Everything is coming up roses...... Christmas in Gore

this is Gore

Here I am, in paradise.

Well not really Paradise; I went there last weekend, and it was. Paradise is near Queenstown, in LOTR country.

I am in Gore , Southland , New Zealand South island. A small town surrounded by spectacular options for landscape photography.

Dairy farming country.

Where cows are plentiful, along with green grass and plenty of rain.

cows in a meadow

Where the roads are quiet and wide, and I can walk to work.

my daily commute

Tractors are a popular mode of transport.

on the road

And bulldozers are handy for tidying the garden.

The local hills are gentle and rolling

sundown

And the gardens are full of roses

Christmas roses

Roses filled compost heap

As you can see I could wax lyrical for some time.

But it is Christmas ......

and I have work to do.

My other half (OH) and youngest child are arriving on Christmas Day for a holiday.

And obviously Christmas dinner is first and foremost on OH's mind.


Hams and salads, strawberries and pavlova are the local favourites for the Christmas feast.

But we are ENGLISH

and must do things properly.

I mentioned to OH that I couldn't find a turkey, and that maybe a chicken would do.

SILLY ME

Of course it wouldn't do.

I mentioned that I couldn't find Christmas pudding either, and immediately OH volunteered to bring one, having only the day before muttered about  the extra weight of carrying a lens filter that I needed and asked him to add to his luggage......

PRIORITIES PLEASE

Food first.

I was getting worried.

But then I struck lucky.

I found the ENGLISH section in the local supermarket

English foods in New World Supermarket

Well never has a photo that I posted in Facebook engendered so much discussion and amusement.

I shall stop posting landscapes and post pictures of food instead....

Sandwich spread; 'sick in a jar'

tinned haggis; ' yum yum' ( ironic of course)

Branston pickle; sold out.........

Creamy Reeses? what on earth is that. certainly not ENGLISH

It was suggested that most of these foods were last normal fare in England when ration books were still available.

So we could feast on a tinned steak pie and some Birds custard......

Or I could cook a real meal, which I will endeavour to do ...........and not a chicken in sight.

Plus a flaming pudding along with brandy butter AND brandy sauce. Just like we always do.......

Epic beer

All washed down with some Epic Armageddon beer, and some local wine.


Followed by a walk in the park to see the local reindeer and the Christmas sheep.

Gore's very own stag

Gore's Christmas sheep

Happy Christmas everyone!

I'm off to Paradise.

Paradise, New Zealand

sheep in Paradise

An interview with Subject Matter Photographic Art

So much to say.

So little time to say it.

Having fun and loving the long summer days, even if the weather is rather unseasonal here in Gore. Much like Scotland, which can't be bad.

Here is a link to my recent interview with Subject Matter Photographic Art to keep you occupied while I write something coherent about this wonderful country ( New Zealand).


You may read it HERE

the joys of jet lag and some photography in Vancouver

foggy dawn

I cannot thank eldest child for choosing to live in a city that allows for the most challenging jet lag of all destinations that I have encountered. I don't get stressed if I wake early, but I do get very tired, and that affects my brain in an adverse way.

• day one; wake 3.30am
• day 2 wake 4 am convinced that it is dawn.....but oh so wrong.
• day 3 wake 4.30; ah ha; moving in the right direction....
• day 4 wake 3.50 hmmmm
• day 5 wake 4.30 ; I give up. I want to go home...
• day 6 on plane to Auckland; breakfast served at 03.30 here we go again......
• day 7 wake 05.00 luxury item; getting it cracked now

• day 8 wake 06.00 YAY! I might be even be able to function when I start work tomorrow 

Suffice it to say that I have been unable to string any words together for this blog, or even decide what to post.

while most are sleeping

Should it be trees in the city?

trees in the city 1

trees in the city 2

Or should it be Vancouver and Stanley Park in the fog on a very cold and frosty walk before breakfast?

Dawn, Vancouver

sunrise

Stanley Park

Stanley Park 2

Stanley Park 3

 trees and crows

the last leaves of autumn

Or it could be 'Orange on Nelson'

Eldest child walks to work on this street daily. I joined her on my last day and in my jet lagged stupor decided to focus on the cheery colour orange on the return journey.

orange on nelson 1

orange on Nelson 2

Orange on Nelson 3

orange on Nelson 4

the strange bolted cones of Nelson Street

more orange on Nelson

micro cones cover tree stumps on Nelson.

As you can see, I have not been able to choose, so have shown them all.


And my favourite is the bird seen on a city side street. Which doesn't fit any of these themes.

Bird in the city © Caroline Fraser 2015

Got to go now; I forgot to pack any socks, and it is very cold here in the New Zealand 'summer', so I am off to the shops.

Making pictures under pressure - in which I partake in a photoshoot.

I was involved in a photoshoot last week.

The lovely team at Subject Matter Photographic Art are gathering information about their artists, and wanted some video footage of me in action.

So obviously I had to look the part.

I got my hair dyed and threw off my old anorak in favour of a duffle coat that blended more gently into the autumn landscape.

"You got your hair dyed?" ........ I hear you say. 

NO OF COURSE I DIDN'T GET MY HAIR DYED!

JUST FIBBING.

WHO DO YOU THINK I AM?


But someone not far from here who shall remain nameless agreed that it looks less grey for 'having been treated', and if they can't tell the difference then its a very good thing that I didn't spend £100 and half a day of my life for the privilege.




 So what is it like making photos when being filmed?

Very strange.

Very inhibiting.

And very unnatural.

But it is interesting that the photos that I made bear a lot of resemblance the the kind of images that I normally make in more relaxed circumstances. Only a little less predictable.

So I shall share a few with you now.

All taken at Hawkwood, my suburban sanctuary, just before it poured with rain.

Leaves...

Reflected branches on my pond. Random compositions. Some rather fuzzy.

Some lone  leaves on hedges

As I have said before " I love it when there are just a few leaves left on the branches in autumn."

This is rough nature. No beautiful views.

 I was asked to point upwards .....


and a flock of crows flew over, crowing loudly above the telegraph lines and treetops.

When you try to capture a moving flocks of birds at very short notice there is no time to compose. I enjoy the randomness of the images.

crows over the hedgerow

 I like them even better in pink.

crows over Hawkwood

We fnished off down by the stream, and the old rope swing.

The swing has had an upgrade

swing last year

swing this year

Every time I go to Hawkwood I find something new to enjoy.

Tomorrow I am off to New Zealand, so I will leave it behind me for a few months, and will return when new shoots are appearing on these same branches.

It will be the same as always, and different as always. That is the pleasure of revisiting an old friend.

Gore (South Island, New Zealand), here I come.

Soon to become my new old friend.