Locals have done a grand job moving driftwood to protect young dunes and clumps of dune grasses from trailbikes and other vehicles.
Landskein: the weaving & braiding of horizon lines
Sometime last year I came across a word to describe layers of misty mountains. Fabulous! I thought. I'll remember that. And promptly forgot it.
Today I finally found it again: landskein. Robert Macfarlane tells us:
Word of the day: “landskein” — the weaving & braiding of horizon lines, often seen most clearly on hazy days in hill country.
We look out on the Tararuas. I see landskein all the time.
3 year old Ursula is a beautiful bonus at my generous host’s house. 🐈
I’m enjoying Rachel McAlpine’s Summer Writing School. Here we are at lunchtime enjoying the fresh air. Somehow I look much taller than Rachel, but it’s not that big a difference really.
I was telling someone about this fantastic 14 minute YouTube documentary today and nearly couldn't find it again — The Challenge of True Solitude:
You have to be at peace with the fact that something might happen, and you might not make it through,” says Alexandra de Steiguer, the caretaker for the Oceanic Hotel, in Brian Bolster’s short documentary, "Winter’s Watch." De Steiguer has spent the past 19 winters tending to the 43-acre grounds of the hotel, on Star Island, which sits 10 miles off the coast of New England. In the long, wintry off-season, she is the island’s sole inhabitant.
The rural life: this morning Scotty, the septic tank guy, stopped by to see why our tank’s warning light was on. Luckily it was an easy fix and I can try it myself next time (lift and drop the pipe).
This afternoon Murray from Campbell’s Water stopped in to service the pump for our bore (didn’t actually need a service, it turns out). He’ll give a quote for running a line from the bore to the house (50 metres) and putting in a tap outside for garden watering. He’ll also quote for supplying and installing a second rainwater tank. He also suggested I drill more holes in the pump cover box for better ventilation.
Stopped at a cafe and my Dark Skies T-shirt sparked a good conversation which even touched on the lunar eclipse on 31 January. 👍🏼 At least we can see stars here; too many people can’t.
Sasha and I found a tennis ball on the beach this morning. It was too hot to chase it for long though.
It’s good to see a mum hanging out with her kids. Monarch Butterfly and Swan Plant.
This cute little Tauhou, Silver-Eye was stunned on the doorstep when I came home. After a few moments recovery it flew away happily. 🐦
Given the 27C heat today and anomalously warm sea temperatures I did something I never do and went for a “swim” (aka floating and bobbing around). It was actually rather fun. Kāpiti Island to the south.
The Kuaka, Bartailed Godwits fly non-stop from the Arctic to feed during our summer. Some are kind enough to visit our beach.
"Well, Goodbye!” Kuaka, Bartailed Godwit and Karoro, Black-backed Gull
Sun rays.
Today this novice kayaker braved the reach just north of the footbridge — a 20 minute paddle upstream from the vehicle entrance.
I went as far as the Pied Shag colony, wrangling kayak, paddle and waterproof camera and trying to not drift into the tangle of trees where the birds roost.
Several birds were standing around on low branches, just above the water, and amazingly they didn’t move as I floated near. I could just about have reached out and touched some of them. As NZ Birds Online says:
Unlike most other shag species, the pied shag is reasonably confiding, allowing close approach when roosting or nesting in trees.
Luckily those living nearby seem to tolerate the birds. Although the shags could be implicated in the frequently high E. Coli levels as measured at the footbridge, I think most locals wouldn’t want to see them go from our river.
During the recent population expansion in central New Zealand, pied shags have established colonies in trees adjacent to peoples’ homes. The noise and smell of such colonies has resulted in a few nesting trees being felled.
With the birds so close, and staying put, I was able to grab several photos I’m willing to put on the site here. Maybe one day I’ll be able to sort settings out on my camera so the background blurs more. All those tree branches make quite a complicated background for the birds.
Update, 24 December 2022. This post originally just linked to another of my blogs, now defunct. I've move the post to here.
I want 2018 to be a year of renewal for me.
- I've signed up for a Te Reo Māori course at Te Wananga o Aotearoa: Te Ara Reo Māori (He Pī ka Pao).
- I'll be attending Rachel McAlpine's Summer Writing School later in January.
- I'm experimenting with Micro.Blog to encourage me to write more often.
- I've installed Bear app for Notes, shopping lists and daily schedules and maybe other writing tasks. Update: I moved on from Bear after a year or two.
- I'm working on figuring out what I want out of life and how to get it.
- I'm reviving an old business in a new form: Zapp.Pro aims to help locals with their Apple products. Update: that didn't last long…
Matuku Moana, White-faced Heron on Waikawa Stream.
A kayak’s great: you can get quite close.
Deep in the red
The tip of the black arrow in the picture below — that's where we live.
When I check the NIWA Drought Index today though, I see we're still actually in the deep red.
A fresh start in 2018. In which I stop posting on my nearly 20 year old WordPress blog and take up at Micro.blog.
Excited that at last our swan plants have Monarch Butterfly caterpillars!
