At Ohope Beach - Pet-Sitting Again.

Oh woe is me - such a horrible time I am having at Ohope Beach again. We walk on the beach twice a day, about a total of 5 km (3 miles) and the waves, sun, fresh air and blue skies ... oh boo hoo. Ghastly.

It's so bright it hurts my eyes so I have to wear sunglasses and a sun hat. 

With her little legs Poppy gets tired after about three kms, so has to ride. 

Too hot so have to cool off in the water sometimes. Awful. 

Too many smells that get renewed each tide.  Can't keep up! 

So few people we have to be vigilant all the time to catch the ones with dogs. 

Distracting small creatures' burrows all over the place. 

Sometimes it's quite windy and our fur and hair get in our eyes. 

When the sun goes down we can't see any more. 

Between the road and the beach there are garish bright  flowers 

Horrible rare sharp shells ...

We get so hungry we are really ready for tea time. 

Sweden. Sandhammaren.

Resuming my diary: 2.7.18. Sand ... beautiful white sand on the shores of the Baltic. We drove through a pleasant strip of pine reserve, and there was the popular white sands of Sandhammaren in the South of Sweden.
A visual feast of white and blue with a few bodies of Homo sapians disporting themselves. 

It could be New Zealand.

All kinds of things going on.

I think in the last five years since I stopped blogging so regularly (I used to blog almost every day, my goodness, however did I do that!) I have started at least three times with the intention of catching you up, and myself at the same time, with all the adventures I have had. 

A while ago I received a lovely email from RWP saying it was time I returned!  Dear man, thank you for your loyalty, or whatever motivated you.  So anyway, here I am again. Back in blogland.  For a while, at least.

Here in New Zealand it is late spring.  The wisteria that drapes itself over my verandah is almost over its main flush of mauve sweet-scented flowering, and the pin oak, always the last tree in the garden to leaf, is tinged with yellowy-lime uncurling tender tips...

... while the huge old rhodo is in full-throated pinkness behind my studio, and trying to distract me in my painting by thrusting itself in the windows too. 

I have a number of commissions on the go.  One for CJ, a bunch of cherries, is waiting for cherry season, (as am I!  One of my favourite fruits - yum) and two others for GB are going to be completed when I go soon to Ohope Beach next (soon GB!) to do my usual dog-sitting for a Scottish Kiwi couple (who since I have now known for so many years I count as dear friends).

Next year I have another trip to the UK, including the Midlands and, for the first time, Yorkshire, so watch out Ian and YP and Shirley! I am then farm-sitting in Suffolk, so that will be fun! And then it will be off to Sweden to visit my son, daughter-in-law and meet my dear little newest grandchild Ian for the first time.

Afterwards:  an adventure! My cousin Thea, daughter Natalie and I are looking for a good 5-day walk in August (in Europe) - all ideas welcomed! Thinking at this stage of the ancient forest in Poland. Anyone know anything about this place? Any other ideas?  Not too hot please.

That's enough for today.  So, how are you all?  What have you been up to? Please tell me in the comments.  I will come and visit your blogs when I can.  I am just catching up on a few urgent tasks that have been put on the back-burner as I've just been down to Hawkes Bay seeing my Dad...

Bye for now. 

Kate x

Botanical Paintings in Progress.

Hello everyone.  Many apologies for my month's absence from your comment box and blogging bin, but I have been busy painting.  I am now proud to announce (Ta dahhhh!) my participation in the group show 'South Seas Botanical' which opened a few days ago.  Those of you in Aotearoa New Zealand are of course warmly invited to see the show at the Zeus Gallery, Tauranga.  Those that are not currently in NZ, here are some views of my works in progress (w.i.p).  Next week I will post some views of the completed work on the gallery walls, and of the other three exhibitors' works too.

Dianella (blue berry plant).  The berries have not developed yet.

The soft hairy young leaves and small flowers of NZ Korokia 

Korokia

Colourful bacterial and fungal deterioration of Whirariki - Mountain flax
 (Phormium cookianum)

Whirariki - Mountain flax (Phormium cookianum)

Karaka - NZ Laurel (Corynocarpus laevigatus)

Karaka berries in progress - NZ Laurel (Corynocarpus laevigatus)

The very tiny karaka flowers and bud.

Karaka flowers.  Just putting in the first layers.

Tanekaha (Phyllocladus trichomanoides)

Tanekaha (Phyllocladus trichomanoides) wip

Puriri (Vitex lucens) with flowers and young berries.

Puriri (Vitex lucens)

Puriri leaves wip

Puriri leaves wip

Puriri flowers

Puriri flowers coming along.
The green moth is the 'puriri moth' Aenetus virescens, the larvae of which burrow
into the puriri tree and consume material before emerging as the adult.The adult only lives a day.

Kiokio - Palm Leaf Fern (Blechnum novae-zelandiae)

Kiokio wip

Extincted.

DSIDE - EXTINCTED from Thievery Studio on Vimeo.

Kåseberga, Sweden

Walking back to the car through the pretty village of Kåseberga I was once again really taken with the bright contrast between all the lovely flowers, the white walls and the brilliant blue sky.  I'll let you just enjoy the walk too.

The hollyhock on the left was so dark red it was almost black!  A stunning colour.

This was the one that was so dark.  

See the butterfly?

I think this is sweet Mockorange (Philadelphus). 

As much for my benefit as your possible interest, I have made this map of the places we went so far.

 Next stop: Sandhammerans - where there's SAND!