Watery Wednesday - Taylor's Mistake, NZ

My apologies for not visiting many blogs over the last week or so. Unfortunately I've been battling some type of bug :-( I seem to be on the mend, so I'll be catching up over the next couple of days..

Haven't had the opportunity to get out and take many photos, however my daughter, Christina, in New Zealand sent me some that she took recently, so I'm using some of those...

And no, sadly, the photos of NZ do not mean I'm back home ..... I'm still here in the US..

(Click on any photo to enlarge)



These were taken a couple of days ago at Taylor's Mistake, just out of Christchurch, or so I believe.

Taylor's Mistake was named after the Captain Taylor of the US ship Vulga, who thought the entrance to the bay was the entrance to Lyttleton Harbour :-)

Even on a wintry NZ day, it still makes for a beautiful view out to sea, from the cliffs above.

I sometimes wonder if views like this, was what Thomas Bracken was thinking about when he wrote the lines 'May our mountains ever be ... Freedom's ramparts to the sea' as part of NZ's National Anthem, 'God Defend New Zealand'.


My grandson, Xavier, having fun in a tide pool on the beach..


Another grandson, Logan, practicing his art work. :-)

I leave you with 'God Defend New Zealand.' The water scenes in this video, have me wishing that I and my camera, were back there, walking those shores. ... so beautiful. :-) The anthem is sung first in Maori and then in English.


Have a great week, all :-)

Mellow Yellow Monday - Guard Lion On Duty !!!

Be, very, very afraid !!! :-)







Seen on a neighbour's front porch...

Camera Critters - Marmaduke Marmot.

(Click on any image for a larger view)

On the way up to Walmart, last weekend, I happened to glance over into the empty field, that is in front of the shopping complex, and saw this face peering at me.

I immediately thought 'Camera Critters' and grabbed my 35mm SLR, fired off a shot and then realised I was out of film. Arghhhhhhh !! No worries though, as I then remembered my little point 'n shoot digital was tucked into my jeans pocket.. :-) A girl's got to come prepared, these days as one never knows what photo opportunity will be around the next corner !!


'Watcha doing? Trying to sneak up on me or sumfing??'


'Okay, what's with the inch a step closer, stand still and then repeat thing you've got going on? No wonder people walking by are giving you odd looks !'


'Okaaaay Lady, come any closer and see this stick that I have clutched in my paws? Well, I"M NOT AFRAID TO USE IT !!!!'

I think at this point, young Marmaduke decided that I'd snuck close enough, because he turned tail and scurried into his burrow.

I continued on my way, quite happy with the results of my stalking interlude, when I happen to catch a slight movement out of the corner of my left eye..


Why, it's Marmaduke's BFF, Manny, sunning himself on his favourite rock !

I think he was a tad put out, that I didn't have any pieces of carrots or apples in my pocket, because he sort of huffed at me and stalked off in disgust.

Have a great weekend, folks !!

Now go to CAMERA CRITTERS and join in the fun.

Skywatch Friday - Clouds and Reflections

Reflections fascinate me. They reflect back the world around us and often turn otherwise ordinary objects into things of interest, if not beauty..

(Click on any photo to enlarge)

The blue sky and clouds reflected in a downtown Reno building..


I was walking along the street and happened to glance up at the windows that slanted out, above the street. I rather liked the reflections I saw...


A thunderstorm moving over the top of the Grand Sierra Resort. Clouds are also reflected in the amber windows or the hotel tower..


As a bonus ...my friend Lori snapped this with her camera phone. She happened to glance out the door of her office and saw this cloud which is in the shape of a question mark. I'm not sure how to enlarge it, but you can see the shape of it. Unfortunately it had dispersed by the time she figured out the zoom function ..

I've never seen a cloud in this shape before. Perhaps it was the cloud gods asking 'What's up with the weather lately??' :-)

*UPDATE*

Thank you to Maria at CALM ENERGY or enlarging and sharpening the photo for me..

Go to SKYWATCH for views of the sky from all over the world !

Watery Wednesday - Truckee River

Images of a moody Truckee River, taken last Saturday, with thunderstorms rolling in over the mountains..






I'm really loving what the rains, over the last couple of weeks, have done to the vegetation along the river ...

Not so happy about the increased fire danger that come with all this lush growth, especially in the hills and mountains around us, that are now covered in green cheat grass.

PS .. Taylor thanks you all for the lovely comments that were made about her photos. She was very excited to read them all :-)

My World - My City

Images taken on a walk along the Truckee River on a cloudy Saturday..


The top of the Reno Arch, that spans Virginia St..


Looking down the Truckee River towards downtown. this one was taken with my film SLR, the other two, with my 6.2mp digital point and shoot.


Looking across the Truckee River, from Rock park, towards the Atlantis Casino with Slide Mountain in the background. While, as I mentioned, I took this one with my little digital, I also took the same shot with my film SLR, so I'm going to be interested in how they turn out.

I don't think I've seen Reno this lush and green for a long time. All thanks to what is turning out to be the third wettest June on record. I think we are only a tiny fraction of an inch of it being the second wettest..

Now, go to MY WORLD TUESDAY where people from all over our globe , show off their little corner of the world !

Mellow Yellow Monday - All I Want Is A Yellow Rubber Tube...

I was idly leaning on the bridge parapet ...watching the river go by ...


Then a flash of yellow caught my eye ...


What a lovely way to spend a sunny afternoon ...floating down the river in a yellow tube !!

Have a great week, everyone :-)

Camera Critters - Quack, Quack..

I know there are a few knowledgeable people out there, so perhaps one of you would be able to tell what type of ducks these three are. You can click on any photo to enlarge..


The closest I could find to this one, was a Magpie duck .. but it's bill, amongs other things, seems wrong for the breed. We have a small number of these at our local lake.


This one is a pretty tan and seems to hang around with the black and white duck. I'm wondering if they are a mated pair. Or is this a juvenile female Mallard ?


This kind of looks like a male Mallard, as it has that gorgeous, iridescent green on it's head. However it doesn't have the chestnut breast or the white ring around it's throat, that I'm used to seeing with Mallards.

Is it a juvenile ?

Now go to CAMERA CRITTERS and join in the fun.

Skywatch Friday - Idlewild Lake

These were taken at Idlewild Park lake, on Tuesday, when the hubby and I went for a walk along the Truckee River. The first one is mine,taken with my film SLR. The second is taken by my husband with his point and shoot digital.




This was my first outing with the used lens I just bought for my OM-G. I think I am going to like it, once I figure it out !! I really messed up my depth of field and my aperture setting on this one. Plus I also had my ASA set to 200 film, when I was using 400 film. I had to play around with my photo editor as the original was really washed out.

I do like the reflections of the sky and trees in the water though and the details in the trees on the bank. This SLR film stuff is all a learning curve for me :-)


This photo of the hubby's shows more what the colour of the sky should have looked like in mine. I really like the reflections in this one as well..

Go to SKYWATCH for views of the sky from all over the world !

PS ..If you have time, I'd appreciate it if you could visit this post on my blog and say a hello to my young grandson, Xavier. He's getting an award at his school assembly, back in New Zealand, this morning. I'm sure he would be thrilled to have people from all over the world saying 'Hi'. :-)

Congratulations Xavier !!!

I was so excited, this morning, to read in the Russley School Newsletter , that my grandson, Xavier, is going to be receiving an award at this morning's assembly !!

Russley School is in New Zealand, where my grand kids live. I really do miss them. :-(

Well, I hope it's this morning's assembly as I just sent the Principal an email asking her to forward our congratulations to him and tell him how proud we were of him. I still get a little confused about when things are taking place over there. :-)


This is young Xavier. He looks really enthusiastic about having his photo taken, doesn't he. :-)

This is just for you, Xavier !!


I know it's a love song ...however it is bouncy and as far as I am concerned the words should be..

'Congratulations and celebrations..
When I tell everyone that I love you ...
Congratulation and jubilations ...
I want the world to know I'm happy as can be!!'

Congratulations on the award Xavier and well done ! I love you little one :-)

Update...

My daughter just sent me this photo of him getting his award :-)

Watery Wednesday - This Is Special :-)

Today I have a special Guest Photographer !!!


Meet 8 yr old Taylor ... a little friend of mine, who is 8 years old. I look after her, while her Mum and Dad work.

Yesterday, we took a walk over to the little lake, near where I live and I started teaching her the basics of photography.

She took these photos using my little digital camera. I had it attached to a strap around her neck and a strap at her wrist. No way was she going to drop it :-)

I don't think she did too bad her first time out, in fact I think she did pretty well for an 8yr old ! What do you think ??


She was really excited and proud about this one. After she took it she came over and said that she'd got the goose's reflection. Not a bad eye to be thinking about that..


Mum and babies ..


She was really fascinated with the clouds and the gulls flying above the little island..


She loved those clouds :-)


I think the goose thought we had food, because it started swimming towards us at a great rate of knots. I think the way she caught the reflections was really cool as well..


I'd been explaining to her about not putting her subject center of the photo ... I think she achieved that really well with her photo of the fountain..

I think her final count of photos was something like 140. She had fun. I also had a ball passing on the little things I know. :-)

Have a great rest of the week. We are going out on Thursday or Friday to take more photos. :-)

My World Tuesday - A Taste Of Home

Well, sort of ...

(Click any photo to enlarge)

This mural, on the wall of a Foley's, a local Reno bar, owned by an Irishman, reminds me a little of some the pubs found, back home, in New Zealand and also in Britain, Australia and Ireland.

Foley's is about two blocks from where I live and is the only place in Reno where I can watch rugby on TV.

It was where I cried into my beer, when the All Blacks (NZ's national rugby team) bombed out of the 2008 Rugby World Cup. I was depressed for a couple of days over that one!! I was kind of glad I didn't wander over and watch the match, the other day, between the AB's and France. The AB's lost that one as well.

Foley's also do some nice Fish & Chips and Shepherd's Pie ...plus a traditional English style breakfast..

It also tends to be a gathering place for all the expat British, Irish, Welsh, Australian and the occasional Kiwi .... so I feel quite at home ...as in, most of them know what I'm talking about and I don't need to translate my Kiwi English into American English. :-)


Fish & Chips, Shepherd's Pie ... Oh My !!


The Mrs and the friend seem to be having a grand old time. Hubby looks a bit bored though, don't you think ? :-)


Love those fur lined slippers. :-)

Now, go to MY WORLD TUESDAY where people from all over our globe , show off their little corner of the world !