The long languid days of Summer.....

Hello dear blogging friends

have you wondered where I've been?

We have had the most amazing Summer

down under - like the ones we all

remember from our childhood.

When every day is more perfect than the one before!

When not working, my days have been spent

out and about, walking along the beach

to catch the sea breeze

or in the park beneath the huge old trees

trying to keep cool!

For me the languid hot days are not conducive

 to sitting at my computer writing!

I have been reading your posts and

I'm pretty much up to date with what you

are all doing!

I see my dear Northern Hemisphere friends

have been dealing with snow, snow and more snow.

Seeing your photos of shovelling 

mounds of snow to create a pathway

made me feel exhausted!!!

My garden has suffered from the drought

this Summer.

I have been reluctant to water more than

once a week, in my effort to conserve water.

My five new David Austen roses are all

looking rather sad......

However we had a good downpour yesterday

so they will bounce back and fingers crossed

I will have flowers again!

These photos were taken on a visit to the

Auckland Botanical Gardens

which covers 64 hectares of gardens and forest.

~

The day we visited it was full of family groups

and it was wonderful to see the children

running and playing as I'm sure many of them

live in smaller houses and apartments now

with small gardens.

The price of property in Auckland now is prohibitive

for young families, I really feel sorry for the ones

buying their first home.

Is it the same where you live?

.....until next time.

I look forward to reading your comments and

catching up with what you are up to!

Take care and

be kind to one another

à bientôt

Shane xx

Mosaic Monday - Looking Back at March

I'm pressed for time this week so I decided to look back on

some of my previous posts.

I'm working tomorrow morning and

I have a dental appointment in the afternoon.

Then on Wednesday morning I'm flying to Queensland, Australia.

Cyclone Debbie has created havoc - I've looked at the photos on line

and the devastation is incredible - nature at her worst.

It's heartbreaking for families whose homes  have been destroyed.

I feel somewhat guilty arriving for a holiday amid such chaos.

I will be catching up with a very dear blog friend in Brisbane

whom I met two years ago when she was passing through

Auckland on her way to see her family in Canada.

Have you guessed who she is?

All will be revealed very soon!

 I'll be out and about taking photos and if time allows

I'll join you all next Monday.

Thank you dear Maggie for hosting

MOSAIC MONDAY

Take care and

be kind to one another

à bientôt

Shane

Thank you for visiting.

Mosaic Monday - Ahoy There!

NEEDS MUST!

It's time for me to do some computer housekeeping!

I have far too many photos on my computer

and I'm having difficulty finding the ones I want to add to my posts!

So I'm systematically going through them,

moving the 'keepers' to my external hard drive

and deleting the ones I no longer require.

While doing a stint of sorting I found these photos

so I thought I would share them with you.

Life on the water in summer of 2017.

I have another reason for far too many photos.

My iPhone 7 Plus often takes photos in bursts

and I end up with 10 or more of the exact same shot.

If any of you have the same phone

and can tell me what I'm doing wrong

please tell me!!!

My husband perving looking at boats - a favourite obsession pastime of his!!

In summer we're on the water

and in winter we seem to spend a lot of time walking around mariners!

On a trip ashore we took photos of these beautiful donkeys

on Ponui Island.

My husband said donkeys have been on the island

for as long as he can remember!

that's 70 plus years!

I'm joining Maggie for Mosaic Monday

maybe you would like to join us

if so follow the link and you will find a great group of bloggers

sharing their photos.

Maggie will answer any questions you might have

or I'm happy too as well!

Thank you Maggie for hosting!

Take care and

be kind to one another

à bientôt

Shane

Thank you all for popping in to say hello - I love reading your comments.

With my work committments I visit as time allows - usually at weekends!

Summer Boating in Auckland

I've taken hundreds of photos with my iPhone 7 Plus
so for Five on Friday this week I thought I would give you a taste
of Summer Downunder 2017.

1. Bean Rock Lighthouse in the harbour approaching Auckland.
(do you recognise it H from your visit to our shores in December?)
I so, so wish I had known you were coming......

2. Yachts of sizes and class enjoying the light breeze.

Our niece Amber and Tony shucking scallops!
Thank you Tony for diving - you're a great hunter and collector!

Their youngest shipmate 'Miss Pippy' who loves being out on the boat.

This is the Cruise ship season here, from November to April.

I love going down quayside to see what ships are in port.
This one is 'Ovation of the Seas' of the Royal Caribbean Line.
Auckland really comes alive when the ships are here and
the tourists add to the holiday atmosphere while visiting our shores.


I'm joining Amy for Five on Friday
Thank you Amy for hosting

Take care and

be kind to one another

à bientôt

Shane

Coromandel Sojourn, sun, surf and bird life.

On Thursday we travelled south east to Tairua a small coastal village
on the Coromandel Peninsula for a few days relaxation 
staying with friends at their iconic Kiwi bach (you can google bach)!

Tairua sits on an isthmus with
a tidal estuary on one side
and a typical east coast ocean beach on the other.
A favourite for the young surfies.

Each evening we enjoyed drinks and nibbles on the deck
overlooking the estuary.
It's ever changing movement from the rise and fall of the tide
made for great photo opportunities for Moi!

The Estuary

This time we had a special visitor join us each evening.
A poor little seagull with a broken leg whom our friends have befriended.
In the first photo you may be able to see how her right leg is hanging loose.
She has come to trust Don and he saves
fresh morsels of scallops and fish for her each day!
I nicknamed her Gammy.

The Ocean Beach

The New Zealand Dotterels (Plover family) make their nests in the sand dunes

on our northern beaches.
They are well camouflaged and blend into their surroundings
but still vulnerable to dogs if they are not on a leash.

Being a bird lover I feel dogs should be banned from these beaches
during the breeding season.

I'm joining Maggie for Mosaic Monday
and Eileen for Saturday Critters
and Jeanne for Blue Monday

However I'm so sorry to see because of the internet issues in her area
Jeanne feels unable to continue hosting Blue Monday.
I'm hopeful and keeping my fingers crossed that someone will take up the baton!

Thank you ladies for hosting!

Take care and

be kind to one another

à bientôt

Shane

Visiting Gardens with my dear friend...

In March last year one of my dearest friends moved out of Auckland.

It took me a long time to come to grips with Jen not being here.

We've been friends such a long time, 

in fact since I was 18 - that's 56 years! 

I think I've mentioned before that Friday is my MahJong day

and I would usually catch up with Jen for a cup of coffee or lunch afterwards.

She's also my best shopping mate - we like the same things

and I've missed our shopping sprees hugely.

However she is happy in her new home at Mount Maunganui

a seaside town in the Bay of Plenty.

She made the right decision to move out of the big city.

In about October Jen phoned to tell me there was an

Art and Garden Festival in her neck of the woods in November

and suggested I pop down for the weekend!

This was our first catch up in person since she stayed with us

before her big move.

It was so good to be together again and see her new home,

and catch up with her children

Annie her Labradoodle and her cat Molly..

We talked and talked late into the night - as all old friends do. 

The Gardens

We picked out several country gardens to visit

and they were all well worth while seeing. 

I take my hat off to the organisers who managed this event.

Everything went like clockwork,

as well as stunning gardens and friendly hosts and hostesses.

Directions and signs were spot on too - thank you!

There were delightful watering holes along the way to stop

and enjoy a cup of tea, sandwiches and other yummy goodies!

I hope my Northern Hemisphere friends enjoy my Summer photos!

I  must tell you how much I'm enjoying your "snow" photos.

Being a bird lover, I'm particularly interested in seeing photos

of your bird feeders and the birds who visit your gardens.

Where I live in New Zealand, it doesn't get cold enough for snow in winter

so maybe that's the reason we don't have a good selection

of feeders available here.

My friend Mary who blogs at A Breath of Fresh Air

welcomes all birds who venture into her garden for winter snacks.

In fact generations of birds have been taught by their parents

to include Mary and Bob's garden on their Winter food GPS route!

Do pop over to her blog and say hello

you will love her amazing bird photos.

She ensures there is an unlimited supply of food available

during the cold winter months,

in the form of suet, seeds and peanuts 

(which sometimes the naughty squirrels devour)!

On behalf of all those hungry birds and squirrels

Thank you Mary dear!

I'm joining Maggie for

Mosaic Monday

Take care and

be kind to one another

à bientôt

Shane

Under the Red Sunshades

A summer market in Kerikeri 

with music under the red umbrella.

A stop for lunch on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, Paris

A glass of wine at Wynyard Quarter, Auckland

I'm linking to

Mosaic Monday

and 

Ruby Tuesday Too

Take care and

be kind to one another

à bientôt

Shane

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France

When I visit my family in France
I enjoy wandering through the side streets
of the smaller towns in the vicinity of their little village.

Getting off the beaten track
provides opportunities to chat to the locals
like the shopkeepers and cafe owners.
Mainly, we discuss the weather, 
the ups and downs of business
and the government.
The french spend a lot of time discussing the
state of the country and the economy.
No different to us really!

The photo above is of the indoor market
in one of the larger towns.
The detailed tiling patterns are seen throughout
the Burgundy region.

I'm joining the following memes

 Blue Monday

Ruby Tuesday Too
and
Our World Tuesday




Take care and
be kind to one another

à bientôt



Shane

Thank you for your comments.