Heart of Sand.....

There was a terrific storm last night...

Lightning..thunder.....rain falling in torrrents.. the whole passionate wild lot!!

Went down to pack my car for a trip and found this...

er.... sculpture on the bonnet!!

I forgot about it and wondered why everyone was looking at us, until we got over the Rai Saddle and it suddenly flew away....

Awwwwwwwwww.......!!!

Worlds Biggest Kiwi...!!

We visited a friend of a friend today, and met this giant Kiwi!!!

Amazing......

I just love folk who do crazy things like this ;o)

The top photo is some of the framework inside this concrete creation...

City Lights....

oh cold city lights
bring back the ragged poets
to shine among stars

Survival

rusted metal shell.....
holds its desolate beauty
still...

like the footprints
of long lost
lovers....

hear their soft echo....

like the
fragile
bittersweetness
of a
freshly broken
heart.....

hear
its
anguished
wail
in the cry
of the gulls..

as they dive
and swoop...


they
cry to me....
that
it's
only

survival

Bittersweet....

sunrise over hill
casts it's early light and warmth
to those most distant

meanwhile the hill waits
in cold dark shadow until
enlightenment comes

Mudflats....

We went for a drive today to Cable Bay and Glenduin......

I love estuary.... the patterns left by the tides as they come and go....

Like tattoos in the sandy muddy bed...

or the trails of a fork through cake mixture...!!

Return trip...

Already time to take Tabby back ;o(

Not sure I like this much..... it's so hard seeing my old valley again...

We stopped at havelock on the way and there was a pig hunt competition *ugh*... this over excited guy was coming in and out of the cafe and giving us running reports, doing his best to get us interested

... three lifelong vegetarians?!!!

We took the photo because we realised all three of us were dressed in purple colours!!

We came home via St Arnaud as the roads were so icy and I didn't fancy the Wangamoa's....

Had to have a look at the lake, it was so icy and quiet and the stars were wild and abundant...

It was so pitch dark that I couldn't find the road out!!!

Hope....

Today we went to bring Tabby home for the weekend.....

This beautiful rainbow was there the whole time I was there in my valley...

Maybe it's some kind of symbol... of hope....

*Snow*

Today we attempted to drive up to Mt Arthur....

Got stuck and had to reverse down 3km of narrow icy track..... lucily an opportune knight with a 4WD was there to rescue us...!!

But we did have fun in the snow.....

This land is so beautiful!!!

New Views...

Well.....here it is..our new view

rather different from the old but it does have a certain charm....

Oh and you can see the sea... (just!!)

Last Mourning...

Today we left paradise.....

This is the last view of my beautiful mountain valley home.....

I am so very sad......

Dark Monday...

This is gonna be a tough week...

Made some dark art for a mail art swap.....

Looking back to the future....

I see me sitting on windswept rocks
or starving in some garret
in a land far far away
looking out to sea...
or maybe..distant snow capped mountains....
a flickering flame
fading and flaring in the wind
that whistles round the tower
of the fortress
that guards my heart
forever
from those stray
princes
with their hard swords
and hearts of jelly...
and writing
to you
of a dream that once was
and a haiku
I once wrote
back in a life
a long time ago
yet fresh
in my heart
as the tear
that falls on my page
mingling with the ink
creating a tiny river
on the stone flagged floor
that will run down the
ancient walls
and out to sea
like a vein
carrying
my life's
love...

Sunrise Rainbows...

You don't usually see a rainbow at sunrise....

These four photo's were taken from my garden within 10 minutes....

How can I leave this place?

Hard sorta day really........

Frosted Sheep....

Beautiful cold frosty morning......

The light was *AMAZING*.... !!

Home again...

We drove home and stopped at our favorite Fat Cat Cafe on the way back....

Phoebe had a hot chocolate :o)

Then to the airport to pick up Tina...my close friend from Tauranga...

So lovely to see her, and she brought a few things I left behind too...

My bondage T Shirt

BoP rugby scarf... etc ... !!

Red Onions

Today we drove to Nelson... via St Arnaud again (gotta love that road...)

Looked at a house.....with the idea of moving/renting

Rent:

A tenants regular payment to a landlord for use of property or land...

also

To pull to pieces to lacerate

hmmmmm.....

Red onions.... make you cry....

These tears (rents...) sure lasted......

In other words....

only princes on horseback....

ready to slash through the thorns...

and brave the icy valley...

need attempt to cross the bridge....

because it is guarded by a fiery dragon....

and I don't want his head on a plate;

although you may lead him in placidly....

It's chilly here and a tame dragon could be very useful.....

should you succeed in your quest....

Lake Rotoiti

Well...I couldn't just drive on ....had to stop and see the lake...

So calm and peaceful...and the hills are actually quite foreboding..

Made friends with this happy little one legged duck....

Road Trip....

Well a small one anyway....

Drove to Nelson via St Arnaud for the first time... it took me *ages* because I had to keep stopping to take in the view!!

Glorious drive....wonderful beautiful country...

I believe the mountain in the photo's is Mount Fishtail, and these were taken from the Wairau Valley.....

This land is most definitely *MY* land....