Day 243 Inspired by Monet

I have painted many pictures of our garden in the style of Monet as he is my favourite Impressionist artist.

Day 242 Birdbath

Hmm, this might need a bit of a clean!

Day 241 Stormy Bay

We were having lunch at Harbourside in Tauranga, when we heard an enormous clap of thunder. Shortly after it started hailing. We were sitting in an outside covered area but somehow the hail found us, mass evacuation clutching glasses and plates into the restaurant. These photos were taken 15 minutes before the storm hit us.

Candles and Lightbulbs

Friends of ours have this awesome chandelier...light bulbs and candles

Day 239 Sunset after a drizzly dreary day

Day 238 Magnolia ready to bloom

Day 237 Somebody got a shiny medal

My father received his Member of the Order of Merit (MNZM) today at Government House. It was a wonderful acknowledgment of his work in sports (particularly boxing).

My mother and father standing in the gardens of Government House in Auckland

Day 236 We have damn fine looking sheep in New Zealand

Day 235 Decorative Rubbish Bins

I saw these at Somerville Intermediate today.

Day 234 Banksia Cones

Day 233 Vodafone and Google Barcamp

Had a great day at the Google Barcamp held in the Vodafone building in Auckland City. Education mixing with Business!
Thanks Vodafone and Google.

Day 232 Twilight

It is an awful rainy night but the photo came out great!

Day 231 Flowering Plants

Day 230 Winter hasn't happened

These trees at 'Willowbank School' have never lost their Autumn leaves...Winter is officially over in 13 days!

Day 229 Full Bloom

Day 228 Another Visitor

Usually it is very rare for us to see the native New Zealand Kereru (Wood Pigeon) in urban areas, but we have been seeing them quite frequently.

Day 227 A Visitor

We had a visitor today!

Day 226 Jewellery Lady

I've always admired my daughter's 'Jewellery Lady', especially when the lights are reflecting off it.

Day 225 Leading Lines

Willowbank School is very  geometrical, great 'Leading Lines'

Day 224 Fuzzy Clouds

Saw this unusual cloud formation today.

Day 223 Nga Kete Matauranga 'Three Baskets of Knowledge'

Mountain View School has this display in their library,
These baskets are called Kete. The representation of these kete are that they are 'Baskets of Knowledge'.
The artist is Leisha Conrad.
The first Kete (on the right) represents 'Te Maunga O Mangere' (Mangere Mountain) this mountain stands over the school where the students strive to reach the top.
The second Kete represents 'Te Ara Puawai' (The pathway to Growth) the paths students choose to take.
The third Kete is 'Te Puna Matauranga' (Spring of Knowledge) the design encompasses all of the ethnic cultures and the sprouting of knowledge from all of these sources as well as from their teachers.

Day 222 Spring...it's coming!

Day 221 Hairy Maclary

I saw this very cool display at Willowbank School in their library. 'Hairy Maclary' is the main character of the book 'Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy' published in 1983. He is one of New Zealand's icons, along with the Author Lynley Dodds. It is also now an iPad app.

Day 220 Rainbows

These are several photos of a rainbow uploaded  to CleVR Stitcher to make a Panoramic photo.

Panorama of Rainbow again on CleVR.com

Day 219 TVNZ

From our Hotel window we can see the TVNZ satellite dishes. And if you look through the rain in the distance you can see the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

Day 218 Warehouse Charity Dinner

Every year 'The Warehouse' holds a special night for a particular charity. Tonight's was for Starship Hospital which is our national children's hospital servicing the whole of our country. 903 people raised $402,000. Celebrities present were Lucy Lawless, Sir Stephen and Lady Tindall, Luke McAllistar, Kerre Woodham and the Clown Doctors. Another great effort by 'The Warehouse' and their suppliers!

Day 217 Waiting for Spring

Our miniature gardener is waiting for Spring!

Day 216 Flower in Rain

I have been watching this flower develop over the last couple of months and I was so desperate to get a photo, I took it in the rain!

Day 215 Fog

We are in the last month of Winter, and the first signs of Spring are starting to appear like the Daffodils and the Magnolia flowers. They look rather eerie in the fog at 8.15am this morning.

Day 214 First knitted outfit

There are several babies due in my family, and one of them decided to arrive 7 weeks early! He is doing well and at 4 weeks old he might be allowed home in another two weeks. So I have had to come up with a 'premmie' outfit, so this is it! It is made out of NZ merino wool.

Day 213 Sunday Roast

Preparing the Sunday Roast with New Zealand Lamb, studded with New Zealand smoked garlic from the Smoke and Spice company, Frantoio Olive oil from 'The Village Press in Hawkes Bay', and homegrown Rosmary from the garden. Just a few of my favourite things!