Friday, August 31, 2012

The First Day of Spring

In this hemisphere, September 1st is the official beginning of Spring.

It wasn't raining, for once, so of course Manu LeGrand and I headed to a beach for our walk.
When we got back, I walked around the garden looking for spring signs.


Tuesday, August 28, 2012

TP 210: ///////

Thematic Photographic is running along parallel lines this week over at Carmi's - see more there.

I've got parallels, some natural, some unnatural natural, and some man-made. Hope you like them.

Glowering skies over a line of trees, somewhere near Dunedin:



Arrowtown:



Are you sure they don't meet at the horizon?



In the grounds of Larnach Castle:



Dunedin railway station:



A quick flit over the ditch*; treetop walkway near Melbourne:


And what you're walking over:




Back to New Zealand. Art gallery ceiling:



and for the bird-lovers amongst us, some cranes:



Can't wait for some fine, warm weather so I can get out and take some photos!!!

* the ditch = New Zealand/Australian slang for the Tasman Sea, which divides the two countries

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Rear views

Late as usual...

Here are my "taken from behind" pics for TP 209:

Changing the guard at Ataturk's Mausoleum.
Ankara, Turkey.


 Kids messing about at the harbour. Tauranga, New Zealand.



 A boy and his dog:



A favourite photo of my grandaughter, aged about 18 months:

 


My son walks ahead of me down an alley in Barcelona:
 

Thursday, August 16, 2012

The Last Porridge

I love breakfast. I have total confidence in those experts* who tell us that it is the 
most important meal of the day.

Unless I'm staying somewhere or travelling, I am very unadventuruous about what I eat for breakfast. 
In spring, summer and autumn it is always natural, untoasted muesli with fat-free yoghurt, 
and fresh blueberries when they come into season. 
In winter it is always porridge, with (frozen) blueberries and yoghurt - warming, filling and satisfying.



The time comes,towards the end of August, when I begin to feel that I've had 
enough porridge to last me until next winter. 
It is a substantial dish, and it takes longer to prepare, 
microwave notwithstanding. 

This week I decided not to buy a new packet of porridge oats, 
and instead put muesli on the shopping list.

So, this is the last porridge of the season - I guess it's the beginning of saying goodbye to winter!



What foods delineate the seasons for you?


* Without 'experts', how would we know what to eat, wear, drive, think, how to live??



Tuesday, August 14, 2012

TP 208: Grey

This week's theme immediately made me think of Melbourne, Australia. 
I spent a grey 10 days there in October 2010. 
It was early spring, and although we had some sunny days, most were not.

Head on over to Written Inc for some more grey pictures.


St Kilda Beach

Shrine of Remembrance

Grey harbour

Old grey sailing ship

The Yarra River

Yarra, with grey bridge and grey water

Have a sunny blue day today, everyone!

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Sunday Snapshot

For my Sunday Snapshots I look for  pictures I like, 
but which I haven't posted before.

These are from a road-trip in October last year -
a keen dogwalker doesn't let a brisk, cold westerly wind stop her:


 And the kitesurfer makes the most of it...

New Plymouth beach, Taranaki.
(click to enlarge)

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Sunday Snapshot

Lake Dunstan, Central Otago. April 2012.

I caught this glimpse into a couple's life together - she fishes, 
he sits reading, or thinking...


 
"I hold this to be the highest task for a bond between two people: 
that each protects the solitude of the other."
~ Rainer Maria Rilke

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Cloudy, the sequel

I couldn't resist posting a few more cloud pics for TP 206.
These are all from my April road trip, on a
cool and moody autumn day near Franz Josef glacier.




When I visited this lagoon at Okarito, I didn't see
one other person, although there were cottages
near the beach.




Then a stop at Lake Mahinapua, which brought back
memories of another life...


I hope you all have a cloudlessly happy Friday tomorrow.

Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, 
but to add color to my sunset sky.
~ Rabindranath Tagore