Getting To Zero

Thought I'd update y'all on how our lockdown's progressing, in case you're interested. The whole country has been in lockdown for two weeks at Level 4. That's our highest level, where we stay home in our 'bubbles' unless we're essential workers. You may recall we locked down at midnight on the same day the first...

Waiting for Ida

I don't know how many of you have links with Louisiana but I hope and pray that the people and places in Hurricane Ida's path can weather the storm. Being a far distant observer I know little about what lies in her path but I've searched online and scanned for links on twitter, and I'll...

Lord and Lady

This Paradise Duck pair were lording it over the Dunedin Botanic Garden main pond when I visited on a dull day on 19 May. These ducks are endemic to New Zealand and are the size of a large duck or small goose. There's no shortage of them, they're the second most common duck in NZ...

Starstruck

The brightest stars steal the show; they also cast the shadows.

Snow in Idaho

Snow in Idaho, by Steve Denehan. Steve Denehan is an Irish poet, from Kildare. He shared this poem yesterday via twitter, I love it! ~The cacti are from the Winter Garden Glasshouse, cacti and succulents area. Dunedin Botanic Garden, New Zealand.

Red Delicious

I spied this gorgeous rose hip in Dunedin Botanic Garden, late autumn. Looking closely at the hip while photo-editing, it reminded me of a 'Red Delicious' apple ~which we're probably all familiar with. The deep, dark red, and a few spots. The whole bush was lovely and colourful. The real name of the rose is...

Autumn Rosehip

The birds they sangAt the break of dayStart againI heard them sayDon't dwell on what has passed awayOr what is yet to be ... ~Leonard Cohen's 'Anthem', first verse I felt like sharing this verse and a rose hip I photographed at Dunedin Botanic Garden on 19 May, New Zealand. For anyone who's interested our...

On Track

Reporting on our Covid elimination effort, as well as sharing walking track photos from Black Gully Reserve, Tapanui, West Otago, New Zealand. Today was our big chance, for people outside of Auckland/Coromandel, to perhaps have our alert level reduced with the big announcement by our PM Jacinda Ardern scheduled for 3pm. I thought there might...

Green Seen

Took these photos at our local Black Gully Reserve on 23 May 2021, green things were looking very pretty that day. The last photo is of rocks in the path that I took a fancy to .. because I think they look like butterfly wings! Tapanui, West Otago, New Zealand. FYI, we don't escape American...

Rescued

Two 1885 V class steam locomotives rescued; they've sat in a riverbed near Lumsden for more than 90 years. The first was hoisted out at the end of January 2020. The second (which the team initially thought they'd leave) was retrieved later, in February 2020. "In the wake of the First World War, the value...

Only Takes One

In New Zealand it only takes ONE case of Covid-19 in the community (as opposed to a quarantine facility) to send us all straight into Level 4 Lockdown. All cases bar one that've turned up in quarantine since June have been the Delta variant so today's Covid case is being treated as though it's Delta....

Peace Lily

This beautiful flower attracted my attention in the sub-tropical area of the Winter Garden Glasshouse at Dunedin Botanic Garden on 10 April. Until this morning I didn't know what it is but after seeing a helpful comment on another blogpost featuring the same flower, I now know the name. Then I found an online page...