Friday My Town Shoot Out - Outdoor Food

Girlichef - Indiana really got me thinking a lot about this topic. "Outdoor food" - is that food that is eaten outside? And therefore photos of food? I thought photos of people taking their food outdoors would be easier. But is that cheating? Or maybe just me being too literal.

See, here is a photo of a picnic by the creek.
You can't actually see any food but you can see that Pam is eating.

and a young family eating their food outdoors:

I came upon the remains of what someone packed for their outdoors lunch:

Whereas this, to me, is literally outdoor food:

we have lots of this stuff:

or this - a crop of maize grown to feed the cows. They look like they are enjoying it:

or food made especially for dogs:

Some outdoor food has to be shared with other outdoor creatures:

and we all need some garnish on our food:

This might be closer to what is expected:

Strolling ladies with icecreams

Our typical outdoor food


My mate, Marty - famous for his smoked eels

But before the eating comes the gathering of food:

Mud crabbing

fishing

Some wait outdoors for their food:

Sometimes you have to compete for food outdoors:

Plenty of outdoor food and food outdoors here - and all of it for me??

I dunno. I'm still confused! But it was fun anyway! :)

They are ducks!

Yesterday, as I was driving home from the Arts Festival in Whangarei, a lovely day turned into one of those afternoons when the air is soft and the late afternoon sun captures shapes and hollows in the landscape that we often miss. I come around a corner and see this view every day but yesterday every poplar seemed to stand out.

Ahead is the little village of Maungakaramea which I pass through every day.

But on this day the hills can be seen between the township and cellphone tower (on the steepest hill in the background, you can just see it). This is the same tower that you can see above in my header, but from a different angle. You have to drive another 20 mins to get to my place.

Looking further to the right, this one of my favourite views on my daily drive. I love this uppity, downity range. It may not be precise English, but doesn't it look uppity, downity to you?

And now, we are coming to the highlight of my drive home. Remember I spotted what I was pretty sure was ducks last week? Not far from the spot where I saw them last, there is a little bridge. Yesterday I went over the bridge and saw them in the muddy water below! I stopped and pulled over as soon as I could, probably around 50 metres from the bridge. Now, I thought, how do I get back there and get a photo without scaring them off? Ah ha! Now this is commitment to a cause, the cause in this case being my determination to determine whether they are ducks or geese (I'm having a bit of fun with words here!).

Anyway, to demonstrate my commitment, I took off my shoes and in my socks I crept back up the road. Thank heavens, no neighbours came driving down the road to discover me creeping up on......yeah, right....ducks!

There were two of them paddling around in the creek

and another three sitting on the bank.

I walked back to the car in my socks humming happily, even if my feet were a bit cold.

Further down the road, at what I call Hunter's Corner, the late afternoon sun was still working its magic...

And then, about a km from my house, one last gift of the day.

The last rays of the winter sun.

Mid Winter Arts Festival

Right in the middle of a poxy winter, along comes a really lovely day! The mid winter Gods were smiling on Whangarei today for the Arts Festival.

Last night, having a phone catch up, Chris and I decided to go have a look.

Just had to smile every time we saw Miss Piggy and companion.

We didn't see many children around but I think we weren't looking in the right places as there were a number of activities for them. In a back room we found the "Circus School" where kids, young and old were having lots of fun. I saw a lady my age trying to outdo her granddaughter with a hula hoop but resisted the temptation to take her photo.

We stopped to watch these little people making masks. But what made me get my camera out was a little boy sitting at the same table as these girls. The girls were a picture of concentration and they were creating very pretty, glittery masks. The boy, on the other hand, was so obviously there under sufferance. He had managed a red triangle and a green triangle and was scowling at his creation was if he hated it. Which, in fact, he must have because just as I pulled out my camera, he pushed back his chair and walked away. Taking photos is just like going fishing, the good ones get away!

We found the belly dancers having a break in a quiet room but they leapt to their feet and struck a pose when I asked if I could take their photo. I know - I really do take crappy indoor photos.

We only went to two of the four venues but we were in need of coffee and sustenance, and it was such a lovely day, coolish but not cold and no rain (and there has been sooo much rain) that we headed down to the Town Basin. I had outdoor food on my mind for next week's Shoot Out but, as usual, was easily distracted.

Chris is front of the library as we strolled back to the car.

After we'd eaten we wandered along in the sunshine until we came to the playground. I think the kids were celebrating being outside in the sun, too.

And not just the kids.......

Getting ready for Friday Thursday

Friday My Town Shoot Out - Reflections

Thanks to Audrey for choosing Reflections as this week's theme.

I got off to a rocky start when I set out with my camera and my little grand-daughter last weekend. There'd been a storm overnight. We found lots of fast flowing, murky flood water.

A young bull keeping himself company

Lots of puddles in the paddocks

Then a puddle in the middle of the metal road:

A bit spooky - looks more like a ghost reflection

Gave up for the day, then Georgia drew my attention to her reflection in the car window.

On Tuesday after work I ventured down to the Whangarei Town Basin and, wouldn't you know it, it was windy!

I walked and snapped and walked and snapped, until finally I came to a relatively calm reach in the river

and what I was looking for, a mast shot.

Back at the car park I noticed dark clouds forming, firstly in the back window of the car parked beside me.

Checked in the side window - gotta love those dark tinted windows!

However, there was no rain and that evening the sky was a pretty, soft blue with lots of wispy cloud. I'd given up on reflections by then and went to photograph the sky. To my surprise, at my friend's house, this was the sight in her kitchen window.

I like how the little lights strung along the top of the window inside
look to be sitting along the top of the trees.

On a nicer day I tried the beach:

one bird

two birds

I'm including this last shot just because I like it

A pretty window

Hope you all have a lovely weekend!