When still in Level 4 lockdown we encountered a number of eye-catching plants on one of our walks from home, they all had gold. Whether lots of gold or just hints, they captured our attention and interest. Tapanui, West Otago, New Zealand.
Taken by Nigel 24 April 2020
I feel heart-sick at the sufferings of people of colour in the USA – I need these gleams of gold.
Text by Liz, photos by Nigel; Exploring Colour (2020)
Exploring Colour 
And in these times of desperation, indeed,
More glimpses of gold are just what we need.
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Good to have some gold isn’t it? I’d been hanging on to these pics for a while and it was a case of “now is the time” 🙂
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Lovely bit of colour, Liz. What we all need to try to banish the overwhelming sadness that the news brings every day.
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I’m glad the gold gives a glimmer of cheer, it’s a battle to stay bright in the current circumstances.
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Some interesting plants here Liz!
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Yeah, I’ve never seen any of these plants before
great shots
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Thanks, Liz, for your concern and empathy for the crazy things happening in my country. I live in the Washington D.C. and I am shocked by what I have seen happening in our capital. The issue is complicated, but it seems to me that one thing is abundantly clear–racism, often institutionalized, is very much alive and as a society we need to come to grips with that reality.
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The issue is taken very seriously in NZ. From footage on Twitter there was a massive turn-out for a Black Lives Matter march in Auckland that went to the American Embassy (4000 people I read in the paper), big turn-out given we’re still in a level of Covid lockdown here. Our police are generally unarmed but are trialling being armed in certain places including an area of Auckland where most of the population is Maori/Pacific Islander so this is an issue too. Many of us do not like to see a MAGA hat here in NZ and the new Leader of the Opposition has had to back down on his plan to display one in his office with other political memorabilia – due to very strong public opposition as it’s seen as a symbol of racial oppression. I noted a male “christian” school teacher wore a MAGA hat to the Auckland BLM march and people were rightly very upset about it due to its inherent symbolism. Most of us in NZ don’t want divisive far-RW politics in this country. You might like to read this NZ Herald article dated 03 June: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12336725
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I read the article, Liz, and I am trying to decide what I think about the actions of the teacher and the reactions of the members of the crowd. Undoubtedly the wearing of the hat was provocative, but I don’t think that I agree that it is necessarily racist. I have deeply Christian friends who are strong Trump supporters, to a large degree because of his anti-abortion stance. To them, the hat is symbolic of someone who supports their position. I do not think that either side is right in demonizing those with opposing views. What I would hope to see is a more respectful attitude by the folks in the crowd to the man with the hat and maybe an attempt at an actual conversation rather than the naked hostility and something close to violence on the part of some. If we can truly listen to others, there is a chance that we can perhaps move closer to understanding. Here is Washington D.C. and elsewhere, I am saddened to see that folks whose only motivation is violence and destruction are hijacking and undermining the legitimate message of those who are peacefully protesting the racial bias that seems to be embedded in many of our policies and institutions.
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White people need to do more *listening* and *learning* – it’s mostly them who are in power and hold positions of influence, ensuring their privilege is well looked after. Abortion is one “life” issue but what about black lives? What about their quality of life and opportunities? How can a conversation occur when *peaceful* protesters are violently dispersed because Trump wants a photo-op in front of a church? Dealing with racial bias in policy and institutions needs true diversity through all levels of leadership as well as flexibility to look at new ways of doing things, not just the “white” way. Here in NZ I’ve noticed that Maori/Pacific Island academics are calling for better pathways for advancement of people of colour in academic institutions. We need their voices (not just a few but a good representation). I fear the US has left it for too long – generations of not listening and not caring – and now Trump is calling for domination – like that’s going to help anything! I really and truly fear for America.
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I personally think that both the rhetoric and actions of President Trump are having both a direct and indirect negative impact on race relations and on other disenfranchised and marginalized groups, such as LGBTQ people, people with handicaps, and even women. The photo-op stunt with the Bible in hand last night was so stupid that it defies logic. Earlier today I listened to a video with a speech that Martin Luther King Jr. delivered in 1967 called “The Other America.” It is sad and shocking to see that so little progress has been made on most of the issues that he raised. I think you would enjoy listening to it, Liz, though I should warn you that it lasts around 45 minutes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOWDtDUKz-U
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Lovely rich colour! I’m with you on what’s happening in the USA – we need a touch of brightness in days like these.
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Would you like to participate in the “my life in pictures” 7-day thing on Twitter? You put up a photo every day for 7 days (no people in them and you don’t add info) plus you nominate another twitter-person each of those days. If you don’t know enough others you can just put ‘whoever wants to do it’ 🙂 I’m doing it at the mo’ and would nominate you if you’d like to do it for a bit of fun! Let me know.
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Probably best not, Liz – but thanks for the offer! 🙂 I’m not keeping up with everything that needs to be done in the garden…it would be easier if we got a bit of rain!
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That’s fine, thought I’d better check with you first!
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Lovely blooms!
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Do you know what the yellow flowers are?
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They look like Helichrysum argyrophyllum which we’ve also seen growing at the Dunedin Botanic Gardens NZ.
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ps. at the NZ Plant Conservation Network web-page I found the “etymology” (listed there as an exotic of course, this is not native to NZ)
*helichrysum*: From the Greek words helios ‘sun’ and chrysos ‘gold’, referring to the colour of the flowers of some species
*argyrophyllum*: Silver-coloured leaves
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Good research. So you’ve got gold and silver in a single plant.
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That’s a lovely thought, riches indeed!
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