Whanau Get Together.

This joining together has morphed from much saddness to healing on many levels. Slowly. Long distance travel today doesn’t happen often, too many obstacles. Even medium distance is tricky. It was an excellent venue, thank-you to the providers. Spirits were revived and resolve restored to make positive changes. A good start perhaps.

2023 Whanau

SATURDAY, APRIL  22, 2023

A strange, fascinating birthday gift to someone who has in the past picked mushrooms in a field and on the lawn. I put the box on my kitchen counter and after two days of spraying with water, the spores became pins (lower right quadrant, under stalks) to 4" in four days. First crop 1.6 Kg. picked when light dusting of spores seen on counter. We ate half, half were chilled. Subtle mushroom flavour, texture juicy and soft, apart from stalks which needed to be sliced into 1 cm. rounds. Mushrooms were on earth before trees and grew about 20 feet, colonised by small living things. It was an education.

I was here recently, it was just after some severe west coast storms, you can probably tell.   The beach where the Fox river meets the sea, was covered with driftwood, smashed, broken and then beautifully smoothed by the action of waves and beach. I knew I should have collected some as I wandered through it. But all I took were photographs. I was reminded of my walk when today I was looking at the handmade markmaking tools that Glenn Grishkoff has on his site. Just click on his name. 

Another windbreak, these trees have not fallen over, they are just battling the constant prevailing wind.

As we changed over driving I asked Martin to take a photo of the hill beside us, this is it.

The southern tussock really came into it's own as we travelled during a stormy weather system with lots of squalls. The temperature dropped rapidly and whole foothills moved like ripples on the sand. The wind and the scudding clouds made it stunning.

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.

We went on a bit of a road trip down in Southland, these trees had us dreaming of the forces that made them. At a certain height they all streamed away with the prevailing winds, awesome to look at. They weren't all in the same place, but they did seem to be the same type of tree, a marcrocarpa of some sort. I took every opportunity to take a photo when I saw them.

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.

Corrosion

My camera has been languishing in it's bag for a while, I need to keep using it. After seeing one of the participants work on walls, in 100 Days N.Z.( Rochelle's page) I decided to look for images that would fit under the title 'corrosion'. and just post as I collect. This is the first, and close to home, derelict railway sleepers around my garden beds. I thought the rust colour would be much stronger, a reddy orange, maybe the iron is really old.

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.

This place has all the elements I like to have around me, there is a sheltered south edge to the bay that is lined with big rocks and low smooth hills, the few houses here are discreet and hidden, the sand is silky, and several streams run into the surf. There is only the surprise factor missing and that would be reliant on the atmosphere or a catastrophe - not sure I want the latter. Tauranga Bay, West Coast, South Island.

The bach is north of Charleston where the Nile joins the sea, sited just above the high tide mark on a small rocky promontory. Martin lit the fire and we  sat in the dark watching the flames, outside the surf pounded as the tide came in and later we heard the rain on the tin roof. Having electric blankets on the bed was a bonus. The cold snap was coming.

Returning home after a trip to the West Coast of the South Island, (we stayed in the next bay north of Charleston) I took this photo through the front window of the rental car. Travelling home on the wide open road at full tilt, I am surprised  that the camera handled the bug splatts, spots of rain, wiper echoes and muddy splashes. Despite all it's faults I will keep it, just for that.

A bone folder of Tilburys in London and a porcupine quill both from a curio antique shop in Nelson. My daughter spent ages I am sure, ( I have been shopping with her) selecting these gifts for me. We do not have porcupines here in New Zealand and I have never seen one before, a fascinating thing. They are resting on a woven bag from the Philippines, I used this bag for years to carry round my bookclub information. Thank you Sarah.

My baking was prompted by a request and a gift. Martin enjoyed Rosalie's Rosalie, loaf which came from Mrs Rasmussen and he asked for the recipe,  it's is the one on the left and uses courgettes and walnuts. The one on the right is a sour dough cake and the starter came from Emily, it has sultanas and apple in it, this cake is a friendship one called Herman and I didn't kill it! Both cakes use oil and cinnamon and I shall freeze one for later.

We have new lead-light glass in our front door. I have waited many years to fulfil this wish and at last the opportunity was realised. On our way home we often stop at the lights by an old building that displays traditional cut glass items, one day we drove round the back, parked and entered, that was all it took. I had seen a geometric window when passing earlier and knew instantly that was what I wanted. Martin's concerns were mainly for the structure, durability, suitability and function. All question were answered. It is made up of clear glass, antique pieces, patterns that are out of production and a few modern ones. Upper photo is from the front and the delight is looking out from inside - always changing,(lower)

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.

Out and about with the camera. Sunshine and yellow are positive for me.

It's been a while.

This photograph is not one of mine, but I was there, it's at Te Toto just a little south of Raglan. This was a few days before I had the heart attack and I only just made it out to the viewing platform, exhausted and I didn't know why. Martin talked me into walking the 100 yards or so and he took the picture.

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.