The Changing Seasons: March 2017

/ Su Leslie
First light on Mt Ruapehu, Central Plateau, NZ. Image: Su Leslie, 2017

First light on Mt Ruapehu, Central Plateau, NZ. Image: Su Leslie, 2017

I’m being a bit metaphorical with this Changing Seasons post, focusing on my road-trip with the boy-child last weekend.

Since he left home last June, I’ve only seen my child for more than a few hours at a time when he has been ill; in need of that special “mummy” care.

Last weekend we visited his grandfather in Whanganui; a road-trip of around 700km together. While it’s far from the first time we’ve traveled together, it was the first time we could share the driving and the costs. More importantly, as I quickly realised, we also had to share the decision-making.

My son is an adult now and the seasons of our respective lives have changed.

Early morning on the Desert Road, Central Plateau, NZ. Image: Su Leslie, 2017
Early morning on the Desert Road, Central Plateau, NZ. Image: Su Leslie, 2017
Early morning on the Desert Road, Central Plateau, NZ. Image: Su Leslie, 2017
Image: Su Leslie, 2017
Image: Su Leslie, 2017
Leaves suspended in spider web, Mangaweka Dam walkway, Mangaweka, NZ. Image: Su Leslie
Art in nature. Seen beside a bush track; woven harakeke (NZ flax) stems. Image: Su Leslie, 2017
The obligatory hydrangea shot! Image: Su Leslie, 2017
Sunset, New Plymouth. Image: Su Leslie, 2017
Mt Taranaki shrouded in cloud. Seen at Opunake Beach, Taranaki, NZ. Image: Su Leslie, 2017
On the road, Taranaki, NZ. Image: Su Leslie, 2017
Rural NZ. Image: Su Leslie, 2017

His road-trip ended at New Plymouth airport; with a flight back to Auckland and work. Mine involved a few more hours in the car (about half of them in Auckland traffic) — and a chance to get all nostalgic about New Zealand’s beautiful rural hinterland.

Abandoned woolshed, Taranaki, NZ. Image: Su Leslie, 2017
Abandonded farm shed, Taranaki, NZ. Image: Su Leslie, 2017
Grazing livestock, Taranaki, NZ. Image: Su Leslie, 2017
Fields and shelter-belt, Taranaki, NZ. Image: Su Leslie, 2017
Distant shelter-belt, Taranaki, NZ. Image: Su Leslie, 2017

The Changing Seasons is a monthly challenge hosted by Cardinal Guzman. Please visit to see the Cardinal’s month, and find links to other participants.

There are two versions of the challenge:

Version 1 (The Changing Seasons V1):

Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons
Each month, post 5-20 photos in a gallery.
Don’t use photos from your archive. Only new shots.

Version 2 (The Changing Seasons V2):

Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons
Each month, post one photo (recipe, painting, drawing, whatever) that represents your interpretation of the month.
Don’t use archive stuff. Only new material!

45 thoughts on “The Changing Seasons: March 2017”

  4. Time with your adult children is often wonderful and it is so nice to let them make decisions. I love seeing your NZ countryside and the traffic free roads. No where in this country has empty roads.

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  6. I absolutely love your first early morning on the Desert Road picture!! And the suspending leaves! There´s so much art in nature, isn´t there? Always stuns me just to think about it…
    The edits of the rural hinterland are amazing! They look at least over a hundred years old! xxx

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    • Thank you so much Sarah. I love the leaves as well and spent a while photographing them. I realised that the boy and I have completely different photographic styles. He is constantly in search of stark, dramatic landscapes and I am really interested in minutae. But that could be because he’s young and fit and I’m an old crock with a dodgy knee!

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        • I like that Sarah! My surgeon is pretty keen that I try to avoid surgery for as long as possible — and I agree (I totally hate all things medical/surgical, and I know lots of people who have had knee surgery). If it was just about repairing the tear, the procedure would be easier, but with arthritis, it is apparently more complicated. So I’m trying to exercise more, learn to listen to my knee saying (screaming actually) “rest me” and generally be a bit more Zen about the whole thing.

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          • Your surgeon is absolutely right about that! My mum had 3 (!) surgeries in the 90´s because of her tennis elbow – and they didn’t help one bit! Arthritis is horrible! (My mum has it in her fingers now 😦 )
            The only thing that´s supposed to help is exactly what you’re doing: exercise and listen to your body.
            And winter isn´t helping either, is it? My mum always says it´s better in summer…
            Does it help when you´re wearing supporting bandages or something similar? To relieve your knee a bit…
            Wish you a wonderful weekend! 🙂 xxxxxx

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          • Hi Sarah. That’s terrible about your mum. Mine has had spinal surgery and operations on her feet for her arthritis, and she has had lots of problems caused by the surgeries. I am a bit anti-doctor, because (here at least) they seem to only have pharmaceutical solutions to offer. If there isn’t a pill for it, they are just confused.
            I did try a knee support, but found it pretty uncomfortable. The best things I’ve found are resting and hot showers. Lucky for me, I really, really like both of those things!!!
            Hope you have a fantastic weekend with lots of spring sunshine. xxxxxx 🙂

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          • Hi Su! Your mum definitely had had also her share of severe surgeries! On the one hand it is amazing what can be achieved by surgeries in general, on the other it feels like we’re still at the very beginning. Most doctors around here react just like yours. But there also a lot homeopathics to be found.
            Glad that your non-medical treatment works for you! 😄
            Wish you a very lovely Sunday! xxxxxxx 😄

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          • Wow; that’s a lot of variation in temperature. The only place I’ve been that gets fluctuations like that is Melbourne, where the wind is either coming off the desert or off Antarctica and it can go from a mild, sunny morning to a thunderstorm in about 20 minutes. You should definitely get out and enjoy the sun! xxxx 🙂

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  7. Love all of the photos and seeing NZ via your posts. Enjoy any time you can get with your son, seems that a trip like this would be perfect to get to learn how you’ve both grown as the seasons change.

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  9. It is bittersweet when our kids transition to adulthood. I remember weeping when we left our older daughter at college; when it came time for our younger daughter to go, I was much calmer because I knew that it was not a goodbye, just a transition. Now they’ve both been out of the house almost as long as they lived with us. It’s sometimes hard to fathom.

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    • 🙂 I’ve been lucky that although he moved out, it was only to a flat quite nearby. I’m not sure I’ll be quite as calm when he (or we) move out of town and I can’t rely on seeing him — albeit briefly — a few times a week.

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      • My older one was 2 hours from home for college, the younger was over 4 hours away. Now they each live about 2 hours away. It’s an adjustment, but life does go on. And they are both still very much on our minds every single day.

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        • I understand that. I live half a world away from my mother and we email most days. I know she thinks about all her grown up kids constantly, and increasingly she’s never far from my thoughts.

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  10. What a perfect way to describe the progression of our relationships with our children as they grow into adults. Indeed, changing seasons, some trying, others joyful and bright. All of them are part of a wonderful life long road trip.

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  11. How special to take this trip together. My youngest son and I traveled to my home town together – a trip of about 1400 km return – after my mom passed away. He had just finished college and he came with me to help me clean and pack up my mom’s apartment. It was special for me to have that quiet one-on-one time with him.

    Beautiful, soulful photos. I really like the view from Okoki Road, Taranaki. I love the green, rolling hills and twisting road.

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    • How lovely to have your son’s support as well as company at such a difficult time. When my mother in law died last year, all of the grandchildren really stepped up and proved what amazing adults they have become.
      I love Taranaki; it has lovely rolling hills, a proper mountain (with snow and everything), great beaches and lots of lovely little places to stop, walk and contemplate.

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  12. Absolutely loved the basket woven grass. Might download it for my favorites collection. Let me know if you object!

    As always, you have a great eye to a story and an image. Am now wondering if I’ll ever have a reason to travel to New Zealand!

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    • Thanks. I saw that while I was on a bush walk and was totally captivated with it. It was just this lovely piece of weaving in the middle of a stand of flax.
      NZ is a long way from anywhere else (except Australia, and maybe Antarctica), but very beautiful. And we’d make you welcome!

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