Way Out West

'Tis true! These photos were taken west of where we live *and* (Nigel's just reminded me), we live in West Otago! So.. I spotted this old wagon when we did the long country drive on back roads through farmland, technically in Southland as the regional boundary is close to where we live. We were nearing...

Into The Blue

Into the blue! Southland, New Zealand. 29 December 2022.

Shadow Pattern

As I wandered past some native plants at Black Gully Reserve, the shadows caught my eye. The large bright green leaves catching the shadows belong to a Griselinia species. Tapanui, West Otago, New Zealand.

White Spires

White Hebe (Veronica) flowers bursting into bloom, West Otago. 10 January. New Zealand native.

Veronica Variations

First photo is a lovely native Hebe (Veronica) that I photographed early this afternoon in bright conditions. Second photo is 'Sepia', third edited using 'Levels', 4th using 'Posterize'. Just trying things out! West Otago, New Zealand Part of a large bush of Hebe flowers, a big spray of long white mature blooms, green skinny immature...

Red Livens Things Up

I want to share with you how lovely the red form of our native mistletoe looks when it's up in a tree, with this type of mistletoe that's where you look.. upward. It's their spent flowers on the ground that usually alert me to their presence higher in the trees, always reminding me to look...

Goats Enjoying Summer

We spotted this group of goats in a field, looking very casual and relaxed, as we drove to Gore this morning.. so Nigel stopped and backed up and I took the shot from the passenger seat through Nigel's open window. Eight goats are fully visible and two are unseen behind the two big hay bales....

Spitting Image

When I was at Black Gully Reserve on 28 December, I found a spittle bug on a slender stem of a tree. I hadn't seen one of these so convenient to photograph before and it was fairly well-lit. It turns out they're pretty interesting creatures! Below the photo I'll give you a 'gift-link' to a...

Stormy

As I write it is the evening of January 06 here in New Zealand. This afternoon we've experienced an extraordinary thunderstorm that came upon us very suddenly with much drama - big lightning, crashing thunder, strong wind and driving rain from the east which is rare here. Water even seeped into the passage under the...

Vege Garden Flowers

Flowers from the vege garden: 1. Leek bloom and a spray of celery flowers 2. Purple sage in flower, celery flowers 3. Silver beet flower heads, they go high! 4. Nigel 6'3" takes a stand by lovage flowers Tapanui, West Otago. New Zealand Leek flower head - a sphere of small mauve and white flowers...

Leave The Leeks!

We left a few in the garden last winter. Now they're having a ball! ~Tapanui, West Otago, New Zealand.

Christmas Mistletoe

I've still got a few photos of the native mistletoe that are perched on trees at our local public reserve at Black Gully. Happily they flower in December and a few of them reside at the edge of the big open grass area so no big hike is needed to access them. I took these...