Rusted offerings part 2

Rusty tracks and weather beaten wood, sun segmenting the shadows cast by the solid beams.

If you time it right you can be on the walking lane of the bridge when the train rumbles past.

If you missed the first 'rusted offerings' post you can see it here.

Back to school tomorrow....



Changing of the seasons.

I love the crisp brown leaves againts the stark grey sky. It always amazes me that something so fragile can hang on in spite winter's attempts to take over.

Officially, it's not spring yet...but these blossoms are marching to their own beat regardless of what the calendar says!

My son was well enough to manage the short walk today.  As I wandered he collected flowers for my flower press...gotta give him 10 points for that:)  Thankyou to everyone who has sent him well wishes, he's finally been diagnosed with glandular fever. I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel just yet but atleast we have a label for the symptoms he's been having. I'm sure the lights there somewhere....

The magnolia's are also in bloom. With the harsh light and bright white of the flowers I thought they'd make a great black and white shot. It was so good to get out with my camera today, I planned a longer outing but just after these photos were taken the skies opened up and we were forced to make a hasty retreat!

Inspired, Refreshed and Home Again!

We're home again after a lovely break in Taranaki. The wedding was great, catching up with family was awesome and the scenery inspiring. Taranaki holds a very special place in my heart. It's not hard to see why...

The sun had nearly set on the day when I made a last minute decision to race up to the lookout point and take a few photos. The light was soft and subtle as the sun faded so I took the opportunity to shoot a few black and white photos.

The remains of an old wharf at the look out. In all there were 3 built here, the last being Totara and sheathed in copper but the Tasman Ocean proved to be too tough of a match. The rocky outcrop is an attempt to build a breakwater to protect the area. I love to stand on these cliffs, knowing that these cliffs are the very edge of NZ. The feeling is one of being invincable and vulnerable all at the same time.

A different day on the Opunake beach. The tide was a long way out and the sky heavily overcast. The photo below was actually shot in colour. There's something about steering out into the vast skyscape over an equally vast ocean on a day like this that makes you feel decluttered, rejuvinated....alive. Perhaps this is what infinity looks like?

In all I took 214 photos while we were away, I discovered a new sunflower field, visited the Opunake lake, learnt a lot about my camera and received a lovely gift of 3 new lenses. I am ready to roll!

Nature Experiments and a little bit of photography.

Unopened Fennel flower.

I am in such a FANTASTIC space right now that I hope these pixels turn into little bubbles of enthusiasim and POP all over you!

Spider's nest in the the weeds.

I resolved to participate more on the NING art groups that I belong to and this month's challenge could have been written just for me- to create mixed media paintings from natural and organic substances. Flower dyes, tree bark pigments, vegetable dyes...you get the idea.Everything about this is perfect...except for the painting bit, which as I have mentioned previously is not really 'good' with me right now but I've decided to feel the fear and do it anyway!  I have to get over this painting slump and what more exciting and inspiring way could I find that with the real colours of nature?

I was thinking about the next part I want to do for Lisa J's Pulp Redux book this morning when thoughts of the Ning swap entered my mind and suddenly I had a huge brain wave. Here's a sneak peak of where I am heading....

This nest was gifted to me by Mother Nature just in time for Christmas. It was the most wonderful nest and there's a bit of story to go with it which I will share later. Sadly, when I said 'was' the most wonderful nest I mean this nest has since 'passed on' and is no longer intact. It was dismantled by a cat and left in tatters on the front step. Stink one!

I kept it's pieces because I didn't have the heart to just throw it in the compost and now I am so glad I didn't! Here's what I did...

I took it apart and soaked it in hot water, sieved it and let it settle. It's now a nest coloured dye!Wahoo!

I didn't even see that brain wave coming!

I've been playing around with the dye and I will be sharing a bit more about that on another post too.

All that remains of the nest's remains....washed, chopped and dried nest pieces ready for inclusion in some paper making. I can't wait!

 I was actually sad to pull this nest apart even though it was well thrashed by the cat (not my cat I hope!!) who could no doubt smell the remains of the eggs I found inside. It was still a thing of beauty but it was disentegrating quickly outside and I am quite pleased it has this new life. It was quite an intimate thing pulling apart a nest with my hands, letting the nest dye run over my fingers and feeling the soft textures of it as I readied the bits for paper making. No wonder I am inspired!

We are camping for a few days tomorrow, I have some little bags ready for the nature gifts I hope to find while were there. I will *see* you all when I get back!