Sunset on the Hokianga Harbour, from Opononi, NZ. Image: Su Leslie 2019
Month: August 2019
The Changing Seasons, August 2019

In an extremely dreary month, I resorted to buying cut flowers to inject a little colour. Image: Su Leslie 2019
August is often a month in which I feel like hibernating. This year, with rain every day (yep, actually every single day), cold winds and heavy grey skies, I really haven’t felt like venturing far from home. I know I’ve been busy at home — I’m just not quite sure what I’ve been busy doing.
My photos offer a few clues.
There has been a lot of baking this month; mostly sourdough-based. I’ve been making a sourdough wholewheat bread for a few years, and was getting quite reliably good results until a few months ago. My most recent loaves aren’t developing the gluten properly, and I’m obsessively testing variations on my recipe to understand what is going wrong.
I’m still not sure, but in the process of experimenting I’ve made a lot of sourdough pancakes/hotcakes (excellent for breakfast with berries), some good banana bread, a tasty wheat/rye loaf — and the best basic San Fransisco-style sourdough of my bread-making “career.”
In other news:
I discovered the multiple-exposure function on my camera and have had fun with that.
A bunch of supermarket tulips brought some much-needed floral inspiration as the weather has hammered my neighbourhood’s gardens.
In Whanganui last month I found three bags of dyed, carded wool for felting at $4 per bag. I couldn’t resist buying them, and have had a couple of attempts at wet-felting. I’m not at all happy with the results so far, but — like sourdough baking — I am determined to learn this skill, even if it’s only to make myself a scarf.
And in a moment of (probable) insanity; I decided to refurbish our dining chairs; bought from IKEA over 20 years ago.
I started out just thinking I’d smarten up an ugly, but comfortable $5 op-shop chair. Then I realised the colours I had in mind would work really well with our dining room furniture.
Somehow, I transitioned from that one little “paint-and-upholstery” job to making new seat frames for six chairs (bonus: I learned how to use a jig-saw); stripping and painting six grubby, waxed, wooden frames (plus one that was varnished); and upholstering seven chairs in turquoise and white striped canvas. Only one is completed so far — and boy have I learned a lot from it!
Not captured in the photographic record; I’ve also read more than usual (fiction and non-fiction); and completed the first assignment in a NZ Certificate in Horticulture course I signed up to. As you do …
About The Changing Seasons
The Changing Seasons is a monthly challenge where bloggers around the world share what’s been happening in their month.
If you would like to join in, here are the guidelines:
The Changing Seasons Version One (photographic):
- Each month, post 5-20 photos in a gallery that you feel represent your month
- Don’t use photos from your archive. Only new shots.
- Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so that others can find them
The Changing Seasons Version Two (you choose the format):
- Each month, post a photo, recipe, painting, drawing, video, whatever that you feel says something about your month
- Don’t use archive stuff. Only new material!
- Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so others can find them.
If you do a ping-back to this post, I can update it with links to all of yours.
Update
Take a look at these lovely bloggers’ August posts:
Sarah at Art Expedition
Ruth at Ruth’s Arc
Marilyn at Serendipity — Seeking intelligent life on Earth
Tracy at Reflections of an Untidy Mind
Tish at Writer on the Edge
Jude from Life at the Edge
Joanne at My Life Lived Full
Lani at Life, the Universe and Lani
Pauline at Living in Paradise
Ju-Lyn at All Things Bright and Beautiful
Brian at Bushboy’s World
Gill at Talking Thailand
Friday flowers
Wordless Wednesday
Frame

A photograph, whilst recording what has been seen, always and by its nature refers to what is not seen – John Berger
Bottlebrush
Dreaming of blue skies and warm sand
Excursion from summer past: Kariotahi Beach, New Zealand. Su Leslie 2018
Window into the owner’s mind
I wish I’d been brave enough to say this to clients this; it’s spot-on.
Enjoying Manuka flowers — even without raindrops
Six Word Saturday — hosted by Debbie at Travel with Intent
On the bright side …
The first six months of 2019 were the driest on record in Auckland, and now August is looking like being the wettest — with rain on 19 of 23 days, and more to come.
I’ve stopped worrying about parched soil and the water level in our tank, but I think I might need some taller gumboots (wellies, rain boots, Regenstiefel, botas de lluvia; whatever they’re called in your part of the world).
And of course raindrops on flower petals are rather pretty.
Friday Flowers