The Changing Seasons, October 2021

Dove of peace; guns of war. Seen at the old military site of Maungauika / North Head, Devonport, Auckland. Image: Su Leslie

I’m a bit late with this post. Actually I’ve been tardy with anything that involves writing, or even sitting at my desk. The weather has been kind to gardeners for the last week or so, and I’ve taken full advantage to sow seeds, plant out seedlings and generally try to wrest some control back over the wilderness our property has reverted to in the last few months.

As of this morning I’m half way through my chemo sessions. So far, the side effects have been minor and manageable, and I’m feeling generally well. There is a part of my brain that’s whispering “no pain, no gain”, but I’m trying not to listen.

After 12 weeks in various states of lock-down, Aucklanders are to have some fewer restrictions from tomorrow. Since this mainly involves being able to go into shops (though not cafes), I’m not seeing this as particularly life-changing.

We’ve being promised more when the Auckland region hits a double Covid vaccination rate of 90% — something which probably won’t happen this month. December maybe, but with a small, vocal anti-vax / anti-lockdown / Covid-denying minority increasingly targeting the vulnerable with their misinformation — who knows?

Against the backdrop of growing division and hatred, I continue to be sustained by the incredible kindness of people. From the compassion and good humour of my cancer nurses, to friends and neighbours who regularly keep in touch and drop by a for socially-distanced cuppa (one of our newish freedoms). In the last month, I’ve also been given a number of lovely, thoughtful gifts — including three from blogging friends, which are not only truly beautiful, but handmade. How can the world be so fractured and terrible when there are so many good people in it?

Ju-Lyn, (Touring My Backyard) who now co-hosts The Changing Seasons, sent me this gorgeous bookmark made by her elder daughter. Image: Su Leslie

My dear friend Sarah (Art Expedition) made these wonderful earrings for me. On a Skype call to my mother, they are the first thing she commented on! Image: Su Leslie

I’ve long admired the beautiful mosaics made by Tracy at Reflections of any Untidy Mind. Now I have one of my own. Image: Su Leslie

As for the rest of my month in photos — the usual mix of landscapes, flowers and things that just capture my attention.

Sunset, Devonport Wharf, Auckland. Image: Su Leslie

Sunset, Devonport Wharf, Auckland. Image: Su Leslie

Wharf, Conwallis, Auckland. Image: Su Leslie

Exposed. I think a lot of us are feeling this right now. The tide’s gone out on normal life and all the ugly bits are showing. Image: Su Leslie

Cherry blossom season brought these women to the Botanic Gardens for a photo shoot. I particularly love the dress on the right. Image: Su Leslie

Cherry blossom season photo shoot, Botanic Gardens, Auckland. Image: Su Leslie

Seen near the summit of Ōwairaka / Mt Albert, Auckland. Image: Su Leslie

Sign of the times. Vending machine, Devonport Wharf. Image: Su Leslie

Image: Su Leslie

Image: Su Leslie

Image: Su Leslie

Image: Su Leslie

Image: Su Leslie

Image: Su Leslie

Image: Su Leslie

Tui feasting on harakeke (flax), Hobsonville Point, Auckland. Image: Su Leslie

Tui in harakeke (flax), Hobsonville Point, Auckland. Image: Su Leslie

Tui in harakeke (flax), Hobsonville Point, Auckland. Image: Su Leslie

Tui feasting on harakeke (flax), Hobsonville Point, Auckland. Image: Su Leslie

The Changing Seasons is hosted by Ju-Lyn at Touring my Backyard, and Brian and Bushboy’s World

The Changing Seasons, September 2012

Auckland’s CBD from Westhaven boardwalk. Late afternoon walk while waiting for a takeaway from our favourite restaurant. Image: Su Leslie

I’m not feeling wordy this month, so I’ll keep it short.

I had my first chemo session earlier in the week and am feeling reasonably well. Five more, at three weekly intervals are to follow; then I guess it’s all down to what the scans and blood tests say.

Auckland’s “pink path” cycle and walkway. Covid-quiet on a Sunday afternoon. Image: Su Leslie

Auckland is still in Covid lock-down. It’s been 45 days now, and although restrictions have eased a little (hooray for expanded bubbles, takeaways and click-and-collect DIY materials), it’s hard not to feel totally stir-crazy.

Takeaway coffee — because we can. Image: Su Leslie

I turned 60 last week, and instead of a party and an extended trip around the South Island, I found myself deliriously happy to be able to see my son and share a meal with him — albeit a takeaway and a homemade cake.

Orange cake with dark chocolate ganache, passionfruit and orange buttercream filling, and freeze-dried mandarin shards. A birthday cake that gave much pleasure in the planning, making — and eating. Image: Su Leslie

My garden is a source of both frustration and pleasure. New growth is abundant, but I’ve neither the energy or the materials to do much of the work that’s required. So I content myself watching the native birds enjoying themselves (always when I’m camera-less), and taking the odd flower photo.

While the city is quiet, the Big T and I have enjoyed walking parts of the CBD we don’t often visit.

Early evening in the city. The Sky Tower from St Kevin’s Arcade, Karangahape Road. Image: Su Leslie

Early evening in the city. Image: Su Leslie

Westhaven Marina, Auckland. Image: Su Leslie

Sometimes I despair of humanity. I’d just seen the owner of these rods put several fish in their car. Image: Su Leslie

The Changing Seasons, May 2021

Storm surge, Tapeka Point, Northland, NZ. Image: Su Leslie 2021

I like visual metaphors, and the shot above does rather sum up my month.

Several whanau members are experiencing health and other crises; the most serious being my seemingly indestructable mother hospitalised twice in the last couple of weeks. It’s made me very aware how much on-going worry and helplessness destroy motivation and productivity; despite my best efforts to manage anxiety by keeping busy.

Eco-printing on silk with eucalyptus and pohutukawa leaves. Image: Su Leslie 2021

Work in progress; felt slippers for the colder weather ahead. Image: Su Leslie 2021

It’s only taken a year to get around to it … Refurbished telephone table. Image: Su Leslie 2021

The “before” shot, telephone table. Image: Su Leslie 2021

There have been some high points in the month, including a rainy, but relaxing weekend in the Bay of Islands with the Big T.

Russell, Bay of Islands, NZ. Once described as “the hell hole of the Pacific.” Image: Su Leslie 2021

Sunset, Russell wharf. Image: Su Leslie 2021

On the car ferry, Opua, Northland. Image: Su Leslie 2021

Late afternoon, Langs Beach, Northland, NZ. Image: Su Leslie 2021

Langs Beach, Northland, NZ. Image: Su Leslie 2021

Mangawhai Heads, Northland, NZ. Image: Su Leslie 2021

And an afternoon wandering around the Auckland waterfront, enjoying the last of the sunshine.

Viaduct basin, Auckland NZ. Image: Su Leslie 2021

I’d thought that taking a break from blogging would re-awaken my enthusiasm, but — perhaps because there’s so much else going on — I’m not really feeling more inspired or engaged than before. And while I don’t plan to abandon ZimmerBitch altogether, I suspect that posts will continue to be fairly infrequent.

I am happy to carry on hosting The Changing Seasons for a bit longer, but if there is anyone else who’d like to take it on, that would be wonderful.

About The Changing Seasons

The Changing Seasons is a monthly project where bloggers around the world share their thoughts and feelings about the month just gone. We all approach this slightly differently — though generally with an emphasis on the photos we’ve taken during the month.

For many of us, looking back over these photos provides the structure and narrative of our post, so each month is different.

Others focus on documenting the changes in a particular project — such as a garden, an art or craft project, or a photographic diary of a familiar landscape.

But in the end, it is your changing season, and you should approach it however works for you.

There are no fixed rules around post length or photo number — just a request that you respect your readers’ time and engagement.

Tags and ping-backs

Tag your photos with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so that others can find them

Create a ping-back to this post, so that I can update it with links to all of yours.

Update

Natalie from Little Pieces of Me

Ladyleemanila

Tish at Writer on the Edge

Tracy at Reflections of an Untidy Mind

Ju-Lyn from Touring my Backyard

Marilyn at Serendipity, Seeking Intelligent Life on Earth

Brian from Bushboy’s World

Sarah at https://secretartexpedition.wordpress.com/2021/06/06/the-changing-seasons-spring-edition/Art Expedition

Suzanne from Life at No. 22

LightWriteLife joins us this month

Silent Sunday

Image: Su Leslie 2021

My city at night

Auckland skyline, from Devonport. Image: Su Leslie 2020

One word Sunday | night

The Changing Seasons, October 2020

_{Work in progress; a metaphor for life. Image: Su Leslie 2020}

Mulch.

If October could be summed up in one word, that word would be mulch.

It’s been a good month for gardening with lots of warm, still days, so the Big T and I have been super-busy making new borders and raised beds, sewing seeds, weeding, planting and transplanting — you know the drill.

Early on we took possession of a mulch mountain and have gradually eroded it to barely a hillock. 

And while the garden now looks significantly different, it’s really not photogenic. But with luck (and a bit of rain), by November’s Changing Seasons, I’ll have something to show you that looks more interesting than relocated piles of mulch.

In the meantime …

_{Garden success #1: transplanted lemon verbena thriving. Image: Su Leslie 2020}

_{Garden success #2; kaka beak (Clianthus maximus) grown from seed. Image: Su Leslie 2020}

_{Garden success #3; experimental wicking garden. Beetroot almost ready to harvest. Image; Su Leslie 2020}

Apart from gardening, I don’t feel as though I’ve done mulch at all in October (see what I did there).

NZ’s general election seemed to split the month in two, and it’s only with hindsight I realise how anxious I was about the outcome. In the end, the Labour Party made history by being the first under our proportional representation system able to govern outright. While this does mean the government can’t blame inaction on conservative coalition partners, it also means that the Green Party, despite an increased number of MPs, won’t necessarily have a place in government. And NZ’s woeful record on addressing climate change and basic issues of social justice will probably remain woeful.

But in the spirit of accepting personal responsibility for our part in the climate disaster, T and I abandoned the car and took a ferry into central Auckland on a recent visit to the art gallery.

I continue to play with art materials; more for the joy of experimenting than with any particular result in mind. Alcohol inks and air-dry clay are my current favourites.

About the Changing Seasons

In last month’s Changing Seasons post I asked for feedback about the guidelines for posting, which have been unchanged since this challenge was established by Cardinal Guzman in 2015.

Thanks for all your comments.

The general feeling seems to be that we’re mostly happy that the structure allows us to share our reflections on the month in whatever way suits us, and the guidelines are mainly for anyone new to The Changing Seasons.

The things that were mentioned were the limit on photo numbers and the requirement to only use new images. Most people who mentioned the shot limit agreed it was a good idea (though we all admitted to exceeding it).

I am aware that most of us follow a very large number of blogs and do so actively — engaging with the content beyond simply hitting the “like” button. My own view is that having people read my blog is a privilege I must continue to earn by doing my best to be interesting, and respecting the value of your time and engagement. For me that means editing the text (and then editing it again) and trying to only use images that help tell the story.

As for the requirement to use new images; I’ve always seen that as a request not to bore readers by recycling shots they have already seen.

I had planned to include draft text of some updated guidelines here, but as I’ve already written more than usual, I’ll do that in a separate post.

Until then, feel free to add comments to my musings, and of course link to this post in your own so that I can update accordingly.

Update

Tracy from Reflections of An Untidy Mind

Marilyn at Serendipity Seeking Intelligent Life on Earth

Little Pieces of Me

Ladyleemanila

Tish at Writer on the Edge

Sarah at Art Expedition

Suzanne from Life at No. 22

Pauline from Living in Paradise

Natalie from Natalie the Explorer

Lani from Life, the Universe and Lani

Ju-Lyn from All Things Bright and Beautiful

Brian at Bushboy’s World

Gil at Talking Thailand

Silent Sunday

Waitemata Harbour, Auckland, NZ. Image: Su Leslie 2020

A walk on the beach

Te Henga/Bethells Beach, Auckland, NZ. Image: Su Leslie 2020

If I told you I encountered a major road-block when thinking about this post, you’d probably imagine some emotional or psychological barrier about which I’m going to unburden myself.

But actually, I missed a road sign announcing that Scenic Drive in Waitakere was closed to traffic, and found myself driving towards an actual blocked road. With the car behind me way too close for a safe U-turn, I ended up on Bethells Road, heading towards the beach.

Te Henga/Bethells Beach is one of four road-accessible beaches on Auckland’s (wild) west coast. Although it’s the closest to home, I seldom visit there, probably because the next closest — Muriwai — has the twin attractions of the gannet colony and a good fish and chip shop en route.

It’s school holidays here at the moment, but the beach was surprisingly quiet. Perhaps it was just too cold and overcast.

Although I saw a few people carrying surfboards, I didn’t see any actually in the water, and the surf life-saving tower wasn’t manned.

The closest anyone seemed to get was surf-casting.

I may have missed a road sign, but I did manage to notice lots of small treasures on the beach and in the surrounding bush.

Lens Artists Photo Challenge | A Photo Walk

The Changing Seasons, June 2020

Matariki lights at Auckland Museum. Image: Su Leslie 2020

Matariki is the Maori term for the group of stars also known as the Pleiades or The Seven Sisters. Matariki rises during Pipiri (June/July) and marks mid-winter and the Maori New Year.

In recent years, Matariki has begun to be properly celebrated in Aotearoa New Zealand with many cities and communities holding festivals. This year, Auckland Council has scaled back many of the planned events and shifted others online. It was lovely then, to see the Auckland Museum lit up for the duration of the festival. The Harbour Bridge is also lit, but we’ve yet to have a clear night for me to try and photograph it.

According to Te Ara (Encyclopedia of NZ):

Traditionally, Matariki was a time to remember those who had died in the last year. But it was also a happy event – crops had been harvested and seafood and birds had been collected. With plenty of food in the storehouses, Matariki was a time for singing, dancing and feasting.

There hasn’t been a great deal of singing and dancing in the ZimmerBitch whare (pronounced like farrie and meaning house), and not many photos taken either.

But there’s been plenty of eating, so for this month’s Changing Seasons post I’m giving you a recipe.

Anyone who joined me for afternoon tea recently will recognise it, but it proved such a hit with my (real life) dinner guests that I’m confident in sharing it.

Squash, fennel and orange soup

Adapted from a recipe in Simple, by Yotam Ottolenghi ⁽¹⁾ Serves 4-6 people

Squash, fennel and orange soup, with homemade sourdough. Image: Su Leslie 2020

Ingredients

50ml olive oil

2 fennel bulbs

1.2kg pumpkin or butternut squash

1 litre vegetable stock

1tsp harissa ⁽²⁾

small pinch saffron threads ⁽³⁾

1 large or two small oranges

sea salt and black pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C
2. Trim fern from fennel bulbs and roughly chop
3. Peel squash sand chop into small pieces (2-3cm)
4. Put fennel and squash pieces in roasting dish, add olive oil, about a teaspoon of sea salt and a grind of black pepper.
5. Toss to coat the veges in oil
6. Cook for around 20-25 minutes at 200°C; until everything is soft and caramelised. Depending on your oven, you may want to check it before then to make sure the edges aren’t burning.
7. While veges are roasting, finely grate orange (you want about 2tsp zest) and squeeze juice ⁽⁴⁾ from the fruit.
8. Put stock, harissa, saffron threads and orange zest in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
9. Remove 1-2 ladles of liquid and set aside.
10. Remove roasted veges from oven and add to pot of stock.
11. Use the set-aside liquid to moisten and scrape up the
    caramelised bits in the bottom of the roasting pan. Add this to the pot ⁽⁵⁾ .
12. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
13. Remove from heat, add orange juice and use a hand blender to blitz until completely smooth.
14. Serve with a sprinkle of toasted pumpkin seeds ⁽⁶⁾ and cashew cream ⁽⁷⁾ .

Squash, fennel and orange soup. Image: Su Leslie 2020

Notes:

1. There is a version of this soup — slightly different to that which is in Simple — on Ottolenghi’s website. It includes a recipe for caramelised pumpkin seeds.
2. Harissa is available from Middle Eastern shops, and some supermarkets. It varies a lot in taste and chilli strength, so you will probably want to experiment with how much you add. I would start with 1 teaspoon, and perhaps add more to the stock once it’s warmed up a bit and you’ve tasted it.
3. Saffron gives the soup a distinctive, earty taste, but if you don’t have it (or don’t like the taste), I wouldn’t worry — leave it out.
4. In Ottolenghi’s recipt in Simple, he adds 180g crème fraiche to the soup before blending it. Because I was making the soup for vegan friends, I omitted that, and used the orange juice instead to thin the soup.I think it also adds a nice amount of acid and tastes really good. If it is still too thick, you could add more orange juice, or a little water or stock.
5. If you follow my suggestion to de glaze the roasting pan with stock, you will get dark flecks in the soup from the caramalised bits of veges. These taste good. But if you’re aiming for a more elegant look you could leave this step out.
6. The simplest way to toast pumpkin seeds is to put a single layer in a heated, heavy frying pan. Toss them for a few minutes until they start to colour and pop. Tip into a bowl and add a good pinch of salt (and a teaspoon of olive oil if you like).  In the Ottolenghi recipe, the seeds were mixed with maple syrup and chilli flakes and roasted to make more of a praline. 
7. I wanted to make this a vegan dish, so as well as omitting the crème fraiche (above), I made some cashew cream and put it on the table for my guests to add if they wished. 

Besides making soup

Op-shop bargain. Folding table to be refurbished. Image; Su Leslie 2020

Telephone table for refurbishment. An op-shop bargain that’s been in the garage waiting for my attention. Image; Su Leslie 2020

Jade plant flower. Only happens every couple of years. Image: Su Leslie 2020

Another attempt at persimmon muffins; still not totally happy with the recipe. Image; Su Leslie 2020

Latest (last?) batch of marmalade. Image: Su Leslie 2020

Yuzu and miso; the beginnings of a dressing that I’m still working on. Image; Su Leslie 2020

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

Please visit these bloggers to see how June played out for them:

Tracy at Reflections of an Untidy Mind

Tish at Writer on the Edge

Little Pieces of Me

Suzanne at Life at No. 22

A Wonderful Sheep

Pauline at Living in Paradise

Sarah at Art Expedition

Ruth at Ruth’s Arc

Marilyn at Serendipity Seeking intelligent life on Earth

LadyLeeManila

Katy at Wanderlust and Wonderment joins us this month

Darren at The Arty Plantsman

XingfuMama

Ju-Lyn at All Things Bright and Beautiful

Gill at Talking Thailand

Brian at Bushboy’s World

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cities look much prettier at night

Auckland skyline, from Devonport. Image: Su Leslie 2020

Six Word Saturday