken through the holes in the back of the chair, looking down at the table pedestal, second is the sun shining through the chair holes onto the wall. The next is the sun on the wall, dappled light echoing the circles. Forth is other holes in the chair and five is a line or strip of light again echoing on the wall and then a closer look at the holes in the chair.

I have a birthday in the right month for a few of my seasonal favourites - red figs and Bluff oysters. These figs are off our tree. Even with netting to protect it from the birds we cannot grow enough. When we drive around the lanes and byways we look for gate sale fruit and have found a grower not far from Ian in Bombay. I think the season is nearly at an end and the feast will be soon be over. The figs are simmered  in sugar, water and vinegar for at least 3 hours, drained and then dried for a couple of days over night in a fan oven at 50 to 60 degrees. We have hardly had a summer this year and most of our figs may never ripen.

A new tool. After trying the local engineering, scrapbooking, hand tools, hardware and gasket making shops I drew a blank. There was a place in India that would supply in 4 figure numbers but I only required one. Martin found an old piece of mild steel pipe (from under the bench!) that was welded and from that he fashioned this, turning inside and out on the lathe, and hack-sawing through some solid round for the strike end plate. This was welded on to the pipe and turned again. There are 4 small holes in this plate to aid removal of the the paper from the tube once it has been cut. Then to the case hardening company where they tempered it as best they could - mild steel can only be changed so much before it becomes really too brittle. All for a charge of course. So now I have a tool that will punch holes in paper, card, and leather. I intend using it to cut decorated paper rounds which I will emboss with my initial and use to seal down the flap on envelopes.