Journal Entries
Clouds and Trees
Posted Oct 24, 2010
Visited Dorty & family this evening - took 'em an Indian, who was enjoyed.
The ford is open again, rather late this year it seems, saving about 1/3 off the otherwise 27ish km journey.
Their mountains (40-50odd km away) have quite a lot of snow - very pretty, beautiful even
Something of the arch this evening - overcast above, cerulean clear to the north & west. Sun low lighting from below the edges & borders - luminous greyscale. Lines, swirls, patterns and shapes for the imaginings. Indeed lovely.
On the way home in stretches clear of shelter-belts on the left, even everyday trees, lit by horizontal or lower sunlight take on character. Some become magnificent.
Trees. Lie under a big one on a sunny day, looking up. Surely on a par with music (classical, that is). Intertwinings, sharp notes, soft notes, blendings. Can be a spiritual feeling if in the right mood (no, not spiritualistic).
Discuss this Journal entry [1]
Latest reply: Oct 24, 2010
Nature's Hissy-Fits
Posted Sep 6, 2010
While setting-out my experiences & thoughts on the recent (&ongoing) earthquake in Canterbury (NZ), I recalled another of nature's spats that I'd been there for (but had not included in 'Memories' - see The Post archives):
1979 Florida (having been seconded to the Cape) & while settling in in Cocoa Beach, hurricane (David?) loomed and the place was to be evacuated.
All moveable objects onto the floor, masking tape diagonally across all windows (just like WWII).
Carving knife & mallet under the front seat (we'd all heard stories of piracy and there were petrol shortages) and child on back seat, we headed off, aiming at the spine road and up the middle of the state.
Getting late and we were surprised to find a motel room first try. In the morning, after much wind and rain and creaking & groaning from the building, we arose, broke our fast - and discovered that we'd made our way back towards the coast, well north, to a quiet rural town in pleasant countryside reminiscent of rural UK.
We even found petrol easily.
A very pleasant day or two before told we could head back - to a damaged town.
Discuss this Journal entry [1]
Latest reply: Sep 6, 2010
A Touch of the Vernal
Posted Aug 31, 2010
Buds have been showing here and there for a few weeks, notably on Apple, Pear and Greengage (advised as the best plum for these parts).
Birds have been getting noisier (oh, just remembered - last year, early summer, resting on my spade when a fantail rested on it too - just briefly, no more than a second - http://www.whiteherontours.co.nz/piwakawaka.html).
Yesterday, honking alerted me to a skein of geese heading South-East (approx), changing places, one side slowly waving, flapping like a wing itself.
There've been nights that have been largely clear, days partly clear - relief from the british weather that's been all too prevalent.
This morning I contemplated complaining about the blinding sun coming through the family room slider, but thought better of it.
Spring is on the way.
Discuss this Journal entry [4]
Latest reply: Aug 31, 2010
A Nice Juxtaposition
Posted Aug 26, 2010
Tuesday evening, to Christchurch. To the Art gallery which has a current exhibition of modern art inspired by the subject of the talk we'd gone to hear - nano technology.
The prof talked of techniques, achievements and how 'we' get to see as small as that.
Luckily it was aimed at the layman, so no great depth. Very interesting it was, too.
Ms Stress took along a book written by the leading lights of the company who's boss she'd been PA to for a few years (Queensgate Instruments) and the prof asked to borrow it - a measure of reflected glory for her!
We'd been invited by one of Ms Stress's quilting group friends whose son the prof is. I gather the family has achievements in quite a few fields - the father is of no mean capacity - treated me as an equal, too.
The lecture room seated 200 or so and there were a few standing. Must go again - they have an interesting program of talks.
Discuss this Journal entry [1]
Latest reply: Aug 26, 2010
Godot, Chocolate, a Cruise in Prospect
Posted Jul 19, 2010
- Last Tuesday (13th July)
We went to see Waiting for Godot at the Theatre Royal in Christchurch [Ian McKellen (Estragon), Roger Rees (Vladimir), Matthew Kelly (Pozzo) and Brendan O'Hea (Lucky)]. It keeps coming back to me.
- Sunday
A trip round the harbour at Lyttelton (Christchurch harbour). Very interesting.
Among other snippets, the cap'n informed us that the South Island's exports of coal leave here for Korea, China ... and that the volume isn't too great - about 10% of what leaves Australia's Newcastle. He also commented that the figures matched sports. Due to populations, Oz has far more participants but they, too, are of a lesser quality... well, he would say that, eh?
After that trip, on by bus to Governor's Bay and 'She Chocolat' for lunch. My, that was good. Pud was a choc case containing a big date stuffed with choc and something else not yet identified (must go back). Ooh!
I determined to buy some of their dark, bitter choc until I saw the price - about four times what I pay in the supermarket for a very presentable substitute.
- Today
To one of Ms Stress's Probus friends for a presentation - this woman was on a sales trip around NZ, for a cruise on the River Murray (Oz). Very good she was, too. The 5 day cruise looks very attractive (I couldn't face a conventional cruise - get too bored too quickly). So now I'll have to find a high-flyer job to pay for it.
Something learned... I knew the Murray was Oz's major one but what I didn't know was that it's ranked 17th longest in the world.
Discuss this Journal entry [1]
Latest reply: Jul 19, 2010
Rod
Researcher U2465093
Write an Entry
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a wholly remarkable book. It has been compiled and recompiled many times and under many different editorships. It contains contributions from countless numbers of travellers and researchers."