Thursday 29 January 2015

Beach fences

One Tree Point sits on Marsden Bay at the south head of Whangarei Harbour. 

When I was there mid morning earlier in the week there wasn't a soul to be seen at the boat launching ramp.  To the right of the ramp there are two fences that run from the grassy banks at the front of private properties down into the water, making them private beaches.  That's Marsden Point Oil Refinery you can see in the background on the right.


At the approach to the boat ramp there's a little grassed area with a couple of seats under huge old trees.  A couple of little fences (maybe they are more handrails than fences), help you find your way down on to the beach. 



The view from under the trees.


I enjoy taking part in Good Fences each week and visiting as many of the other contributors as time allows. 

Tuesday 27 January 2015

Last sunsets of the 60s

I am not old.
I cannot be old, though threescore years and ten have wasted away, 
like a tale that is told, the lives of other men:
I am not old; though friends and foes alike have gone to their graves,
And left me alone to my joys or my woes,
As a rock in the midst of the waves.
Martin Farquhar Tupper

So there ya go.  The sun has set on my 60s.  Any time now I'm likely to be sensible.



I'm happy enough with my age, it's been a lot of fun getting here and I'm certainly happy with the day. 

Yesterday I caught the culprit, or at least one of the culprits, that have been killing my chickens.  Thanks to the SPCA for the trap and to DOC staff for tips on trapping ferral cats.  Last year to celebrate my birthday I went in a boat under the Iguacu Falls in Brasil, this year I trapped a cat.  Can't say my life lacks diversity!

Here are a few of the sights I enjoyed on 'my' day.
 





Who wouldn't be happy?

Wednesday 21 January 2015

Beside the road

Some on the right, some on the left.  Different strokes for different folks.



I'm linking to Good Fences, where you will find many different fences from all over the world.

Campers

It was peaceful down the back of the farm yesterday evening.  The cows were ambling back to their paddock after being milked, they obviously didn't expect to see me.



I'd been invited to visit the girls who were camping out for the night and was delighted to be invited to share their dinner.  Yum.



The first hint I had that it's not so peaceful this morning was when Shayde rang and said there was something going on up at the big farmhouse that I'd love to take photos of.  I could hear the digger from my house but didn't realize where it was working.  What was happening was a lot more interesting than digging a drain.  The time had come to rip out the thick bamboo that was growing at the back of the farmhouse.  The digger was making quick work of it.




The stack of removed plants grew and grew:

 
Job done!


A few interesting objects were unearthed including this old bottle.


They now have a much bigger flat area at the back of the house and much more light can get into the yard. 

Wonder what tomorrow will bring?

Saturday 17 January 2015

Let's do a deal

That's what she said.  "Let's do a deal.  You make me a swimming bag from that strawberry material and I will cook you lunch."
 
It was a good deal, we both ended up happy.

You probably can't read the menu (it is written in posh silver pen) so you probably can't see the scores I gave the food when it came time to switch from Project Runway to Master Chef.

There were three courses, I'm skipping dinner tonight.  Should have taken photos.  Next time.  


The Project Runway model decided it would to best to use an action shot to showcase the bag.


Friday 16 January 2015

Fences from Brazil

This day last year I was in Brasil.  Even the fences of which I took photos and the ones that got in the way when I was photographing something else are sharp in my memory.  

I wrote in my diary, "Balmy 28C at 12 noon, rose to 37C.  Hot but bearable in Parque das Mangabeiras, up high in the city, with little spider monkies (so agile and cute) and anteater.  Walked out for lunch.  Bad night, baby crying all night away in the distance, heard every bus that went past and the rubbish trucks.  Those rubbish picker uppers sure are noisy." 

For me a bad night is any night I don't sleep like a log from the minute my head hits the pillow and babies don't really cry all night, it just seems like it.  

We were at my son's apartment in Belo Horizonte by 16th and we visited Government House a few days later.  


A few days before we had been in the mountains at Conceição de Ibitipoca, one my favourite places of the trip.  In the village where cars gave way to horses and donkies moving sedately in the heat, this fence seemed very practical.


 The functional fence around the little village church.


Not far out of the village on our way to Belo Horizonte, it was the cattle grid that caught my eye.  Our grids usually run horizontally across the road.  I'm not too sure how much use the fence would be. 


The fences seemed to be a reflection of the economy of the villages as we moved out of the mountain towards the bigger towns, and eventually to Belo.

 


This fence got in my way as snapped one of the bigger towns and rolling countryside midway between the mountains and the city.  I think this day may have been the hottest while I was there, the car air conditioner was barely coping and no way was I going to step out of the car.



 At Foz do Iguacu a tucan found the perfect fence on which to perch while he (she?) enchanted me.


I'm linking to Good Fences where you can see fences from all over.

Tuesday 13 January 2015

More hay

No complaints about the weather, it's perfect for haymaking.  And being at the beach.  Or just staying inside out of the sun. The neighbour is still haymaking.  The first shot is late afternoon - couldn't get a decent shot as clouds passing quickly overhead were throwing shadows.  Not rain clouds.  The second is of the bales waiting to be picked up the next morning.  This time the shadow is just from the rising sun.  


Sunday 11 January 2015

soft evenings

Curtains are good for privacy or warmth and when I don't need them for either I'd rather not have them.  So I've taken them down from two windows in my living area.  Darkness falls here around 8.30 - 9 pm this time of year and with no material to block my view I see the sunset every evening as I sit and watch TV or lift my read from reading/knitting, whatever else I may be doing.

Day after day lately there have been pretty, soft sunsets.  Nothing dramatic, just soft scenes that gently touch the senses.


  
There was a softness to the scene in the other direction a couple of days ago.  Smoke was drifting across the mountain from a fire on the other side.



Yesterday evening, an hour or so before sunset, the neighbour was busy baling the last of his hay. The smell of freshly cut hay had been lingering most of the afternoon.  Love that smell.


Friday 9 January 2015

Farming Fences

Just a plain and practical fence.  It's the scene on the other side that interests me.


Standing in the same spot looking right.

  
A bit further down along the road where the Sheep Dog Trialists have their gatherings.


Linking to Good Fences.

Wednesday 7 January 2015

Tidy rows

It's haymaking weather.  Days are sunny and warm.  If your land is hilly, you make hay where you can. 


On Monday I was at the hospital for an MRI.  Don't like those things so, in between the breath in, breath outs I concentrated on how weird it had been to see graffiti on the wall of the tiny changing room cubicle.  The writing could have been my grandmother's, it was a beautiful old fashioned script and read "There are many things in life that may change us, but it all starts and ends with family."  I came up with about five possible stories for how it got there and why it hadn't been removed.  It must have had something to do with the renovations taking place in the Radiology Department and it as sure as hell wasn't a youngster who did the writing.   

I would have been able to do better but another image from the cubicles kept intruding.  A lady who didn't look much older than me was ushered into the cubicle area and asked to remove all clothing down to the waist.  She became quite agitated, protesting that she would do no such thing and then asking what was going on, who was this person who was suggesting such an outrage?  Two days later I still have these two memories flitting around in my head.  I find the thought of that older lady quite distressing.  I hope if ever I suffer a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with my being able to go for an x-ray on my own that I can be as dignified as she was. 

And to ease the thought of any such horror that may be in my future I picture myself picking up a pencil and writing on the wall.  

Sunday 4 January 2015

Road trip to Wellington

I mentioned the other day that I'd had a road trip to Wellington with my daughter and little grandson.  Justine is a confident driver and is reasonably familiar with Wellington roads but we were still thankful for the GPS to help us find our way into the inner city.  How did we manage before this techno wizard?  I know mine gave me a new lease on life when it comes to venturing into new territories.



While there we met up with my other grandson, the 21 year old student.  They adore each other these two boys and I just love to see them together.



I'm not a city person but I do like Wellington.  We were out and about in the evening when there weren't many people around despite it being just a few days before Christmas.


You know me, always like to see a good church and on our way to dinner we passed the beautiful Sub Marinae Nomine.  It was built in 1922 but is now closed for seismic strengthening after a 6.5 magnitude earthquake in July 2013.  I might even get back one day to see inside when the work is completed.

 

And the next morning I actually enjoyed sitting at a bus stop while the young walked several blocks to do some shopping. 


Traffic was light, there were just enough people around to give me something to watch.  No big city hustle and bustle.


 

On the way south I'd managed to get a photo of a small herd of Belted Galloways which I thought would get me points with Georgia as last time we discussed favourite cattle they were at the top of her list.  Fail.  She wasn't at all impressed and informed me ordinary Galloways are much better.  Maybe next time I'll do better.