Geneticists have … found evidence that natural selection more than 10,000 years ago probably provided a genetic basis for the dog coat patterns we see today. Source: New Study Finds We Probably Can’t Take Credit For The Diversity of Dogs' Coats
Thank you for your Micro Camp talk @amit I really enjoyed it. Great story about the donkey! And 👍 the shoutout to us Kiwis.
Had a magical wildlife encounter today when this White-faced heron, matuku moana followed me home from my dog walk and hung out on our deck for half an hour, pretty much within arm’s reach. It lives at the lakes about 400 metres away.




Fungus on a tree at Lake Waiwiri, Papaitonga.
Tautuku Estuary was another brief walk, but wow was it a stunner! The first sight of the broad expanse of golden reeds was breathtaking.
Tautuku is a spectacular, forest-fringed bay that sweeps round to an impressive headland.
Perhaps best seen on a sunny day for full effect.






22% through and I was considering abandoning When Murder Comes Home (Aileen and Callan Murder Mysteries Book 1) by Shana Frost. 📚 Then this para decided me👎🏼:
Steaming pots of savoury food effused mouth-watering aromas that drifted through the kitchen into the dining room.
On 28 June 2021 in The Catlins we started with a visit to McLean Falls. I loved the native forest, and the 22 metre cascade waterfall was well worth the short walk.







My Micro Camp presentation is now available at Open for Inspection 🔍. There are also a few support files.
Uh oh. I’m up now on Micro Camp! 🤞🏼
Yet another excellent book in a series by a favourite author: Warn Me When It’s Time (Charlie Mack Motown Mystery Book 6) by Cheryl A Head. 📚
FBI agent, James Saleh, … helps the Mack Agency infiltrate and take down a homegrown militia hell-bent on starting a race war in America.
In the Catlins we passed through Waikawa, spotted a couple of Kereru on a power line and took a photo of Māngai Piri, Niagara Falls:
… named by a surveyor with an obvious sense of humour who had seen the large North American falls and named these small falls after them.



Graphic photo warning — dog skin lesion
Our dog Oshi is nearly 15 and having various health problems, including arthritis and an ulcerated eye. He gets eyedrops 4-6 times per day and will see the vet again in a few days.
He’s always been a licker — he licks himself, Sasha, the floor, other stuff. We thought he was licking his back left leg because it was sore from arthritis.
Today though I saw just what he was licking — an unpleasant lumpy, bumpy skin lesion about 1 cm across that I’m concerned may well be a cancer. It could also be a wart, my Internet research tells me.
The vet will check the lump on our next visit, but given Oshi’s age treatments may be unlikely.
It’s a worry.
Many Māori were raised with the knowledge that the first person to see the islands, Kuramārōtini, called out from her waka, “He ao! He ao! He Aotea!” Source: The racist aftermath of the Aotearoa debate | RNZ News
One of life’s odd quirks — I just posted about watching Wellington Paranormal. In today’s local paper is an item that one of the lead actors comes from our local town, Levin, and will be back in a few days for a special screening of a film he directed: Coming Home in the Dark.
I’ve been attending weekly line dancing classes for months now and things are clicking quite well. I realise this is one of my favourites at the moment: Mozart & Roses.
My head can’t handle dances that have a lot of spins and turns in though.
I’ve been drafting a funding application for a summer photo project for the community. It’s hard work! Now looking for something to watch for some down time.
Wooo. Maybe our days of VDSL slow Internet are over… An email today from the ISP:
modern, superfast, reliable Wireless Broadband that runs over our 4G mobile network. It’s the future. It’s ready for you now.
Unlimited data plan on Wireless Broadband
On a whim the other day I bought TextSniper - Capture and extract any text from your Mac’s screen | images. I just tried it on the Curio Bay info board photo and am blown away by its speed and accuracy! This is a keeper!
Years of pounding by the sea have worn away soil …
We visited the Curio Bay petrified forest. 180 million year old trees! Photo of me by my neighbour Chris.
petrified wood like this is incredibly rare.
The entire logs and stumps were preserved because the silification was within a matter of weeks or months after the flood




Invercargill to Dunedin via the coastal Catlins route with no side trips is only about 250 Km. We spent 4 days on the drive because those scenic side trips are well worth the time.
We stopped at Chaslands (1 night) and Kākā Point (2 nights). Of course we passed through Waikawa.