A Stink of Bugs?

What's the collective noun for a group of vegetable bugs?  Mine seem to be all clustering together this afternoon.

I'm pretty sure these are the young of the 'Southern Green Stink Bug' Nezara viridula, originally from Ethiopia, but which has now made itself at home almost everywhere.  They spray a toxic, foul-smelling substance when disturbed.

Pretty, aren't they? They are about a cm long each.

Just don't eat them along with your lettuce. I can assure you from first-hand experience, you need only the rear end in your salad in order to have an extremely memorable experience.

The Google Art Project

I have just discovered this amazing project! Dozens of art collections (museums and galleries throughout the world) to browse, rather like Google Street View.

Marvellous!
Here: https://www.google.com/maps/views/streetview/art-project?gl=us

Let the Lawn Go

Ok. It's just a thing I have.  'The lawns should be mowed'.
Then I read somewhere recently that 5% of greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to mowing.
(Probably includes mowing of wheat etc., but for the sake of argument, let's pretend it's just home lawns.)
That made me think, how crazy is that?

Imagine this in the future:
My Grandie: 'So Nanna, you used to have a machine in the garage that was just for mowing the grass?'
Me: 'Yes Dear, everyone had one, pretty much.  Or hired someone with one to do it.'
Grandie: 'But why?'
Me: 'We thought that's what you should do, you know, to keep your garden tidy, because people might look over the fence and say "That person doesn't care about their house much!"'
Grandie: 'So, you kept your garden tidy, but didn't take care of the world environment!? Why didn't you grow vegetables there, or at least plant wild flowers for the bees? Didn't you realise you are the world?'
Me: '(lamely) 'people just didn't think you should let your lawn get long'.
Grandie: 'And on top of that, you burnt fossil fuels to keep it short?  What an illogical thing to do, and not very environmentally clever either!'

Pic nicked from the Guardian.

Windows of New York

You may have heard of the series of interviews 'People of New York' (and if you haven't, you probably should check it out), but here is 'Windows of New York'.

Curious if the addresses were authentic, I checked a random one out using Google Street View and it was.

This is labelled 308 Canal Street, Chinatown:

Here's the real 308 Canal Street Chinatown. Spot the window.

http://www.windowsofnewyork.com

Eye Candy Day 49

Announcement: Next Exhibition. Hawkes Bay Views by Caldwell and Steeds

There is just under one month to go until the next exhibition at my gallery-house 'Cottleston' on Friday the 27th February (2015).

This next one will be a glorious medly of landscape photographs from the camera of Andrew Caldwell, probably three gallery-room's worth, maybe four ...

And I have a small, pared-down nucleus of my own landscape oils that have never before been shown in public, for another room's viewing. So, something a bit different this time.  Not a sign of a bee. ◊ Please consider this an open invitation to attend the opening night pre-viewing drinks and nibbles from 6.00pm onwards. Or pop in anytime* between 11.00 am and 4.30 pm any day 28th - Sunday 8th March.

The weather has been very hot here in the sunny Bay of Plenty, but as summer progresses gently into autumn, the last few days have been just about the most perfect temperature imaginable: a max of 23 - 26°C ( 73°F - 79°F) and down to an extremely pleasant 17°C (62°F) at night. 

You see? It's a perfect time to visit Tauranga, New Zealand. But that's not all! If you email me in the next 24 hours, you may win a free three-day stay in the last remaining wing of the house-gallery! The red room has its own sitting-room and ensuite. Freshly laundered sheets and towels, home-made chocs and a pitcher of cold real lemonade on arrival, plus the use of the kayaks to have a leisurely paddle up or down the river, with a lunch picnic hamper full of goodies, come with this offer! So if you are far away, book those seats! Get on that plane! And if you are really lucky, my daughter the flight attendant, will serve you your cuppa and bikkies on the last leg from Brisbane to Auckland.

Andrew Caldwell is a photographer based in Napier, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. He especially enjoys getting up early and heading out to seashore, river or lake, and capturing the sublime beauty of the night sky and breaking dawn. 

My landscapes capture the essence of typical North Island New Zealand back-country farming. Flown in a light plane, off the usual routes, the hills folded green or gold; small intimate pockets of rarely-seen land. 

◊ Back to bees in the middle of winter - to cheer us with images of flowers and sunshine in the coldest days

* open other hours by appointment. Contact me: art@katherinesteeds.com

Lime and Lemongrass Panacotta

Years ago I went up to Wharepuke - a restaurant and accomodation complex near Kerikeri. We stayed in a small cabin in a clearing in the sub-tropical forest, and ate a wonderfully sublime fruit called a casimiroa which we found under a tree, and which I have never tasted the like of before or since. One evening we had a meal in the restaurant. I don't recall the main, but the lime and lemon grass panacotta was heaven. In fact, the whole place was heaven... One day I'll return.

(This is a photo from a Facebook friend who went there recently.)