Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Thematic Photographic 187: Watery

Water: my favourite subject!
How to choose? I may have to do a daily post on this theme until it changes.  
(Well, I would if I wasn't teaching full time, and in the throes of moving house...)

Wind-surfing, Taranaki
 
Surfers, Opunake

After the storm, Waihi Beach

More posts on this theme at Written.Inc

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Changes


I mentioned some time ago that we had sold our house and were having to prepare to move. Well, everything went through, the process has processed, and we will be moving out of here on the 24th of March (gasp) - 2 weeks from yesterday.

“All great changes are preceded by chaos.” ~ Deepak Chopra

Ever since we signed the bits of paper we have been packing, sorting, cleaning, throwing out. We have been in this house for 24 years. And we both have the hoarding gene.


Inevitably, there is to be a yard sale (here, it's called a garage sale). Next Saturday. Some things are just too good to send to the rubbish dump, and we'd like to make a little money,  Already I'm panicking; do you put prices on stuff? or just signs that say 'Make an offer'? I've never been to one of these occasions. 


Apparently people turn up at the crack of dawn, or earlier - and I've heard dark stories of subsequent burglaries, after the potential junk-buyers have cased the joint.

We haven't been able to find a house we like enough to buy, so we are renting one while we go about buying a section (= lot) and building a house. 
Guess how much fun that's going to be?

"Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied 
by drawbacks and discomforts"
~ Arnold Bennett

Changes are not just affecting us. Our daughter and son-in-law are preparing to move to Australia, taking with them our two beautiful grandchildren, aged 3 and 1. Guess I'm going to have to save those air points!


I'll keep y'all posted ...

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Thematic Photographic 186: Past Its Prime

I have always wanted to do a trip which follows the ancient Silk Road route(s). I will do it one day. In the meantime, I have to make do with photos I took 2 years ago at the site of a Caravanserai in central Turkey. This place was certainly Past its Prime, but that only added to its appeal. When I look at these I can feel the heat, hear the insects, smell the Turkish tobacco the attendant was smoking:






For more posts on this theme, visit Carmi's blog at Written Inc

Friday, March 2, 2012

The summer that never was

In this part of the world, March 1st  marks the end of summer. 
It's the first day of autumn, of fall. 

This morning's sunrise

Normally by now we've pretty much had enough of the heat, the dryness, the long 
summer sunburnt days, and we're pleased to welcome the onset of cooler nights 
and crisp, beautiful mornings.

Not this year. 
This has been THE WORST SUMMER EVER. 
In fact, it never really was summer at all. 
You could count the number of really hot days on one hand. The rest of the time 
it has been wet, windy and almost, at times, cold. I love heat, and hate 
cold weather, so I am definitely feeling short-changed.
Grumpy, even.


I should hasten to add that it has only been like this over two-thirds of the country; 
the southern half of the South Island had a beautiful hot summer. 
I'm movin'!

The news from the northern hemisphere is that there have been 
milder-than-normal winters in many areas. Go figure.


I hope you all have a lovely spring.
sigh