The Changing Seasons, February 2018

February’s finest. Image: Su Leslie, 2018

I guess we all have different ways of marking the passage of time. When I was a child, it was about birthdays, Christmas, school holidays, and later exams and assignments due.

During the “corporate” years, campaign launches, Board meetings, AGMs and salary reviews signposted the flow of months and years.

These days, it’s food. Late October is when the first local strawberries appear. November and December are cherry and pomegranate months. January brings plums and good sweetcorn, while February is all about stone fruits and passion-fruit. And I know we’re nearly in March because the apples and pears are looking fresher, and the local garlic not so much.

And in case you’re thinking that my month has been all nectarines and nashi, here are a few shots from my February. Perhaps I over-shared the fun, sunshiney stuff already.

Another stormy beach; Firth of Thames, NZ. Image: Su Leslie, 2018

Martha Mine, Waihi. Currently closed due to the massive landslip. Image: Su Leslie, 2018

Ohinimuri River at Karangahake Gorge, NZ. Currently subject to an application to mine for gold. Image: Su Leslie, 2018

Storm brewing, Waihi Beach, New Zealand. Image: Su Leslie, 2018

Castlecliff Beach, Whanganui, NZ. Image: Su Leslie, 2018

Detail; Future Islands exhibition, Tauranga Art Gallery, NZ. Image: Su Leslie, 2018

Ohinimuri River, flowing towards Karangahake Gorge. Image: Su Leslie, 2018

Alone. Exposed volcanic rock in Taupo Volcanic Zone, at Mangakino. Image: Su Leslie, 2018

The Changing Seasons is a monthly challenge, originally hosted by Max at Cardinal Guzman, whose post for this month can be found here.

I’ve taken over hosting duties this year, and 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.

UPDATES

Here are other bloggers’ Changing Seasons’ posts for January. Please visit and enjoy the month though their eyes. I’ll keep updating this as I see them:

Max at Cardinal Guzman

Marilyn at Serendipity

Pauline at Living in Paradise

Tish at Writer on the Edge

Sarah at Art Expedition

Deb at The Widow Badass Blog

Ju-Lyn at Sunrise, Sunset

Joanne at My Life Lived Full

Ruth at RuthsArc

Jude at Under a Cornish Sky

Mick at Mick’s Cogs

Colline at Colline’s Blog

Thanks

Ka kite anō | see you soon

Su

Waking up to the smell of the sea

Buffalo Beach, Whitianga, NZ. Image: Su Leslie, 2017

Buffalo Beach, Whitianga, NZ. Image: Su Leslie, 2017

Buffalo Beach, Whitianga, NZ. Image: Su Leslie, 2017

Buffalo Beach, Whitianga, NZ. Image: Su Leslie, 2017

The Big T and I have decamped to the Coromandel for a few days. This morning we woke to the sounds and smells of the beach. And these views.

Wordless Wednesday

Oakley Creek Waterfall, Auckland, NZ. Image: Su Leslie, 2016

New Zealand Music Month: “all it takes is one song to bring back 1000 memories”

May is NZ Music Month.

For those of you outside NZ (expats excepted), it’s understandable if you don’t know that New Zealand music totally rocks. For a small nation, we produce some extraordinarily talented musicians.

Although I’ll never stop feeling Scottish, I haven’t actually lived in the country of my birth since I was a child. So the soundtrack of my life features a lot of Kiwi music.

This month I’m going to have a little musical nostalgia trip. Maybe not every day, but as inspiration takes me, I’ll post a song and maybe a little about what it means to me.

I have to start with Poi E; one of the most joyous pieces of music I know. Sung entirely in Maori, this was a huge hit in 1984, and remains an important way-point in our nation’s musical history.

I’d love you to join me in this impromptu gig. Dance along; tell me what you think about my choices; share your own Kiwi music play-list. Or tune out and enjoy the soundtrack to your life. It doesn’t matter. My music, your music. As Nietzsche said:

Without music, life would be a mistake. — Friedrich Nietzche

“… a second spring”

Autumn leaves, Auckland NZ. Photo: Su Leslie 2015. Shot with iPhone4, framed in Pixlr Express.

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower

— Albert Camus

Returning some books to the library yesterday, I noticed this plant growing on the corner of a building. Against the dark concrete, the pinks and bright greens stood out, and I couldn’t resist snapping a couple of pictures on my phone. I didn’t have my glasses on, so I really didn’t expect the images to be very good. When I remembered to look at them last night, I was very pleasantly surprised.

Autumn leaves. Photo: Su Leslie, 2015. Shot with iPhone4, framed with Pixlr Express.

Autumn leaves. Photo: Su Leslie, 2015. Shot with iPhone4, framed with Pixlr Express.

This post was written for Sally’s Phoneography and non-SLR digital devices photo challenge at Lens and Pens by Sally. You can see more here.

Following the passion

 

 

My son is nearly 15. He has been riding (real) skateboards since he was about two and a half – and I won’t embarrass him by reminding him (too much) of his earlier enthusiasm involving a skateboard-shaped cardboard cutout which he kind of surfed around the living room. Lets just say that skating can truly be considered one of the great loves of his life.

First skateboard ride

Back in the day; beginning to learn the skills.

For the last few years he’s been making films of himself and his friends skating. At first I was the camera operator; spending what seemed like hours standing/crouching/lying in carparks, roadsides, skateparks, etc filming take after take until the trick was landed.

Now that he and his friends are better (and more adventurous) skaters, so the films have become  intrinsically much more exciting to watch. And naturally, his film-making skills have improved too, so that even though I don’t really “get” skateboarding, I can enjoy his movies.

I hope you do too.