Spring
Living in The Shire
27/09/09 20:22 Filed in: New Zealand
This is a very brief blog. The last 4 weeks have been rather hectic with shifting house, shifting jobs, shifting Islands. But, phew, we have made it! It has been so busy getting into my work mode and learning so much about Hobbiton that it has been seven days a week but this Sunday after a lovely coffee at The Shires Rest I have finally been able to get my website up to date.
All I can say is I am having a ball. Matamata is truly the epitome of The Shire and every day I can visit Hobbiton if I want to. Absolutely fantastic.
It is not just the place or the job though. All the staff I work with are absolutely fantastic. They have made me feel so much at home. I now have a large extended family!
So, in haste, here is one image I have taken in the last few weeks as I gather images for our Hobbiton website and brochures.
Next Friday 02 October I am in Wellington at a book-signing at The Weta Cave. I will be there from 4-30pm to 5-30pm. I would love to see you there.
I am working on our new Facebook page and I do hope you can join us.
Friends of Hobbiton Movie Set
All the best,
All I can say is I am having a ball. Matamata is truly the epitome of The Shire and every day I can visit Hobbiton if I want to. Absolutely fantastic.
It is not just the place or the job though. All the staff I work with are absolutely fantastic. They have made me feel so much at home. I now have a large extended family!
So, in haste, here is one image I have taken in the last few weeks as I gather images for our Hobbiton website and brochures.
Next Friday 02 October I am in Wellington at a book-signing at The Weta Cave. I will be there from 4-30pm to 5-30pm. I would love to see you there.
I am working on our new Facebook page and I do hope you can join us.
Friends of Hobbiton Movie Set
All the best,
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Green Middle-earth Aotearoa
23/09/08 14:30 Filed in: Photography | New Zealand
Had a great trip to Gore last weekend to talk at the “Books and Bubbles Event” at Paper Plus Gore. A good number of attentive listeners made it a pleasure to talk. The bubbly Kerre Woodham who acted as MC and also gave a wonderful speech certainly made the evening go fast.
The Paper Plus store in Gore (no rhyme intended) is the largest in the country and certainly has a great spread of books (if you are passing).
On the drive back home on Saturday it was really brought home to me how verdant this country is in Spring. Some places stay this colour longer than others - here at Raes Junction green will soon become brown but not before this tree sends out its tendrils.
The Paper Plus store in Gore (no rhyme intended) is the largest in the country and certainly has a great spread of books (if you are passing).
On the drive back home on Saturday it was really brought home to me how verdant this country is in Spring. Some places stay this colour longer than others - here at Raes Junction green will soon become brown but not before this tree sends out its tendrils.
Three reasons I know Spring is on the Way
At this time of the year there is a distinct nature gear-change as the cold winter weather is overtaken by the Spring Equinox. There are three things in Wanaka that tell me it is Spring.
1. The mad-dog nor-wester begins to blow and the rain comes but the south-wester that follows just doesn’t seem to have the polar bite with it. The mountains take on a tinge of green as the spring rain irrigates the tussock for a brief time before the heat of summer arrives.
2. The pale slivers of trees that have stood ghost-like for the last 4 months start to show tendrils of green.
3. The Winter-Rose stands defiantly against any frosts and demands attention from its simple colours of green and white.
1. The mad-dog nor-wester begins to blow and the rain comes but the south-wester that follows just doesn’t seem to have the polar bite with it. The mountains take on a tinge of green as the spring rain irrigates the tussock for a brief time before the heat of summer arrives.
2. The pale slivers of trees that have stood ghost-like for the last 4 months start to show tendrils of green.
3. The Winter-Rose stands defiantly against any frosts and demands attention from its simple colours of green and white.
The First Day of Spring
01/09/08 12:05 Filed in: New Zealand | Photography
The first day of spring has arrived in the Southern Hemisphere. Typical spring weather in Wanaka is north-west winds as the sun moves down to our part of the world. As if on cue this morning I awoke to that “typical” weather.
These two images were taken this morning as cloud formed from an approaching front. As the front edges closer the orographic effect of the Southern Alps means the West Coast receives considerable rain and we receive wind. Edging closer the rain then starts to fall but in that window of fine the most wonderful clouds can appear.
The lenticular billow cloud is a common site in Central Otago. A glider pilots delight - we know rain is on its way.
These two images were taken this morning as cloud formed from an approaching front. As the front edges closer the orographic effect of the Southern Alps means the West Coast receives considerable rain and we receive wind. Edging closer the rain then starts to fall but in that window of fine the most wonderful clouds can appear.
The lenticular billow cloud is a common site in Central Otago. A glider pilots delight - we know rain is on its way.
Winter Returns to Wanaka
13/08/08 11:12 Filed in: New Zealand
I am on a bit of a spring thing at the moment. Winter in Wanaka this year has been the wettest since we shifted here 17 years ago. I know I shouldn’t complain as most other parts of the country have had in worse than us. I couldn’t live in an equatorial climate of continuous heat either so another reason not to complain as there is something about the changing of the seasons that lets you appreciate them better.
However, I need spring!
On a bit of a flower kick at the moment and I am really enjoying processing some images that I took last summer. The advent of Adobe Lightroom 2 is partly to blame. The other reason is the wonderful book Scott Kelby’s 7-Point System for Adobe Photoshop CS3. With these two new tools a whole new world of photography is opened up. It’s fun!
The peony below was worked in Lightroom 2 before a final tweak a la Scott in CS3. I am pleased with the result.
However, I need spring!
On a bit of a flower kick at the moment and I am really enjoying processing some images that I took last summer. The advent of Adobe Lightroom 2 is partly to blame. The other reason is the wonderful book Scott Kelby’s 7-Point System for Adobe Photoshop CS3. With these two new tools a whole new world of photography is opened up. It’s fun!
The peony below was worked in Lightroom 2 before a final tweak a la Scott in CS3. I am pleased with the result.
The First Sign of Spring?
04/08/08 10:50 Filed in: Garden | Photography
This last few weeks all we seem to have had is damp, misty weather. Saturday we had some sun for a little while and it seemed as if the garden rejoiced at this change. My snowdrops seemed to lift their head, these fore-runners of spring are a welcome sight in the garden.
