A Magical Sunrise

No time to get dressed, adjust settings or walk down the street to get a better photo without trees shadowing that wonderful colour. 2 photos, now, decision time,  will I walk  very quickly  and get better ones? YES, get dressed, look to the East, and the colour has faded to an insignificant grey. Nature delights us with these colours, stunning in their short  display,   and  tomorrow may show us the same all over again.

Quotation of the day,

“ Red sky at night, sailors’ delight; Red sky at morning, sailors’ warning “

Cheers from Jean.

A Blue Moon for my Dad

This September we have TWO full moons, and last night I waited to get the perfect photo, but was not outside  at the perfect moment. This was taken some time ago,with my older Canon, a 'something ' that  does resemble  a “  Blue Moon”.
With Father’s Day here, thoughts turn to all Fathers, those with us, those far away. and those who are gone, remembered always with love and many fond memories.A few photos from over the years,  some  black& white oldies.
Mum,Dad and me, my Grandma, Auntie Jean and Uncle Merv and cousin Ann, Christmas 1941

Building the new hay barn on the farm at TeHihi, in the 1950’s

Trout fishing at Lake Rerewhakaaitu.

Together at Lake Tarawera

My Dad, Eric Appleby on the left, Hugh’s dad Neil on the right, a very successful day on Lake Tarawera.

I cannot remember  all the lines, but this is part of one of my Dad’s favourite sayings, so today I leave  you these thoughts,

Quotation of the day from My Dad.

“ Sit on a log and think of me, if a log you cannot find,

well, just  jog alone and never mind”

Fond greetings to all from Jean

Shadows and Leaky Gumboots

Morning shadow from the English Elm Tree.

Afternoon shadows, as I left all the outside work until tomorrow. Gumboots started to leak, a very small amount of perishing on each outside ankle area. No wonder my feet were so cold, as I stood in the pond and placed stones at strategic places, on the liner.Progress is going well, far better than the spring cleaning.Photos to come when finished.

Hoop petticoat daffodils, these flower more each year, a gift  from a friend when we both lived near Katikati. The leaf is an  Alchemilla Mollis, (also a gift from a friend who now lives in Palmerston North,)  or Lady’s Mantle. We had a brief shower, in the very early morning, and the raindrops lingered.

Quotation of the day from  Thomas A Edison

“Opportunity is missed by most people

because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work”

Cheers from Jean

A Learning Curve

Night Sky, taken high in the hills above the Central Plateau in the North Island,New Zealand.
Here it is, my name on my photo, thanks to Jim at Ocean Breezes. in Nova Scotia. Picasa made it so easy, after many hours of trying with PSE7, GIMP ( I gave up on this one) and others. Last year I detailed the quilters’ guide to spring cleaning.This year it will be “ Goldfish pond repairs and maintenance” and photos will follow when the week is over. Many hours with bucket, waterproof pants, emptying out the last water, and then the ‘SMELLY SLUDGE”. Needless to say, the working clothes get hosed off, rinsed again, then into the washing machine each night. Did our pioneer ladies do this all by hand,  chop the wood, light the copper, use a hand wringer??? I remember a copper, concrete twin  tubs and a hand wringer similar to  these  when I was  a child, at TeHihi, South Auckland. Light the copper, bucket the water to a concrete tub, the whites had a second rinse in cold water,that had a “ Blue Bag” dipped into the water to make sure the “ whites were white”. Dad cut the bigger wood, my Mum had a wonderful little hatchet, perfect for cutting the kindling.Today I can rinse them off, put them in the machine, hot water on tap,  and walk away.Have all these wonderful appliances made us soft, or do we really need them as we cope with modern day life and all its business???

Quotation of the day, a Chinese Proverb

“Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere”

Cheers from Jean

Camera Fun

I have joined a Photography site called “ The Ugly Hedgehog” and along with forums, buy and sell, chit chat, and all else, there are so many who offer suggestions to us who ask. One person wanted to know how to make a photo into a sphere, and here is my Tibouchina flower. The original photo is edited, with Photoshop Elements, or another photo processing program, distorted, polarised etc. and bingo!!! there is the new image.

Here is Josh, I was on the bank above and he was in the Tutaenui Stream.  I like the “mother-of-pearl” effect.

My next challenge is to finish a wall hanging, 2 bags, one quilt, several other things that need sewing up, mending or finishing. The garden needs planting, weeding,, not in that order!!! and the pond will undergo “repairs and maintenance’”this week .After that, if I have any energy left, I want to learn how to make a watermark and insert it on my photos. I do not for a minute think they would be worth anyone copying and using as their own,  but I  know so many of us do have our name, logo or other words on the photos, so I might as well try to do it .More grey hairs and worry lines by the sound of it.

Quotation of the day,  from Karl Heiner

“Life is like a good black and white photograph,
there’s black, there’s white, and  lots of shades in between”

Cheers from Jean

A Few of My Favourite Vases

During World War 2, vases were not allowed to be imported , ( or was it exported ) to New Zealand,  so I was told many years ago.  The importers managed to find a new way, and jugs that had handles,but were in fact more like a vase, came safely into our country.I have the vases that were my Mum’s and I can remember them filled with snowdrops in the winter, and Chinese Lantern flowers ( Abuliton) in the summer. Today I have filled these vases with the daffodils that have drooped in the rain and wind.

I have tried to capture a single bloom,and in the second photo did some Photoshop alterations.



In 2002, Mayumi lived with us for the whole year, and I tried to explain to her the poem “ I wandered lonely as a cloud” when our garden was full of these daffodil blooms.Mayumi always marvelled at the stars, they seemed to her  to be so much brighter than when seen from her home in Japan. This time last year we welcomed her back for a short stay, and it snowed.This was taken at Wellington Airport, after we had wiped away the tears of happiness. August 2011.

Quotation of the day, from  William Wordsworth,

“ And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils”

Cheers from Jean

My Blog Was Disabled

Yesterday I went to log in, and got the dreaded message “ Your account has been disabled”, and after some searching, discovered this could be for any number of reasons, the most likely was extra activity on my site. So after more looking, found out I had to send my phone number to Google, they emailed me a code, enter this and BINGO, back in action. But now I see I am a member of my own blog!!! When all runs smoothly, the Internet is a dream, but when it goes wrong, a nightmare come true.All clip art courtesy of the Internet.

The Tararua Forest Park, where we were yesterday, is 116,535 hectares in size, the largest conservation park in the  North Island that is managed by the Department of Conservation. There are many huts, tramping tracks, camping areas, and dense  bush, tall trees and wildlife for all to enjoy. Field Hut, 2.5 hours from where we were, was built in 1924, the first photo was taken in 1930, the other more recently.

Mt Holdsworth, 1475metres high,  is one one of the tramping tracks,, but in winter conditions can be dangerous, Freezing temperatures, blizzard winds, and fog.The trig stands out, with some snow  still hanging onto the wood.All  these Tararua Forest Park photos courtesy of the Internet.

Quotation of the day,  author unknown

“ The human spirit needs  places where nature

 has not been rearranged by the hand of man”

Cheers from Jean