Saturday 19 March 2011

End of summer

Signs that winter is approaching are all around us.  Thankfully the days are still sunny and warm but mornings and evenings are delightfully cool.  Yesterday morning there was a heavy fog.  I don’t like cold weather but I love the mists and fogs of winter.  

I drove through an absolute downpour coming home from work yesterday and later on the evening sky gave a hint of more rain to come.

18 March 2011

It came during the night.  It’s a rare night that I hear rain on the roof.  Not because it’s not there, but it would take more than heavy rain to wake me once I’m asleep.  I belong to the “sound sleeper” camp. 

The last of the rainy mist was lifting from the lower valleys as I looked out the window this morning.

19 Mar 2011
Today was a special occasion for Georgia – her first soccer game.  Unfortunately, she had a tummy bug yesterday and, to her great disappointment, wasn’t as energetic today as she usually is and had to sit out a lot of the games.  

Krystal and Shayde were also playing.  The occasion was an inter-school warm up before the footy season starts.  Our local school is not a ‘sporting’ school and most of the teams were outclassed by their opposition.   The children who want to play weekend sport have to find teams outside the area to join and, of course, this requires lots of extra time and expense for parents travelling to practices, etc.   This year Shayde will be playing netball (in a school team), Krystal will play soccer in a Whangarei team and Georgia will player soccer in a Bream Bay team.   Add to that mix their father coaching an Under 16 rugby team and you have one busy family.  

Most of my photos from today would be good candidates for a “Where’s the Ball” competition.  They remind me of the “Where’s the Ball”  competition in the paper when I was a child and my father marking his entry each week.  He used to tell us to look to where the players were following the ball with their eyes.  That wouldn’t be much help with these shots.  Half the time I don’t think most of the kids had more than a rough idea of where the ball was. 

10 Mar 20112 Krystal looks like she’s giving some helpful tips to Shayde but they are both miles off the play.

19 Mar 2011
Umm.  It must be somewhere on this field!

19 Mar 20111
Anyone?  Any idea?

19 Mar 20114
It went that a-way

19 mar 20115
It was right there!

19 Mar 20113
Ah, there it is!

And, goodness gracious, I have a certain parent in this shot with their mouth closed.   Can you tell by the body language which parent it might be?  You know how there’s always one parent who shouts constant advise to their child?   The poor child would be run ragged if they went everywhere the parent tells them they should be.  (Shut it, Pauline!)

7 comments:

  1. Love the soccer shots. Parents do tend to be a bit vocal at these games don't they?
    The families in that last photo seem a bit "tense". Sometimes the parents get more into the game than the kids. I remember.
    My little grandson scored two goals at his soccer game last weekend and I wasn't even there to clap and shout congrats to him. You are so lucky to live close enough that you can go to their games.

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  2. A superb opening shot. i'm glad you found the ball eventually I was beginning to think it was foot and no ball.

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  3. I know it's obvious but I always find it strange to think of April as the start of winter in your part of the world.

    It is a hard spring frost here, the bulbs just emerging, and next week the clocks go back for an extra hour of evening light.

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  4. I love watching that age group at games. They're still there for the fun of it and play hard and fair.

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  5. I keep thinking that we are done with Winter and heading into a wonderful Spring then Summer but yesterday we had snow...over 5 in. of the stuff! I guess just when you are sick of it, the season changes. There is something nice about the different seasons and what they have to offer but sometimes, just a little bit too much and time to move on. I'll look forward to seeing your Winter as I am in my Summer Pauline.

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  6. You're first picture is exquisite, it is so breath taking.

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  7. As always you have a great way with people shots.

    I know how much traveling The Family does with 'our' four children with all the sports and activities and we live on a tarsealed road only about 12 ks from Napier. Sometimes that involves Mum, Dad and me on ferrying duty. So so being so far from everywhere with 12k of metaled road before you start must be a logistical nightmare.

    I was rather amused, by the way, with the teacher/coach's trendy shorts.

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