A wet weather drive

Yesterday the rain bucketed down.  Not all day, just in intermittent downpours. The day started with a rainbow.  Change that to my day because it was well under way when, as I was making my bed, a rainbow caught my eye.  I guessed from the dark cloud behind it that a bit of rain might be on its way. 

Rather than sit inside all day and probably feel cold and miserable I decided to take a drive to see how much water was pouring down the side of the mountain and check out the roadside waterfall just up the road a bit.

Every crease in the hills was streaming.

 Between downpours it was drizzling, so all these photos were taken through the car window. 

Further from home, closer to Tangiteroria, the upper reaches of the Northern Wairoa River was just keeping within its banks and not by much. 

And here's my shot of the day.  Nothing at all to do with what I set out to see.  Isn't he beautiful?  Both of them are but I found the big fella closest to the road to be the most impressive.  He didn't move an inch when I stopped opposite him, just placidly gazed at me with what I fancifully thought to be a soulful expression. 

FSO Water/Lakes/Streams

This week I am staying really close to home.  We don’t have a lake but we do have our lovely little stream with many moods.

Although in places where the water is deep, it can take on the appearance of a small lake:

In summer it sparkles as it rushes over rocks:

It’s a magical place for children and dogs to explore:

In places, up the mountain, close to its source, beautiful ferns line its banks:



Late last summer, when we were in the grips of a drought, it became choked with weeds:

Then the rains came, and the bridge to somewhere:



Became the bridge to nowhere:

Murky floodwater spread from the creek across the farmland:

But even before the floodwater recedes, when the blue skies returns, occasionally you catch it in a reflective mood.  It always seems to me that this is when Mother Nature takes a deep sigh, having spent her forces, and rewards us with beauty to compensate for the damage done.   (I admit it is a bit harder for the farmer to be so appreciative!)

And after the rain we find lovely little waterfalls:

I love this stream in all it’s moods, there is always something to delight the senses.

Hope you enjoyed your visit to "the creek".  Thanks to Nicole Howard for the topic.

If you'd like see some amazing photos of Water, Lakes and Streams, just head over here.

Waterfall Adventures

"Do you know what farmer lives here", asked Georgia as we stopped on the side of the road to look at the water rushing down out of the hills. I didn't and wondered vaguely why she'd want to know.

"Well, can you find out?"

Gaining interest, knowing when a story is coming my way, I asked was it important.

"Yes, we need to find out the name of the farmer who lives here. Then Daddy can ring him up and ask him can we play in his creek. " (I notice that her dad gets the really important jobs to do.)

"This is the best creek I've ever seen. It could be the best creek in the whole world.

We could climb way up there to the top of the gully,


Then scoot down with the water.


(Her imagination starts to kick in....)
We could fly out over that waterfall,


swish through that culvert, drop out the other side


and scoot on down the creek

to wherever it goes."

Adventure indeed! I didn't have to enquire who "we" were. I just know it would be her and me; you have no idea the feats that child thinks I'm capable of. As I climbed ever so carefully down over a bank to get closer to the bottom of the little water fall I move like a lady my age, a bit cautiously and paying attention to where I put my feet. The child sees an intrepid explorer fighting her way fearlessly through the jungle.

I admit I don't do much to discourage her flights of fancy!