Spectacular Footage of a snow plough Train

Geoff Mackley has a website that will show you some videos literally out of this world. You can see them at www.geoffmackley.com
Thank you Geoff for permission to load this onto my blog,
The following video, shot by him, was taken  when the snow plough train was clearing the railway lines from Christchurch to  Arthur’s Pass.  I wondered, how did the train stay  on the rails? When the plume of snow was so high how did the driver see ahead, and does this have to be done most winter seasons ? I have found I need to double click to open,and please ignore the ad at the bottom. Do other countries have these snow plough trains? I had no idea they were in NZ.

Snow Plough working near Arthur’s Pass in the South Island, New Zealand. Courtesy of Geoff Mackley

Photo courtesy of the internet.

  This snowfall was quite heavy, and is at the start of our winter season. Happy days for the ski fields, which will be opening earlier than previous years.

Quotation of the day,  author unknown

“ The snow fell silently all night,and covered everything in glorious white”’

Cheers from Jean

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6acPX_00M9Q&feature=player_detailpage

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Sunset Colours

Tonight the sunset showed through the trees, with stunning colours.This lasted for a very short time, beauty was there for all to see.


Toetoe, New Zealand’s largest native grass, photo courtesy of the Internet.

Yesterday the digger arrived at 8 a.m. and the  Toetoe  plants were dug out, the ground levelled, and the fronds, leaves  and stumps taken away. Along the fence line,  there are daffodil bulbs showing through, in a few places. These were planted by Hugh’s Dad in 2003. The next job on the list was to dig out some huge stumps, left over when  trees were felled, or ones that were blown down in a gale.Then  some trees were felled, and by the end of next week should be sawed up, split, and thrown in a huge heap, ready for next year’s fires.

The fast frame mode made  taking this series of photos so much easier. Hugh cut the trunk with his chainsaw, stood back, and slowly the tree fell.So many years to grow, a minute to cut, and seconds to fall to the ground.

One final photo taken one minute  after the two at the top of the post , and  those colours had already started to fade, and by the time I walked inside,  the sky was grey, and slowly turned to darkness.

Quotation of the day, from Minnie Aumonier

“ There is always music amongst the trees in the Garden,

but our hearts must be  very quiet to hear it”

Cheers from Jean

Clouds cover our Sky

The Transit of Venus occurred on 6th June 2012. This is a once in a lifetime event, occurring  in pairs every 125 years. The last transit was in 2004, but not visible in New Zealand.Photographers waited patiently, lenses covered with protective glass, viewers,with eyes also protected,gathered in groups. I waited, welder’s #11 glass ready to cover the camera lens. The cloud arrived, and stayed. This photo is courtesy of the Internet, taken  by NASA’s  Solar Dynamics Observatory, there is  also a video which is public domain and can be downloaded.
 
Late in the afternoon, the birds were flitting around this tree,this one perched for a very short time.


While we were at Piropiro Flats, we met John, from Taupo Bay.He emailed me his own photo, taken at another hunting area, complete with a deer hanging over his shoulder. His other photos show Rita waiting by John’s pack, her bright orange collar is so she will be seen in the bush.His email read” I must say you look  a real  lady on your blog,not like the bush bunny I met down there. LOL “ So there is a photo of “ A Bush Bunny” the small rabbit came out of the bush  each afternoon, and was not in a hurry to run away. Considering the cold mornings, chilly nights, at least 3 layers , with  Merino, warm fleece, a Gore-Tex coat over all this, fleece hat and gloves, how did  John recognise me in the other photo??? Thanks John for your photos.

Quotation of the day, from Samuel Johnson

“ He that will enjoy the brightness of sunshine, must quit the coolness of the shade”

Cheers from Jean

Clouds cover the moon

The partial eclipse of the moon was not given much publicity. Leanne,  thanks so much for putting this on your blog, otherwise I would not have known to look out last night.
I waited patiently, camera set up for night photos, Hugh’s tripod in use, but there was so much cloud. Before the eclipse there were some clear patches, but gradually more cloud covered this event.I began taking photos about 7.30 p.m. and the last one here was taken at 10.26 p.m. After that more cloud obscured most of the moon.

This was a partial eclipse, and was seen very clearly in the Northern Hemisphere. Some stunning photos on the internet, no doubt those photos taken with super telephoto lenses, and by professional photographers. I hope on Wednesday, with Hugh’s welding helmet in place, to get photos of the Transit of Venus.
The best of the sale buys were these bulbs. I love Dutch Iris flowers, and hope I can find some more of the same stunning colour.

Quotation of the day, from Walter de la Mare

“Slowly, silently, now the moon

Walks the night in her silver shoon”

Cheers from Jean

Flowers and Palm Trees

Today after some bargain shopping( There are Queen’s Birthday Sales in so many shops) we visited  the Palmerston North Rose Gardens .  The Phoenix Palms are impressive  They stand tall, and have large trunks.

Nearby is a huge Ginkgo  Miloba , or Maidenhair Tree, China

The golden leaves shone in the pale sunlight.



Inside the Conservatory flowers bloomed in the moist warm atmosphere
The Anthurium had many flowers, and the next flower was hanging down from a fine stem.

The Orchid showed off the beautiful blooms.
 
My favourite was the Cattleya Persian Sapphire. I found it difficult to get a photo without background greenery of other plants, but the delicate mauve was beauty indeed.

Outside the ducks walked through the flower beds, quite tame, and not in any hurry to move away.

There were families, grandparents with the younger ones, a miniature train making many runs along the narrow gauge tracks.
Hugh lit the small gas stove and we had lunch alongside the huge palm trees. Golden leaves on the ground, children laughing, couples enjoying a day out together, ladies riding their bicycles  along a road where traffic went at a safe slower pace. Nature in its own beauty all around.

Quotation of the day, from John Donne,

“No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace,

as I have seen in one autumnal face”

Cheers from Jean

The Month of June

Congratulations to Kathy and Frances, and thanks so much for adding yourselves to my member list   Kathy I have replied to you,   Frances, I had problems getting a link, if you email me( email address on my profile ) I can reply.
 Some archive photos from June in other years.
A Monarch Butterfly on the flowering Wintersweet Tree, June 1st 2011.

Poppy on the clothesline post , June 1st 2011

Hugh and Kaz went up the track on the Ruahine Range, on June 1st, 2011.
This track also goes  to the wind farm there, so the workmen can do maintenance on the wind turbines.  There were many cyclists on the track that day.

On  the other side of the Manawatu Gorge, there is an observation area, and you can drive to this place. The blades look like graceful ballet dancer’s arms, and some have 2, some have 3 blades.The blades have lengths of 23.5 metres, and the larger turbines have    3 blades of 45 metres in length . They have a constant speed of 29 revolutions per minute. They can be stopped ( is the correct term feathered ?) for repairs or replacement if needed.This close up  is taken under one of the  Wind Turbines at Te Apiti wind farm, North of the Manawatu Gorge.

Morning sky in June 2011. Looking to the East.

Quotation of the day from Rishika

“ Morning is not only Sun Rise but a beautiful miracle of Nature

that defeats Darkness and spreads Light”

Cheers from Jean

The Darling Clouds of May

Clouds to the North, in the late afternoon.

Southerly view


looking East, they seemed to have those wonderful colours
whichever way I looked.

In the West, mostly blue sky.

Poppy has been upgraded, if I can call it that. to no bandage, but a cone round her neck. This is to stop her licking the raw patch on her leg. We are hoping for better days very soon. Her favourite spot is on top of my scraps basket, with a cushion  cover on top. I juggle the machine, laptop, basket and cutting board making sure the scissors, cutter and pins are out of her way.

Remembering all those lost at Qatar, a quotation  from Kahlil Gibran

“ When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth

you are weeping for that which has been your delight”

Jean