113: Samoan Patterns

On Thursday I posted a photo taken in the Square with a piece of sculpture in the foreground, one of 10 sculptures done in andesite for a millennium project.  Today I took a closer look at the sculpture, and found out it was made by a Samoan artist, Johnny Penisula. These patterns are the ones on its base.

112: Mt Stewart Rd

Tonight I visited a friend who lives up along Mt Stewart Rd. This is the late afternoon view from her place. From this spot you can get a vista across to both the Ruahine and Tararua Ranges. And yes, there are far too many wind turbines up there already....

111: city layers

I was in the Square today and took a few shots from around this position. I guess what struck me the most was the 'layers' here- natural and human-made -right back to the glimpse of the ranges in the background. And overarching it all was a sky with clouds that perhaps herald a change in weather for Easter.

109: autumn tree in Square

After awful weather yesterday, the southerly cleared to leave a beautiful sunny morning. And I cycled down to the Square to discover that my favourite autumnal tree was at its glorious best in today's sunlight.

The T-Mobile Royal Wedding

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 :-)

107: night lights

Night lights at Melody's New World, recently modernised and extended...

106: Drum Kit

Preparations have been underway today for my godson's 21st, and I have been doing the paparazzi thing, camera in hand. This random shot is of my godson's brother's drum kit... nothing to do with the party, but I liked the shapes and the lighting...

98: daisy

Daisy in the back garden

inspired by this post by Paul
using the Mary Oliver poem 'Daisies'

97: exquisite beauty

 I know I have posted a photo of a 'partial' dandelion before, but I thought that the tiny raindrops on this one today were just beautiful. Exquisite, like the tiniest of jewels.
(If you click on the photo to enlarge it, you can get a better view of them.)

96: Road sealing

The autumn sun has re-emerged. I had a glorious bike-ride beside the river and took lots of photos. But it is the neighbourhood action, with the men working on the road outside my place, laying down the new surface, that you get to see today.

95: feijoas

 

I woke this morning to a grey drizzly day, hardly one to get enthused over.

But then as I sat at the table to eat breakfast, I noticed the beginnings of fruit on the feijoa tree, just outside the window. Such a simple thing instantly brought a lift in my 'joy' levels!

94: Serious roadworks

I did take a photo earlier this morning of a rose flower with a few raindrops on it- very pretty. But it hasn't made the page, because this afternoon there is major action at my intersection as the surface is renewed. I gather that what they are doing is 'milling'. This large vehicle with the conveyor on the front is grinding up the old surface and then conveying it onto the back of a truck. Other vehicles await to put new seal on, but there are some short showers and bits of drizzle, so I am not sure if they can complete it today or not. Exciting though. I am sure if I had little ones they would rather be watching this than be at school!

93: autumn leaves

Almost overnight, it seems that more deciduous trees are showing autumn colours. 

I love these colours: I hope I don't bore my 'viewers' with too many autumn shades before winter arrives!

Fraction Liquefaction Parody

91: Autumn Leaf

Autumn leaf on the footpath by the Square

fallen from a maple tree that has a dramatic appearance every autumn

90: 2 White Ducks

A friend was up from Dunedin and we took out our cameras together for a photographic stint at the Lagoon today. There was heaps going on. A coot parent was still with a young one, so perhaps that was from a second clutch. Several swans were into some vigorous live action- flapping wings, fluffing up their back feathers, splashing lots of water around. I had never seen such a ruckus from the swans! And we saw a small shag drying itself off on the banks.

But of all the photos I took, I decided on this 'simple' one for this blog. I liked the sharpness of the colour contrast between the brilliant white of the ducks and the dark sheen of the water.

Secret Garden

I recently had some time in New Plymouth, with time to explore my sister's garden, into all the nooks and crannies. What a treasure trove...

There was quite an assortment of bird life, including this pair of pukeko, a duck, and even a kiwi.

 The kiwi was truly endangered: I wanted to pinch it and take it home with me...

There was also testimony in this garden to birds that have flown the coop- with an assortment of old toys lurking around.

 But all those things are relatively 'normal'. You had to be a bit careful walking around, as you never quite knew when you might come across an old shoe or two. It seemed that this particular pair of shoes had a purpose: they marked the spot where a couple of gnomes, with a secret entry door, had made their home.

And there were many more strange things hiding in corners to scare unsuspecting garden visitors: I haven't shared with you such monstrosities as the giant blue lizard on a tree, nor the ferocious crocodile. It came as quite a relief to spy something completely normal: a pile of pegs. 

But just when you relaxed a little, and thought all your troubles were behind you- then suddenly right in front of you stood the Giant Alien.

 

After that it came as no surprise at all to find the makings for this cart, for surely Bilbo Baggins or Frodo must be about to call in soon to acquire some transport for their stay in Middle Earth.

Gentle reader, with all this magic lurking, I have to say I do not imagine the surprises end in this visible part of the garden either: who knows where this ladder might lead? 

 

I think it is time to leave this garden before we are abducted by gnomes or aliens, or eaten by a stray crocodile. But before we can leave, we need to pass by one of the scariest parts of it: the place where its creator hangs out regularly....

Phew. Finally we are safe inside. Well..... I thought we were..... but what's that on that plant? Arrrrggghhhhhh!

88: Fountains

Sunshine on the fountains in the duckpond
in the Square, Palmerston North

87: Te Rewa Rewa Bridge 2

 

This morning I started an early walk from the Te Rewa Rewa Bridge. And today at sunrise the sky was clear instead of black.... and you could see the mountain I was told about yesterday...