362: homegrown salad

 

I have a friend who is not only a superb cook, she is also a wonderful gardener. Most of the veges in this salad have come from her own garden. Fresh and delicious!

313: shell collection

... a little collection of shells in the spare bedroom for visitors....
(Yes, another indoor shot. It's been grey outside for too many days!)

298: back to normal

The excitement of the Rugby World Cup has finished- the relaxation of the holidays is over- it's back to 'normal' today. But I have some nice bits and pieces to make a sandwich for lunch...

220: cosy bedroom

It's taken a wee while for all the current advertising about keeping homes warmer to sink into my brain- but finally my bedroom has lost its winter 'fridge' feeling. A friend helped me install this econo-heater on the weekend. So cosy now, it's a wonder I got to work on time this morning....

135: Mugs

Just as well I did some 'outdoor' things yesterday, as today has turned into an 'indoor' day- just right for a hot chocolate. I have an 'eclectic' collection of mugs perfect for such a thing as you can see- none of this minimalist white for me. Several were bought in Nelson on holiday. Some were gifts, including a couple given to me when I 'left' my old school. (Do I hear the sound of a boomerang swishing through the air?) And the front one with the cabbage tree on it was bought in Christchurch in January, when the pottery people were just recovering from the September earthquake.

April Selection

I am aware that quite a few of my readers have opposite seasons to the ones we have here in the Southern Hemisphere. As you have been greeting the emergence of spring from your sometimes very cold snowy winters, we have been watching autumn take hold. Here is just a random selection from this past April, our autumn.

This first picture shows the Pacific Monarch, a sculpture by local artist Paul Dibble, outside Te Manawa, the local art gallery. Yes, there is also a big bug on the wall of the gallery, but not a real one. The bicycle in the bike stand is mine: I have become quite confident back on the bike again.

Next photo is at a friend's house. I was helping to get a photo slideshow ready for a 21st birthday and got distracted by the laundry hanging outside... but you can see the autumn tree in behind... (You think taking laundry shots is weird? I think friends and family are getting used to me taking shots in their kitchens!)

At the Esplanade autumn is making its mark, and this couple are enjoying a walk through this arcade of trees where the leaves are changing colour and starting to fall.

 There were still plenty of colourful flowers in the Esplanade though, and sometimes where the light fell in gaps in the trees, the flowers greeted the sunlight in profusion.

This next river shot was taken on Sunday 24th, when everything was calm and sunny, and there was lots of gravel at the river's edge for families to wander on and for dogs to play on.

Just four days later the river presented a very different mood. After a couple of days rain, the river was flowing very full and swiftly. There was no gravel spot left to play on for the time being...

Just a few days later though and blue skies have returned. Here is the clocktower in the Square showing off the blue skies quite nicely!

 

And just because I like to be a bit on the quirky side sometimes... I'll finish with reflections as seen this morning in some glass windows beside the Square....

117: little treasures

Little treasures collected on various walks.
And yes, it's still raining and cold outside... hence a 'still-life'. You'll know what's in my whole house by the time winter is over :-)

108: kitchen interior

I must admit to some trepidation about doing Project 365 through the winter, when I leave home in the dark and return home in the dark.... but as a friend said yesterday, I could see it as a great opportunity to practise taking 'still life' photos. So as the day is wet, cold and miserable here today, like a winter's day, the photo is a 'still life' of fruit on a friend's kitchen bench.

I guess this is as good a time as any to warn friends and family of the possible inclusion on this blog of still life shots from their houses over the winter..... We will soon get bored if it is all interior shots from my place :-)

65: Home Kritters

Arohanui, Jane Rag Doll, and Sydney Bridge Bear

It's a bit of a drizzly/rainy indoors today, so it's time to introduce you to the Home Kritters. Mostly they live together on the couch. Firstborn was Jane, who came to me as part of a 'baby goods' raffle prize at a St Mary's School gala day quite some years ago. I gave the rest of the prize away, but I had wanted a rag doll forever, since I was a little girl, and Jane became a much loved part of the household. 

Next to arrive in the family was Sydney Bridge Bear. He came after I spent a huge amount of money as a Proper Tourist in Sydney, and went on the Harbour Bridge Climb, which fortunately wasn't as hard or scary as you might expect. We had to wear these grey bodysuits so as not to distract the traffic, and you see that Sydney wears his own one. 

Last one to join the family was Arohanui. She was knitted and made with love by an elderly lady, raising funds on a market stall for the local Arohanui Hospice. Hence her name. She sometimes goes with me on expeditions out walking or cycling or even driving. So look out for her again!

41: blackberries

 

Blackberries for breakfast...    blackberries for dessert...    

blackberries to give away.......   blackberries to freeze....

the fruits of the untamed jungle in my back garden!

37: Shampoo

OK I thought, if this is going to be yet another dull grey cloudy day, with drizzle in the offing, I am going to take an indoor domestic shot. The colours in the shampoo bottles caught my eye, so here you are..
Funny thing was, as soon as I started downloading the shots to the computer, the sun came out and started shining. I had almost forgotten what sunshine looked like these past few days.

19: Neighbour's cat in the shade

I don't have a cat of my own. I tend to be too nomadic. I also want to enhance the survival rates of the native birds that visit my garden. But the neighbour's cats don't know that, and have worked out their own visiting arrangements.

Neighbour's cat in a shady spot in my back garden aka the jungle

This cat is one of my most frequent visitors and has lots of favourite places to laze around in- some of them provide shade, and others shelter from the wind or rain.

11: Glass ornaments

Glass vases

My friends have some very beautiful glass ornaments of various kinds. I loved the way the light gently touched these two vases, and the way their colour matched that of the flax outside.

Taken 2.32pm 11.01.2011;      Canon PowerShot SX20 IS

Shutter: 1/640    Aperture: f/3.2     Focal length: 7.6mm      ISO:125

Christchurch and Darfield

I had a few days in Christchurch before it was time to head home to the North Island. I must admit to some nervousness about this, as my local friends and family were clearly anxious about aftershocks still happening after the major 7.1 earthquake centred near Darfield.

I headed off downtown to see the sights and the Ron Mueck exhibition that my friends had recommended. There was a building being demolished beside the carpark I found.

But the city has done very well clearing up so much of the damage from the earthquake. Roads have been patched, and many dangerous buildings have been demolished and removed. In a few places in town you could see where buildings had been 'propped up' pending repairs, and on this historic building someone had taken advantage of the props to install some sculpture.

 After seeing the damage in the Akaroa cemetery, I decided that I wanted to check out the group of four family headstones in the Darfield Catholic cemetery in case they were in need of repair, and I must admit I was expecting to see some damage. However, despite being only kilometres away from the eathquake epicentre, I could see as soon as I reached the gate, that they were fine.

Yes, my great-grandmother was only 29 when she died, as many did at the time, of 'consumption'.

 I drove home via what was the family land at Charing Cross, where my great-grandfather used to run sheep.  This year the present-day farmer has planted crops here to feed the sheep over summer, as this land gets very dry. The epicentre of the earthquake lies very close to this old family land.

I returned to my friends' house. I love some of the glass and pottery ornaments they have in their home, and took some time to photograph a few bits and pieces. Soon it was time for farewells, but not before a party was held. Usually I keep 'people' private and out of this blog, but in this case I will make an exception for an exceptional event. It was the eleventh birthday of the eleventh grandchild, on a date filled with 1s. So the camera had to be switched to mark the date on each shot!

Christmas Day- Celebration

I spent Christmas Day with friends. No people photos, but here are a few photos that show our lovely celebration meal.

Cordyline australis

Well, my exam for 'Flora of NZ' looms at the end of the week, so of necessity I am largely confined indoors on this public holiday. But hanging out the laundry this morning in the backyard, I noticed a prominent display of NZ flora- the endemic Cordyline australis - the native 'cabbage tree'- is coming well into bloom...... gorgeous against a blue sky!

Odd Spot

 

Wonderfully, I am starting to do a few more 'normal' things again. On the weekend I even did a little bit of slow, careful gardening- great therapy for my hand the physio tells me. In the process of getting some compost out of the compost heap, I discovered why I always seemed to need to buy new vege peelers......

Random Kitchen Stuff

Oh My Goodness. Now that I am out of FB, I have time for other mischief. This might have been my next random fb photo album..... "random kitchen pics"..... But is it art?
First two pics are from my sister M's kitchen. Hubby is a great cook, who likes to cook for others, so all kinds of unexpected bits and pieces can be found there, and work is often 'in progress' when I visit.
Next two photos are from Christmas lunch and Boxing Day breakfast in Havelock North. My b-i-l 'inherited' his love for cooking from his mother.
My friend M in Chch has all sorts of interesting wee treasures in her house.
I was 'helping' get ready for a party, but got distracted by these glasses...
And just to finish..... my other friend T in Chch had brunch for her 50th last week... and here were some of the 'doings' ready and waiting for guests to arrive...
My resolution.... 'next time' I walk a Chemin/Camino..... I am going to take more food pics!!!

And beware... coming soon to you another day...more random kitchen pics.... You'll all be wishing I would rejoin facebook sometime soon....