THE LAST VISIBLE DOG

Thoughts generated by following Stephen Fry on Twitter

2012-02-09T14:39:00.002+13:00

I'm not really into Twitter... although I know many are. It's easy to make fun of the phenomenon: small, mostly inconsequential notes posted semi-hourly. I mean, did I really need to know that Stephen Fry (6 Feb) had diarrhea at that moment?

But, looking at it from thirty-odd years ago, who'd've thought that computers and the internet would play such an everyday communication role in some many lives?

Not me, anyway. And not my geography lecturer who was very excited about the department's new 'WANG' computer...

because now we could run simulations and see how erosion might take place on different substrates, without having to make thousands of calculations using our trusty (and expensive - NZ$600) HP45's?

Wow. Then, computers were academic devices: it was almost impossible to imagine them being taken for granted in domestic settings.

What next? In 2008 we were teased by the iPod replacement, the iBangle:

If you can wear tens of thousands of songs on your wrist, then it's only a matter of time before we will have our computers on our wrists too, surely.

When I'm old and infirm, just dress me in my virtual reality body suit, sit my virtual reality glasses on my nose, and plug in the intravenous drip and I'll die happy, 'walking' around English country lanes.

Watercolour of a Sussex Country Lane by Phillip Allan

Who Ya Gonna Call?

2012-02-08T22:34:00.000+13:00

One dark night a few weeks back I was feeling my way across the lounge to the kitchen for the proverbial glass of water, when I just about leapt out of my skin. There, on the newly-painted white wall was a smear of slowly-moving ectoplasm.

No, nothing so exciting as an apparition from 'Ghost Busters' (why do I like that silly music so much?).

It took me a few heart-stopping seconds to work out what it was.

The glow from the street-lamp, now unimpeded by the palm that we recently removed, was shining through the warped old windows. But it was first being broken up by the gently moving leafy twigs of the oak tree way down at the letterboxes.

As you can see, the effect is quite spooky. You'll have to imagine the wraith-like movements. There was only a light breeze, so it was quite slow, like drifting smoke.

The first is an oblique view along the wall.

In this one, you can just make out the shape of branches...

Close up, it looks like ripples on a stream-bed.

Bill Sutton

2012-02-07T13:02:00.001+13:00

Somewhere there's a precious captured moment in time. It's in the form of a photo and I wish I could find it right now but I can't, so I shall try and illustrate it in words.

I am about three or four and am sitting on Bill Sutton's knee. He has a big beard- reddish, with white streaks- and I'm in heaven. He has on a big smile, and so do I, which was a rarity then.

Bill stayed at our house in Napier Road at least once, and occasionally visited at other times when he came up from Christchurch.

The connection was my uncle Ted, his student. Ted and his wife Nancy had Bill around to tea at their house in Christchurch often, and were very close.

Of course art historians and many others in New Zealand are familiar with Bill's work and place in New Zealand art history, but back then I didn't know what a well-known figure he was.

I just knew he was a lovely man, probably because he didn't 'talk down' to me, and he listened.

I would love to have been tutored by him.

White New Zealand Moth

2012-02-06T08:25:00.001+13:00

Ivy was growing all over this trellis some years ago. I planted it.

I remember my Dad saying 'You may regret planting that. That kind of ivy gets everywhere.'

And it did. And it set seeds, and there were ivy babies all over the garden too. So I got rid of it by pulling up the babies (quick to write, much longer to do) and cutting the main plant off it its ankles. Now the vine itself is finally rotting enough to release its grip on the trellis.

But this is not what this post was meant to be about.

It's about a white moth.

Spot the moth.

This is how I first saw it, pretending to be an unlikely bit of white lichen on a rose bush. It was clearly evolved to 'hug', and it fooled me into thinking it wasn't a moth at first.

But it seemed to feel confident that it could pass as a bit of lichen on the trellis too:

Does anyone know what it is?

My Andrew Crowe points me to the Izatha species (White Lichen Tuft), but this one doesn't appear to have the 'tuft of raised scales on the front of each wing'. (p. 38 2002)

I think it's quite lovely, like a white cuddly Teddy bear.

Ed: Peter says it's a forest semilooper or manuka moth (Declana floccosa), which I missed in Crowe. Thank you.

'Native. Common all year on tree trunks or posts. The twig-like caterpillars eat manuka leaves, pine, tawa, native beech, tutu and makomako.'

Silhouette

2012-02-05T22:35:00.000+13:00

My photo challenge entry today comes under the heading 'silhouette'.

This is dusk in the deep south of New Zealand; heading south-west out of Invercargill past the airport. It was late November last year, and so must have been about 9.45 pm.

Invercargill is New Zealand's most southerly city. After Wellington, it's the windiest, and, surprisingly to many kiwis (who visualise their country as being roughly north-south in orientation), it's also the most westerly city.

At latitude 46º 25' south, Invercargill's northern hemisphere equivalent is approximately a line through the centre of France.

Click for the full effect.

Minus Green is the New Pink

2012-02-04T11:16:00.000+13:00

Redwinged Lycid Beetle

2012-02-03T08:31:00.001+13:00

Here is a creature I have never seen before, discovered while doing the big Garden Clean-Up.

When I spotted it - and it was hard not to, with its smart grenadier-guard red and black regimentals - I was struck with the thought that it wasn't a native EnZed-er. It occurred to me that most native species are rather drab, and the ones that are not, are (mostly) quite well-known to me.

Sure enough my Andrew Crowe identifies it as Porrostoma rufipenne (was Metriorrynchus) - a beetle from Australia. The grubs live under the bark of fallen trees, and there are plenty of those habitats down our bank. This adult would have been looking for nectar or pollen to feed upon.

The antennae are interesting, being strongly serrated. I expect the colour advertises they are not good to eat, but I didn't taste it to confirm this.

Three Feathers

2012-02-02T21:37:00.002+13:00

While I was clearing and weeding and digging and pruning in the garden a week or so ago, I found this feather. It is a distinctive bright greeny-tourqoise and probably belongs to one of the Eastern Rosellas that frequent our tall tanekaha and miro trees at the front of the section.

I noticed it had some dried sap, possibly the cause of it being parted from its owner.

GB took some wonderful pics of them which show they feed on the fruit up there.

Later that day, a soft grey feather had landed on the newly-swept drive; maybe from the escaped dove that has recently begun visiting.

And finally, I'm almost certain that the tatty dark blue one (at the top in the image below) is from a tui; possibly the one that woke GB up in the morning at some ungodly hour.

Eye Candy Day 42

2012-02-01T02:44:00.002+13:00

A Psalm for a Palm.

2012-01-31T21:15:00.002+13:00

O upright palm in the morning sun,

Are ye awareth of thy impending fate?

The song of the chain

Thy praises singeth not.

And so it came to pass that Steve, son of Gary, born of Judith

Prepared for his task, and

Prayed for guidance and sureness of hand.

And thus it was, at the end, mercifully quick

and the dead palm shall suffer the little winds to come unto it

no more.

For lo! Let us give thanks to Steve the Samaritan

That whosoever is required to tidy the palm

Shall henceforth find each section of the appropriate size

For ease of carrying.

And who supplied most readily the invoice

Before departing.

And later, in the fore-noon, did arrive Reg,

Whose mighty stump-grinder did erase most evidence of the palm

And who predicted the appearance of his invoice

In the fullness of time.

Amen.

Dijea's Photo Challenge. #3: Food

2012-01-30T09:37:00.000+13:00

A bee can collect the equivalent of about two teaspoons of honey on an average day. Since I read this piece of information, I try not to take it for granted.

Aftermas

2012-01-29T16:27:00.000+13:00

Sunday was a windy, warm day in our garden. It was also 'Aftermas'.

Most years at the end of January we have an 'After-Christmas' after-noon party for as many family and friends as we can. It's nice, we think, to get together before school and work starts taking over from the summer. It seems that with partners, melded families, step-thingys, etc., often it's just too hard to see all the people you'd like to on the 25th December, so we have another one for all the people we missed, a month later.

Adam came by bicycle, GB by 'handbag', and because of the new seal on the drive, everyone entered the garden by walking up the newly-re-discovered, triffid-free garden path.

I met my eldest son's partner's parents for the first time, and was given a stunning, olive and orange, hand-embroidered Phulkari, which just took my breath away.

Under the trees, we tucked the older ones onto pillows in sheltered corners, and everyone else found a seat or, in one case, a blow-up sumo costume. The pot luck food and drink covered three tables and the sun shone at regular intervals. and, as Big Ted would have said, 'A Good Day Was Had By All'.

At dusk, we watched from the dining-room windows as all the birds feasted on the crumbs.

InFormation

2012-01-28T07:53:00.004+13:00

Last year, in the midst of one of my assignments, I was having trouble thinking of a synonym for the word 'information' so I looked up on my built-in computer thesaurus.

This was the result below, screen-grabbed for your entertainment.

This kind of glitch reminds me of the 'Clbuttic' mistakes...

Bread

2012-01-27T11:00:00.004+13:00

Here's a little movie about making bread. It was sent to me by one my art tutors of last year. He is a frenchman, living in New Zealand, and, predictably, one of the things he really misses is good bread. Coincidently, it arrived shortly after Jay made a great post about the gulf between good bread and the commonly-available 'Chorleywood' method bread.

the art of making bread from tiger in a jar on Vimeo.

I can't decide if I would call this 'The Art of Making Bread', 'New-Age Bread-Making', or an 'Art Film' about bread-making.

All I know is, if you make bread by hand every day, you get muscular arms, and it's not quite the soft, dreamy experience shown here!

My bread recipes for breadmaker and by hand.

Tidying the Bookshelf

2012-01-26T10:33:00.004+13:00

I have a lot of books. Predictably, many of them are arty books, which I mostly keep out in my studio.

About 80% of the others are non-fiction. So they are usually organised by subject.

But the rest: Terry Pratchett, Patrick O'Brian, Lemony Snickett, Leon Uris, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, James Mitchener, James Clavell, Paul Gallico, A.A Milne....paperbacks, etc...

I was at a loss how to organise them.

One year I did them all by size, but that looked weird, and down the small end I kept feeling that I was falling into a black hole (some of my books are very, very tiny). And anyway, I still couldn't necessarily find a book easily. Then: a brainwave! I decided to group by colour. The room looked much more pleasing instead of the hotch-potch patchwork of spines too. At last, via VioletSky's blog, I've found someone else who does it too.

Now if only I could get my books to do it by themselves...

Dijea's Photo Challenge. #2

2012-01-25T10:25:00.005+13:00

Twins spotted near the Dart River bridge, near Glenorchy, in the South Island of New Zealand*.

*Some visitors to New Zealand are confused about how to talk about where you are in New Zealand.

We don't say this photo was taken 'on South Island' or even 'in South Island', but 'in (never on) the South Island'.

'South Island' and 'North Island' are not names of islands. It is always the South Island or the North Island because the 'of New Zealand' always follows, even if not explicitly stated.

Odd, but true.

Imagine that implied '... of New Zealand' and you'll sound like a true blue Kiwi.

Muffin-munchers in my garden

2012-01-24T09:58:00.000+13:00

I'm having the drive re-sealed. In the nearly twenty years we've been here, it's been patched once, and that was about 17 years ago. Recently it's been looking more and more like some hippy artist's crumbling digs.

So last week I decided Something Must Be Done.

The last two days I have been descended upon by a gang of males, trucks and diggers. It's all very exciting. At smoko times I like to think my spiced fruit muffins* will spur them to do an extra-good job. But they are above being bribed; they tell me always do an extra good job. But please don't stop the muffins.

* Available here soon.

Things in Lettuces

2012-01-23T08:18:00.001+13:00

Growing-your-own results in unexpected visitors. In the old days I never used to wash my lettuces.

'You should wash the lettuce, Mum!' they cried.

'I don't spray' said I. 'There's nothing nasty to wash off'

Then I found an earwig, didn't I? Well, it found me. Actually, it found it didn't like being bitten in two, so it pinched me. On my gum. I had to extract the pincher with tweezers. This is true.

So the next weekend when we had friends for dinner, I had, not only washed but also finely chopped lettuce and also a hilarious topic of conversation at my expense. I observed my guest carefully separating and inspecting her lettuce after this, although she politely tried to make it inconspicuous.

Guest: 'Er... I think I've found something'

Everyone peered onto her plate. It was a vegetable bug. Actually, only half a vegetable bug - the front half, neatly chopped.

The jokes are true. Shortly afterwards I found the other half. My mouth was suddenly filled with the foulest, most vile taste I have ever encountered. In this experience I am joined by the loftiest of the science world*, but that was no consolation at this point. I left the table abruptly and while retching and heaving over the sink in the kitchen, I heard through purple haze, murmurs of concern floating from the dining room.

When I was able to return to the table I could confidently tell everyone that stink bugs have their stink in their rear ends, and that it works even after vivisection. I wish I'd had the presence of mind to add that the experiment was a complete success. I am often brilliant retrospectively. But it has provided an excellent conversation-starter at dinner tables ever since.

* Charles Darwin

Gardening

2012-01-22T18:27:00.005+13:00

I wish that YP and Shirley were coming back this weekend. I have been working very hard in the garden and it's looking more and more like an estate complementing the house, than something well into the novel The Day of the Triffids, as it was when they visited.

Image from OnelineReview

Dijea's Photo Challenge. February: B & W

2012-01-21T11:35:00.006+13:00

I have taken up the challenge. For the rest of the year, once every two weeks I will post an image that I hope meets Dijea's criteria for the fortnight.

The theme for this fortnight is 'Black and White'.

My offering is a shot of Waipunga Falls.

This is a very spectacular triplet of falls in a natural bush setting, and surrounded by New Zealand flaxes, which I think nicely echo the cascading of the water over the rocks at the bottom.

Most people photograph the complete falls, which are distinctively tall. I zoomed in to the base, as I wanted to take advantage of the wonderful angle down into the gorge that the lookout offers.

This day was rainy, and the spray and mist from the falls mixed with the gentle drizzle to create subdued contrasts and an almost hushed, softened, still image, despite the tumult and roar in real life.

Waipunga Falls, New Zealand. September 2010. Canon EOS400 D Digital. 1/100. f/5.6. ISO 100. 55mm.

(Image should enlarge with a click)

Waipunga Falls can be seen by simply driving to the lookout about 50 metres off State Highway 5 between Taupo and Napier (11 km north of Tararewa). You can see the complete falls here.

Added later: I see I got the challenge wrong. It's two photos a week, not one a fortnight. OK. I'm up to it still!

Trees

2012-01-20T23:09:00.000+13:00

Grass Waves and Bitterns

2012-01-19T21:27:00.001+13:00

It was a very rainy day the last time I went up to stay at Miranda on the Firth of Thames, so I left later in the afternoon, when the sky was starting to clear. There were some lovely cloud formations over the Waikato dairy farmlands:

... but from the road looking east over the stilt ponds, it appears there is still rain falling over the Coromandel Range:

Somewhere in this picture below there is a mother bittern and her two or three chicks.

Can you see them? No, nor could we. But I just caught the movement of something bittern-coloured, so I know they were there!

We stood there for some time but to no avail. The view up the coast towards Kaiaua (K-eye-ah-wah) was soft and gentle:

I was most fascinated by the light effects on the 'waves' in the grass.

(Clicking on the images will show them up much better.)

Oh, and they have a new hide at Miranda now. Much bigger than the old one, which you can see on the far left.

The Single Best Thing.

2012-01-18T20:03:00.004+13:00

Found on Dan Gurney's excellent blog

The Pudding Visit

2012-01-17T08:46:00.002+13:00

I can't remember a more pleasant lunch and conversation with two people that I have never met before in my life. Lord and Lady Pudding were kind enough not to mention the unkempt garden, the chaos in parts of the house, and other signs of my three years' full-time study, and instead my daughter and I enjoyed a super couple of hours with them, talking about all kinds of things, and we were quite sorry to see them go, driving off in their hired Rolls*, continuing on their tour around New Zealand.

* I lied about the Rolls.

Avocados

2012-01-16T15:03:00.002+13:00

Recently a lovely friend of my son's dropped off a load of avocados from his parent's orchard. After spreading them around the neighbourhood, there were still plenty to indulge. I cut one in half, scooped the stone out, filled the stone-hole with mayonnaise, and ate, straight from the shell. Yum. Decadence!

TV

2012-01-14T16:26:00.000+13:00

Everyone I know seems to be buying a gigantic television at the moment. I enter a house I have always felt safe in, and come around the corner and BANG! there's a huge monster lurking, eyeing me balefully with its screen poised to blast out adverts and social manipulation*... or worse still, on, yet ignored, so I can't concentrate on conversations, and reply with statements like "So, when was your new steak-knife born?" etc.

But, I have to confess, I have just spent a very pleasant afternoon watching a great movie on Granny's huge Sony Syclops.

* and some quite good programmes on average once every 10489366077 days.

Oiled Penguins from the Rena break-up

2012-01-13T19:30:00.002+13:00

My son (1:44 - 1:48) has been out walking the beaches with the Wildlife Response Unit again.

There's Art in Alcohol

2012-01-12T10:32:00.000+13:00

Once you have seen the wonderful blue of copper sulphate crystals, you could never forget it, I think. I remember growing big crystals in chemistry at school.

Source of above image.

Here are some fabulous views of sugar crystalline structures using a 1,000 time magnification microscope. A wondrous collection of images that I discovered on the Telegraph Newspaper website. They are made even more interesting for me by the fact that they are all derived from dried alcoholic beverages of various types.

They were taken by the chemistry department of Florida State University.

The images are produced by the firm Bevshots and are available for purchase by the 'discerning buyer'.

A drop of each drink is allowed to dry on a glass slide and then a picture taken under a microscope. The impurities in the drinks hold the crystals together and create the variety of kaleidoscopic effects.

Bevshots founder Lester Hutt has his favourites. He likes the German Pilsener one because it is a 'cool animals-style print and the colours really pop.'

'Another one of my favorite images is the cola photo. The blues, purples and golds are so rich in colour, and the composition of the image flows incredibly well'

The slides are lit with natural light from above and below.

Bevshots has sold about 20,000 of these type of artworks in the last two years.

1. Cosmopolitan.

2. Irish pale larger.

3. Orange juice.

4. Belgian Lambic beer.

5. Coca Cola.

6. German Pilsener.

7. Vodka and Tonic.

8. Red Wine.

9. Stout.

10. Dirty Martini.

11. White wine.

12. Gin and Tonic.

It's enough to drive you to drink.

-----------------

For those interested in reproducing some of these kaleidoscopic effects in their brains, click on each word to be taken to the recipe or some information.

1. Cosmopolitan.

2. Irish pale larger.

3. Orange juice.

4. Belgian Lambic beer.

5. Coca Cola.

6. German Pilsener.

7. Vodka and Tonic

8. Red Wine.

10. Dirty Martini

11. White wine.

12. Gin and Tonic

Smoking

2012-01-11T01:14:00.000+13:00

Tumbling Flower Beetles

2012-01-10T02:58:00.002+13:00

Today I met my first tumbling flower beetle (Mordellidae family). He was sitting on my bench, hoping I wouldn't see him. What a tiny, odd sort-of creature! I expect the storm tossed him off his usual food, and I think he must have come inside riding on one of my lettuces. The first thing I noticed was the spine, which made me think it might be a female ovipositor, but both sexes have them. This spine, along with their very strong back legs, helps them have a spring-loaded take-off when they are disturbed. They feed on flowers. There are only 6 species (so far identified) in New Zealand, but about 1500 world-wide. Isn't it curious the way he hides his head as if he was shy?

Two Landscape paintings, 1936.

2012-01-09T01:26:00.001+13:00

Source of Compassion image

I recently stumbled upon this painting by Russian Nicholas Roerich (1874 - 1947). It is entitled Compassion, and was painted in 1936.

Here is Nicholas:

It struck me how very similar it is to New Zealand artist Rita Angus's works. This particular one is entitled Mountains Cass, and was painted also in 1936.

Source of Mountains, Cass.

Here is Rita. Not at all similar in appearance to Nicholas. I wonder if each knew about the other.

Rena's back is broken

2012-01-08T11:39:00.005+13:00

Image from TVNZ

As expected, the Rena split in two in the storm last night.

The ship is being pounded by 6-metres swells and the bad weather is expected to continue for the next three to four days.

The forward section of the ship is in its original position on the Astrolabe reef off the Tauranga coast, while the stern has broken away and, while still on the reef, is moving significantly. At the time of writing it is about 30 metres from the bow section.

There are lots of containers downwind (northwest of the Rena) and debris in the water, including bags of milk powder and timber. Debris is likely to reach beaches later today. The maritime exclusion zone around the Rena will probably be increased. Regional Council spokesman Eddie Grogan said although the weather might be great for surfers, they should be aware that there'll be a lot of debris in the water, and to be very careful.

About 1000 tonnes of oil has been removed but some still remains on the ship in hard-to-access pipes and ducting.

The National Response Team has been activated to respond to the potential release of oil from the ship and to treat any affected wildlife.

My son, who was involved with the NRT earlier in the saga, stayed the night over near the beach and is on his way home on the bus at the moment. There was a phone call for him a few minutes ago.

Storm Coming

2012-01-07T01:09:00.001+13:00

Here's sunset last night over the river at the back of the house. I always forget how much further around the sun travels in summer before it dips its head goodnight. The cloud formations are lovely but unfortunately they are a sign the forecast is right: we have another storm coming. The chances are high that this time the Rena will break in half completely. This weekend, seven-metre waves are predicted - the highest in the three months since the Rena ran aground on the Astrolabe Reef off the coast of Tauranga.

Stuff news.

Lilies

2012-01-06T15:07:00.004+13:00

It rained and rained. We stayed inside and watched it fall and wondered what had happened to summer.

But outside, the perfumed Asiatic lilies were loving the abundant water and the soft skies, and I've never seen them look so spectacular. These are almost as tall as me, ie five foot four and three-quarters.

But at last today the sun has come out.

I am fascinated by the gentle offering of the open trumpets...

The sublime lime and white graduations and colour contrasts - fresh, calm and soft...

The wonderful textures on the petals: veins, ribs, notches and nodules...

The delicious, coffee-rust powdery stamens...

And finally, this is my inadequate attempt to show you what this heavenly lily's fragrance is like. The closest I can come is a cross between the angel Gabriel, sunshine, and lemons...

Toilet Humour

2012-01-05T09:03:00.007+13:00

I usually get Sorbent loo paper. They seem to pack more paper in, and although it costs a bit more, I think it's better value. Now they've come out with a 'super-roll' that is humongous, which I figured would save me having to change the roll over the Christmas and summer holiday when we have lots of visitors. Trouble is, it has to be jammed in over the brass hoo-flung and then it's wedged against the wall, and, as my daughter remarked the other day, it feels like you're in a public loo and having to work very hard for each allocated piece.

Apparently, if you want to go through less TP, a little poem readable from the throne, will reduce consumption by as much as 20%, according to a Japanese study. Perhaps a little witty haiku?

Thank you soft petal

Fleetingly the white softness

Touches me for a moment

The other day another brand, Quilton, was having a special on, so I bought some. A big tick for softness, but it was with especially great delight that I noticed the writing on the inside of the roll. I think I'll buy them just for that! I like a toilet roll with a SoH.

Wands

2012-01-04T11:10:00.003+13:00

I always wanted a wand. Whenever we would play that game that goes 'If you could have whatever you wished for, what would you ask?' I always said 'A magic wand of course, because then you can have whatever you wish for, forever!' Obvious!

Then along came Harry and wands weren't just black and white painted sticks, but are made of certain woods and contain wondrous elements like phoenix feathers and unicorn tail hairs.

Recently I've been making wands.

I've been picking lavender and buying satin ribbons ...

...and weaving the two together...

...and making these:

They are about 30 cm (12 ins) long, take about an hour each, and smell just wonderful! Neat eh?

Eastern Rosella

2012-01-03T10:40:00.001+13:00

For many years we have known that a pair or two of Eastern Rosellas have sometimes been visiting our Tanekaha tree. There's no mistaking the 'kwink kwink' call and their parrotty-monkey chattering to each other. And the brilliant flash of bright colors looks splendidly exotic as they swoop over the house. But the dense vegetation (and possibly a healthy respect for our cats - now deceased) has precluded a decent look until the other day when a couple came down to the lawn.

They are almost certainly the offspring of original escaped caged birds, brought from Australia. There's mixed reaction to them here as they like to eat orchard fruits. But I think they are lovely.

Trip down the Whanganui River.

2012-01-02T21:09:00.012+13:00

It rained a lot. My goodness, did it rain. It started on Boxing Day. The gutters overflowed, the roar pounded on the tin roof and it seemed like it had forever been soggy. My little river rose and rushed oily and thick past the house.

My two sons and thirteen friends had planned the canoe trip down the Whanganui for months and when they arrived at the beginning of the journey the company did not dissuade them, despite the severe weather warning forecast. It was to be a trip they will never forget. Five days of torrential rain and by the last day, the river had come up eight meters (24 feet) and was still rising when they reached the pick-up point at the end. Brown waterfalls gushed like fire hoses from the sides of the gorge and the whirl-pools cast them from left to right without warning. They had to avoid huge logs and debris that were carried along in accumulated masses in the centre of the channel, including chunks of white pumice - floating volcanic rock. They completed each days' sections at almost twice the speed (1.8 x to be precise) and although the first day was relatively uneventful, the final stretch literally went off with a bang - well with many bangs - as the clouds opened even wider, the river was crushed flat by the rain and the thunder boomed and reverberated off the valley sides.

----------------------------

Epilogue:

The Whanganui River travels though thick forest for the centre part of its journey from the volcanic plateau to the coast. My sons and their friends went from Taumaranui to Pipiriki which is just north of Jerusalem on this map. The river has a very gentle gradient and meanders through a series of huge regular bends. This gentle river was historically an important travel route, enabling both Maori and European to access far into the interior of New Zealand in the early days.

http://www.teara.govt.nz

Image above from: Molloy, L, and Smith, R. (2002) Landforms. The Shaping of New Zealand. Wellington: Craig Potton Publishing.

Eye Candy Day 41

2012-01-01T09:28:00.002+13:00

Second Christmas?

2011-12-31T01:00:00.001+13:00

Dolphins

2011-12-30T08:53:00.000+13:00

Thanks to Daphne, through whom I found this.

Bristle Fly

2011-12-29T01:37:00.001+13:00

This tiny, rugby-jerseyed, bristly creature (Trigonospila brevifacies) is a fly I don't think I've ever seen before. It is an Australian introduction, brought over to New Zealand to help control leafroller caterpillars. The female rests on leaves during her quest looking for her prey. When she finds one of the little leafroller caterpillars (that often curl up my orange tree leaves) she lays her eggs on it. Then it's the usual rather gross story: when the maggot hatches it eats the caterpillar. My Andrew Crowe book says that unfortunately we don't know the impact T. brevifacies is having on the harmless native leafroller moth.

You can see why this group of flies is called bristle flies. Maybe it's the insect equivalent of designer stubble. Except on females.

The Corker-lyser Man

2011-12-28T01:55:00.000+13:00

When the Christmas wine comes out of the fridge, out of the drawer emerges a frightening figure. Object of my daughter's childhood fears, and invented, aided and abetted by her brothers, this nasty creature comes alive. His face is menacingly blank, he waves his arms up and down, his shoulders are prickly, and his one, shiny, sharp leg, can drill holes in your skin! So, beware, here comes the CORKER-LYSER MAN to get you!

Grapes Competition

2011-12-27T16:36:00.004+13:00

In September last year I reached 20,000 viewers on this blog and was so pleased that I ran a little lottery-thingy. Very belatedly, I should let you know that it was won by Robert rhymes-with-plague Brague and my oil painting of grapes he and Ellie picked (above) was duly dispatched. Recently he mentioned that they have had it framed and I'm delighted, albeit a little embarrassed that I hadn't announced the results.

A Christmas Walk.

2011-12-26T09:21:00.000+13:00

The Te Waihou Walkway was a very pleasant walk to do on a warm Christmas Day afternoon.

The Blue Spring at the top gushes crystal-clear water at the rate of 42 cubic metres a minute, and the walk alongside the swiftly-flowing river travels over stiles, past farmland and through gorges.

At perfectly-timed strategic intervals there is a 'bio loo' with a bag of sawdust hanging inside. (You sprinkle a handful down the loo over your contribution, and there is absolutely no unpleasant odour, and only some excellent compost to be removed at occasional intervals.)

The water, that fell as rain between 50 and 100 years ago, is a delightful 11ºC when it emerges from the earth. Just perfect to cool my hot Christmas-decorated toes.

Kotare, or the sacred kingfisher (Halcyon sancta vagans), pants on a post in the heat.

Poplar tree fluff makes snow underfoot.

A very English, New Zealand scene.

Happy Christmas!

2011-12-25T19:18:00.003+13:00

Christmas Day: It was sunny and warm and we opened our presents and then after lunch went for a walk along the river bank. Pics tomorrow. It was as perfect a day as one gets.

Happy Christmas to all my fine blogger friends!

Rendering Synthetic Objects

2011-12-05T07:25:00.000+13:00

When TV first came out my family had other plans for our money. But later on, the box came into our lives, with all its rubbish... and wonders. We quickly became blasé about 'special effects' like people appearing and disappearing (you could often see the tiny slippages of the other cast members as they tried to stay still while the camera was stopped to allow the object person to leave the scene), and a favourite was 'twins' or people talking to themselves, positioned on either side of a 'line' in the background somewhere. And we quickly grew tired of the corny 'people driving in cars but actually it's the the background moving' effect.

But occasionally there'd be something quite spectacular that would cause my Mum to say Her Line: 'So how did they do that then?' to which my Dad would respond 'fishing line' or 'model' or some such. We knew this as Trick Photography.

These days it's all so wonderful. Star Wars was clever and brought us Blue Screens and CG, but then the LOTR* brought us motion capture, realistic CG water and flames, and computer generated 'mass' behaviour for crowd scenes, and goodness knows what else.

Kevin Karsch's PhD project takes the manipulation possibilities of the likes of Adobe Photoshop for still images, and superimposes objects, plus movement, plus incredibly good colour and lighting, to the level of the astonishing.

You can't believe your eyes. Not 'you won't', but 'you can't'.

* Lord of The Rings

The Ceanothus Bush

2011-12-04T14:46:00.005+13:00

Ceanothus bush, Queenstown. November 2011

At our first house, the little white stucco bungalow in Napier Road, there was a ceanothus bush like the one above. It had such sweet, soft-smelling, wonderful blue flowers, and when I squeezed them, the leaves had a pleasant scent too. By the time I was six or seven it was quite a substantial size, and the way the branches grew, arching down almost to the ground, made a secret room just right for me to crouch and believe that no-one knew I was there. When I was cross with my parents I would run away and hide there, hoping that I would be missed and then that would show them!

One night I was sent to bed for some misdemeanor and was so seethingly resentful I decided to run away properly this time - all the way to Napier! I knew the way there, as a few times a year we made the thirteen mile journey to the aquarium or museum. I decided I would be able to walk it and be there by morning. I opened the drawers under my bed, arranged clothes so I could feel for them in the dark, and left each drawer open an inch so they wouldn't make any noise and alert my parents who slept in the adjacent room.

After some time my mother came in to kiss me goodnight, bright and jolly as always, as if nothing had happened. She had probably forgotten the incident but my mind was made up and my head was still furious with her. She would miss me when I was in Napier and then she'd be sorry!

As she turned to go she noticed my drawers were all slightly open, and so, quickly and efficiently, push, push, push, she closed each one up with little bumps that made my bed bounce, cheerily wishing me goodnight and leaving me alone in the quiet darkness.

I lay there. I could probably get my clothes without anyone hearing, but then I thought I might not go after all. She was quite a nice mother really, and it was nice and warm in bed. I could always go next time. If I was really mad at them.

The Amazing Giant Weta of New Zealand

2011-12-02T09:12:00.007+13:00

The UK telegraph recently starred the astonishing New Zealand Giant weta (in Maori: wetapunga - 'God of ugly things') as its picture of the day.

The article (you can read it at the link above) is a little misleading however, as it gives the impression that an American entomologist discovered this insect:

'Adventurer' Mark Moffett has found the world's biggest insect...after two days of searching...on Little Barrier Island'.

In fact this island has long been known as one of the last outposts of the giant weta.

For me, the interesting thing is that wetapunga has been able to survive alongside the small polynesian rat kiore, which was brought to New Zealand when the Maori first came. Although kiore eats the nymphs, the adult weta are too large and also find safety in their tree-top habitats. However neither species has been able to hold out against the European rats of mainland New Zealand, and so share the Little Barrier, from which the European rats have been eradicated.

It should also be mentioned that carrots are not generally on the menu for wetapunga. Your veggie gardens are safe.

Eye Candy Day 40

2011-12-01T01:13:00.002+13:00

Flowering Cherry

2011-11-26T14:52:00.001+13:00

Summer's here in the land of the Zeal. But just to back-track a few weeks to spring, I spotted three of these delightful flowering cherries, of all places, in the car park of the Warehouse in Morrinsville. I was newly released from Academic Toil and had time on my hands, so enquired of a staff member out smoking around the back if she knew the name of it. She hadn't even noticed them (how could one not see such gloriousity!?) but directed me to another staff member who had been working there a long time but who, when I asked, also had never seen them. When she had been out to have a look, she announced that she was fairly sure it was a 'blossom tree'. Sigh. Can anyone help? I confess I don't know much about flowering varieties of peaches, plums and cherries, but I'm almost certain it is a double 'flowering' cherry (as opposed to the fruiting varieties).

Bee

2011-11-25T09:39:00.001+13:00

At my Post-Graduate examination exhibition a few weeks ago, I was pleased to be able to hang my work in a really excellent space in the St Pauls Gallery, Auckland. This was the final configuration, and although not exactly how I had planned, it was OK. After 6 hours of arranging and re-arranging and another headache pending, it was the closest to the average of your suggestions that I could manage. I removed some works and added some others at the last minute!

Images should enlarge if you click them.

There was some lovely natural light available from a window, as well as good directional lighting above:

Here is Martin with the work, to show the scale:

Cycling

2011-11-09T13:02:00.002+13:00

This stencil has apparently been seen around the place in New York, on streets and on walls. Sorry, can't find the name of the maker.

But I did find a lot of great work that has been done by the Friends of the Earth in Manchester to promote the benefits of biking over taking the car.

Click here.

Free

2011-11-08T06:44:00.003+13:00

About fifteen minutes ago I posted online my last assignment. I've been up all night getting it finished and I'm ready for breakfast and bed. I feel as spaced out and as free as this rocket image I took on Nov 5 three nights back.

The Hunt

2011-11-06T10:38:00.003+13:00

Acoustic guitar from Australian Tommy Emmanuel. A reflection of my year just been.

Warning: Shell's 'Fishing Competition'

2011-11-05T12:19:00.001+13:00

I like entering competitions.

I bought some petrol and with the receipt they gave me a 'Fishing Licence' with a number. I went on line and played a silly 'fish catching' game and got 8 chances to win 7,ooo bucks worth of groceries. All good so far. They wanted my phone number and address. Hmmm. Ok, then, Greed got the better of me. Then you have to tick the 'I have read the terms and conditions' box.

All the conditions were the usual - about employees of the company not being eligible etc... until I got down to No. 16. I was so gobsmacked at the implications, I just had to share it with you.

I'll just give you a moment to read it. You may have to click on the image if you are hard of seeing like me...

OK. So. What do you think!?

Have I misread it?

It seems to me that if I enter this competition (not even WIN) I 'Waive all rights' (ALL RIGHTS!?) for '..an unlimited period of time...'!!!

Good Lord.

Surely that's not legal?

Additionally, they can 'modify any of these conditions'...' at any time' and not be liable!

Needless to say greed did not drive me to sell my soul to the devil.

Chocks Away!

2011-11-03T22:13:00.001+13:00

Thank you J.

Eye Candy Day 39

2011-11-01T09:12:00.000+13:00

Flying high.

2011-10-30T09:43:00.005+13:00

Dragonflies... The last residential is over... the weight is beginning to lift from this blogger's shoulders.

Sea Monkeys

2011-10-24T09:11:00.001+13:00

When I was young my extended family, especially a strong-minded maiden aunt, would inquire about my reading habits. Their reactions to various responses ensured I learnt from an early age that the classics were heartily approved of. (I actually enjoyed them, and I think my vocabulary was certainly extended beyond most kids my age).

However comics were not really considered suitable.

But I had a draw-card: I was a sickly kid, thin and pale, and when especially ill they could be quite indulgent. I always asked for colouring-in books or comics. I generally received Disney cartoons and I still remember the day I met the best Disney character to my mind: The light-bulb friend of Gyro Gearloose.

But later illnesses turned up much more exciting heroes like Superman and Batman and... joy of joys: 'The Phantom'. When the bad guys had been caught and were in jail and being angry through close-ups of their gritted teeth, all that was left was to peruse the strange and wonderful adverts on the back pages. They were all from America of course, and that could have been on the moon to us in New Zealand, but the best things were the 'Sea-Monkeys'. Oh I so wanted a real sea-monkey for a pet, so I could play with it and train it, and it could be my friend!

Hanging my Art. - your opinion requested!

2011-10-23T17:54:00.009+13:00

Some of the work I have recently completed:

Close-up of above.

Who a bee interacts with in a swarm (discovered only to be about 5 neighbours):

Varroa bee mite

Scouting and collecting behaviour of bees:

Rules when swarming:

Google search results for 'honey bee':

Umwelts (Other Worlds):

Dance patterns:

Well, you all did a brilliant job of confiding in me your insect likes and dislikes a few months ago.

As you can see from the above art, I settled on honey bees to be the focus of my research and have been busy as the proverbial, and am nearly there, despite migrainus interruptus.

But, here is another request from me folks.

It's time to hang my art work for the end of year examination. But how should it look?

So you know what it's about, it is, briefly, more about the ways we know bees (science, childhood memories, instinct eg. love of honey, etc, etc.) than what we know about them. Although the 'what' is linked of course to how we found it out... Got that? Never mind.*

I have devised a way of mocking up a little gallery (you can go to the last image to see what it really looks like) so I can try out arrangements of placement.

Would you tell me which one(s) you prefer? They are numbered. It would be great if you could say why too. Thank you!

Notes: a. You can assume all pieces are to be hung perfectly straight.

b. the 'head with bee' is probably the pivotal piece of the group.

c. This is not a 'series' so much as a single 'work'. The only way I can think of to make it so, is to hang them very close together. But if you have another suggestion, please offer it!

d. Please make all comments in safety! I welcome all, no matter how 'way out'. A wacky or unusual suggestion may spark another idea for me or someone else.

e. If you would rather not go public, please don't let that stop you. Just email me.

f. If you don't like any of these hanging formations, but can describe another idea, please do.

g. Many of the pieces have writing on them. That's the main reason I can't go too high. (Most of the work invites close inspection).

h. The 'floorboards' are drawn to scale and are a metre (3 feet) wide.

i. All the images should be clickable if required.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11. (This next one has removed the black works completely.)

12.

*If you are really interested, my project abstract is:

The Umwelt of the bee.

This project asks what is the 'Umwelt' (Other World) of the bee and explores Jakob von Uexküll's theory that each species on Earth effectively inhabits a different subjective universe based upon its needs and senses - its biosemiotic interpretation of the world.

It seeks to invite the viewer to reflect on their relationship with bees.

Using drawing-based art media, and by means of contrasts between figurative images, quasi-scientific visual conventions, and abstraction, this project attempts to meld this theory with objective methodologies of science, and uses the combination to peek into the hive.

PS. This way of making a decision is the same way that bees make their decisions: By lots of individuals 'voting'. This method is therefore also part of the research project!

Where Leaves Meet Overhead.

2011-10-23T01:27:00.000+13:00

For some reason there is a kind of place that never fails to please me. Wherever I encounter it, whatever the landform, the weather, be it informal and unkempt or tidy and regular, on a hill, a plain, on footpath or highway, even on Google Earth (but preferably in reality) ; I love places where the trees meet overhead.

I hereby announce they are 'My' places.

Penguin Playpens

2011-10-22T15:40:00.006+13:00

In Bay of Plenty beaches the painstaking clean-up continues...

On the Rena, still out on the reef, and creaking and groaning like a Jurassic dinosaur as the two parts of her move slightly in different directions in the swell, the thick oil is steadily but slowly being pumped off onto a barge.

The last three days my son has been working at the Wildlife Response Centre at Te Maunga, located between Tauranga city and the beach. There is a lot of activity there. There are lots of marquee-sized tents and food caravans. It looks from the outside like a Peter Jackson film village. But there's no acting here. Inside tents people are carefully washing black oil from struggling and feisty live birds, and vets are dissecting oily dead birds to officially establish the cause of death for records. Others feed meat meal and insect larvae to hungry birds.

My son and others have been making dotteral aviaries (normally a sociable species, but at this time of year they are breeding and would fight if put together) and playpens for penguins. The latter have to have netting floors to ensure their feet are not injured. There are pools for the seabirds to swim in, but they seem surprised there are no fish for them to catch!

The following photos are thanks to J:

Making playpens for penguins.

(The covered pools in the background are for shags and cormorants)

Some numbers:

As at 21st October:

Oil spilled since grounding: 350 tonnes

Oil spilled since 11th October: None

Oil pumped off ship: 171 tonnes

Oil left in Rena: 772 (port tank) 356 (starboard tank)

Angle: 21º tilt (to starboard)

Amount of money in government oil clean-up fund: NZ$4 million

Amount in fund 10 years ago: NZ$12. ('wound down because there weren't enough spills to warrant it')

Estimated cost of Rena clean up so far: NZ$4 million

Containers overboard: 88

Containers unknown whereabouts: 29*

Containers still on board: 1280

Birds dead as a result of spill: About 1300

Birds being cared for at the Wildlife Response Unit: about 285

Dotterals in existence: about 1700

Dotterals in Bay of Plenty area: 150 - 200

Dotterals pre-emptively captured since spill: 60

Dotterals' Insurance Policy

* Number of containers lost somewhere at sea each year: up to 10,000

The Artist

2011-10-21T07:32:00.003+13:00

The artist is a receptacle for the emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider's web.

- Pablo Picasso.

Tiger, Tiger

2011-10-18T11:32:00.002+13:00

Henri Rousseau. Fight between a Tiger and a Buffalo. 1908 . Oil on canvas. 170 x 189.5 cm

Tiger, Tiger, with refulgent conflagration

In the nocturnal afforestation,

Kindly provide details regarding

Nature of supernatural deity

Responsible for your design and technology.

- A bureaucrat.

Bees

2011-10-17T10:58:00.004+13:00

We've lived in this home with its wonderful spring wisteria-dripped verandah, for nearly eighteen years. And in all that time, I can't believe that I've never really looked at the bees properly as they come and go so industriously, sometimes only inches from my cup of tea.

Now I have started to watch them carefully, I can see they don't enter the flower at all. They drill holes in the back and get the nectar that way. Clever things!

If you click, you can see all the tiny holes in this shot. It seems it's worth it to drill two; one each side.

This pot of honey makes a beautiful colour contrast with the wisteria flowers.

I didn't want to provoke them into bitterness at where all their hard work goes, so I didn't leave it out there long.

Did you know that a bee can only collect the equivalent of about two teaspoons of honey a day? And that's on a good day. And requires visiting about 1000 flowers...

Printer

2011-10-16T22:09:00.000+13:00

A bad week

2011-10-15T17:15:00.003+13:00

I've had seven migraines in the last 12 days. Generally my special medicine works well. But the last three (Thursday, Friday and today) have been rather awful and I've had to take two lots of painkillers and sleep for five or so hours each time. A pity, as they have each begun mid morning, so that virtually writes off the day. And I have a whole lot of end-of-year assignments all due at once too. I do think Tim Nyberg has captured the feeling really well in his painting, 'though, don't you?

Up until now I have told everyone I meet how my life has been so much better since Maxalt came of the market.

I still do highly recommend you try it if you get migraines and haven't encountered it yet.

Friday Rena oil update

2011-10-14T18:47:00.003+13:00

For those unfamiliar with the Bay of Plenty, here's a google map that I've annotated. Of course inland there is no effect (except maybe economic) of the oil on the beaches. In the city and cafes etc. of Tauranga and other townships around, life goes on as before. Don't cancel your summer holiday to the sunny Bay just yet!

Here are some images of what it was like out on the sands today. About 3000 people have volunteered for oil clean-up, but these are going to be called on in rotation, as the oil will be coming onshore for some weeks yet.

This group that included my son worked from 10 until 3, even in the rain. As you can see, they have been issued with protective clothing and gumboots were provided. Humvees trekked up and down delivering water and food, and transporting volunteers and defense personal up and down the long coastline to where they were needed. This area was not as badly oiled as in previous days down, due to the off-shoredirection of the winds last night. Unfortunately this may mean oil moves as far East as Whakatane. The beaches will be probably be done all over again tomorrow. And Sunday. And Monday...

Overnight a platform was constructed and we saw this helicoptered out to the Rena today. It will be attached to the ship's side to help get pump the oil out. This is going to be a tricky job as it needs to be heated before it can flow properly. The decks are very slippery, and at an angle of 20º too. It's pitch dark below deck but at least the westerly wind shouldn't bee too strong the next few days.

They are hoping to start pumping the oil out again tomorrow.

Rare sheep spotted from Sheffield Bus.

2011-10-14T01:10:00.000+13:00

A rare new sheep breed has been discovered in Yorkshire. Like the Loch Ness Monster, for years it has been rumoured to exist but sightings have been rare, and images of this elusive creature have never been clear enough to positively identify it. A few days ago this blogger received the image above from a Mr Flutter of Micklebring. It appears the rare beastie was spotted sunning itself in the late Autumn rays in a back garden in a location near a bus stop on Psalter Lane, Sheffield, and this image was taken on his box Brownie that he always carries with him. Mr Flutter was on the way home on the bus when he happened to glance out of the window. He had been visiting his sister at 23 Pinner Road, who was suffering with her Nasty Rash, and had brought her an Unusually-Shaped parsnip that he had grown and which he thought might cheer her up. He told me he has informed Regional secretary Mrs Payne of the local branch of the Sheep Breeders Association, and that he would welcome the opportunity to be at their next meeting on Thursday 13th October at the Traveller's Rest, although that was his usual May Dancing practice night.

Rena Update Thursday Evening

2011-10-13T22:30:00.003+13:00

Maritime NZ update No. 15.

In a nutshell:

• 500 people were on the beaches today cleaning up oil. This will have to be done daily as each high tide brings more oil. Heavy machinery presses oil into the sand, so it's best to be done by hand.

• 95.45 tonnes of solid waste and 6 tonnes of liquid waste have been collected. It is going into a special landfill for toxic substances.

• two skimmer barges are collecting flotsam in the harbour. Two more are going to collect oil tomorrow.

• about 350 tonnes of oil has leaked from the Rena which has a list of about 22º. The oil transfer hoses are still intact and the pumps seem mostly undamaged despite the last three days of rough weather. There is a significant crack on both port and starboard sides but it is still in one piece at the moment.

• Most of the remaining oil is held in two stern-based tanks. One holds 770 tonnes and the other holds 200 - 300.

• 88 containers have fallen off. 20 have come ashore.

• about 500 dead birds are at the wildlife recovery facility, but about 200 more have yet to be collected.

• rare New Zealand dotterals are being caught at the Maketu Peninsula and held at the centre to keep them safe.

• there are about 70 birds and 13 seals recovering at the centre, and 13 dotterals.

• the beach from Mount Maunganui to Maketu has been closed to the public.

• the Rena's Master and second officer have been charged in the Tauranga court today 'for operating a vessel in a manner causing unnecessary danger risk' and have been remanded on bail until 19 October.

• spraying the dispersant Corexit 9500 has been discontinued as it wasn't considered effective enough.

• The barge Awanuia is getting ready to sail out to the reef again and receive oil pumped off the Rena.

Rena oil clean: From a volunteer's log.

2011-10-13T17:26:00.003+13:00

The potential team-leaders including my son met at Omanu Surf Club this morning for a training session:

This is the information they were given:

The main aim is to remove the oil from the beach, so that when high tide comes, the oil doesn't get washed away again.

Scooping up the oil with spades and rakes, putting it into bags, and taking the bags up to be disposed of.

Zones:
Cold Zone
Up in the carpark

Warm Zone
In the decontamination area. This is where you sign in and out.

Hot Zone
On the beach with the oil. When you head back, you must sign out and get decontaminated.

Gearing up:

White jumpsuit, high-vis vest, gloves, gumboot covers.
You can be supplied with gumboots.

You will be supplied with lunch too.

Process:

- Scoop at a shallow angle so that you don't get lots of sand with the oil. Pick up seaweed if contaminated. Can pick up small bits with a stick or by hand. Pick up as you go so that you don't walk through the oil.

- Fill up the bags with the oil. Don't overfill them, we should have plenty of bags

- Tie them off at the top and take them back to the decontamination zone.

Information from the trainer (an Australian expert):

This oil will be here for years. There is still oil on the rocks from the 1996 Australian oil spill (Tasmania).

Comment from my son:

"It's crazy the amount of damage that can happen because of the error of one person. I was reading once about human speed limits. When we run, maybe we can get up to 20 kph: we can feel and judge how fast we are going. Our lungs are pumping, the wind is blowing past our face. But as soon as we get into a car, we lose all indications of the speed, so we don't make good judgements. Our bodies don't understand our fast our bodies are going".

Rena: Organised clean-up the way to go.

2011-10-13T12:37:00.004+13:00

I appeal to Tauranga and Mount locals to volunteer and wait to be called up, rather than attempt to clean up the oil themselves. Some components of fuel oil can be very toxic and you should avoid it contacting the skin. Keep children and pets away from the beaches. As of this midday today (Thursday) the beaches from Mt Maunganui to the Maketu Estuary have been closed.

This is almost certainly going to be a long, ongoing task, and there will be plenty of opportunity to help in future days and weeks.

Anyone wishing to volunteer should call 0800 645 774 or email iccrena@gmail.com with ‘Volunteers – 1 for all’ in the subject line, full name, contact number and relevant experience.

Oil clean-up video

2011-10-13T09:33:00.002+13:00

Link to video of the clean-up of oil on the Mount Manganui Beach:

"The little blue penguins don't stand a chance".

Rena update Thursday

2011-10-13T07:56:00.005+13:00

So far more than 200 birds have died from hypothermia from the oil coating their feathers, or poisoning from swallowing oil. A wandering albatross is one of the latest victims.

Coastamare, the Greek shipping company that owns the MV Rena, has said they will pay for the care and housing of up to 500 birds.

The captain of the Rena has been arrested and appeared in court yesterday. The second officer, who was on duty when the ship struck the reef, has also been charged.

Apparently the crew had intended to address back pay wage issues while they were in Tauranga. They were evacuated off the Rena on Tuesday and are staying in a local motel where rumour has it they celebrated the captain's 44th birthday last night.

About 70 containers of the 1368 have now gone overboard and at least one has washed up on the beach. Others are being battered to bits on rocks around the island of Motiti.

Containers vs oil: Expert Simon Boxall considers that the containers themselves, which often float just below the surface, and thus cannot be seen, are going to be the biggest worry - a potential hazard to boating and shipping. He says the oil can be cleaned up.

The eleven containers that contain toxic chemicals are still on board at this point. Expert Neil Curtis thinks they will not be too much of a problem as they are likely to leak only slowly and will be diluted. But that the 1700 tonnes of oil, if it leaks out, will be the disaster.

The fuel tanks on the ship have been capped and are intact. It is believed the leaked oil may have come from the keel duct or aft tank. It is hoped that the rest of the 1700 tonnes of fuel will be pumped out today.

There is a huge amount of oil on the beaches now, and politicians are saying it will be coming ashore for weeks or even months ahead.

The maximum the ship's owners would have to pay is 14 million. Costs for disasters like this in other places have run into the hundreds of millions. New Zealand taxpayers will have to pay any shortfall.

There is a huge crack in the hull of the Rena and tugs are there to take away the bit(s) that will float when it breaks up.

My son with his Post-grad biology qualification has volunteered to help with cleaning up wildlife and has had his name and number taken down.

Friends who live at the Mount near the beach have said that there is a strong smell of fuel in the air. Mount residents have been told to close their windows (!)

The Rhodes family had decided to leave Christchurch after the earthquakes and emigrate to Australia. Their entire household goods are in a container on the Rena.

News from the New Zealand Herald this morning

Glove strawberries

2011-10-11T20:26:00.003+13:00

Although it is very early spring, my strawberry barrel is looking very prosperous.

But I obviously didn't read the label on my strawberries and have planted the new 'bell' or 'cockscomb' variety. Aren't they cute?*

*Just kidding.

Rena update

2011-10-10T19:51:00.002+13:00

Maritime New Zealand is making regular updates to the situation regarding the Rena grounded on the Astrolabe reef off the Tauranga/ Mount Manganui Coast. The Prime Minister has said that oil will be washed up on local beaches for weeks to come.

Update No. 5

Oil has appeared on beaches in clumps (it appears the dispersant was only about 10% effective) and now the weather has deteriorated out there in the Bay of Plenty, they can't pump any more oil off in the meantime.

I and many many others in New Zealand, especially those concerned with the natural environment, are frustrated and upset that more wasn't done last week when the weather was calm.

Fingers crossed that after this rough weather, the ship will hold together long enough for the fuel to all be pumped off.

Welcome to the Jungle

2011-10-09T11:43:00.001+13:00

Capella for two cellos

No horses were harmed in the making of this film.

Top-down and Bottom-up

2011-10-08T14:05:00.004+13:00

It may be stating the obvious to mention that when looking at something, we impose top-down concepts and images from our memory along with the bottom-up perception of what is in front of our eyes.

As Siân Ede says in 'Art And Science' (2005); 'When we look at a ... scene ... we may receive only partial information but our brains automatically fill in the gaps to make sense of things.'

Likewise when we stand in front of a piece of art. This tendency of our brains to 'fill in' can be exploited in art. Neurobiologist Semir Zeki believes that the most compelling artworks are those which contain only vague clues and perhaps even those works that are actually incomplete. They are the ones that make the viewer work hardest, with a pleasurable payoff when the imagination 'solves' the problem.

Although this is only a news item, it explores the work of Zeki and the pleasure some kinds of art gives us compared with other types.

Here is Semir Zeki's excellent and thought-provoking blog.

Rena runs aground off Tauranga

2011-10-07T10:51:00.006+13:00

You may already know that a container vessel has gone aground on a reef a short way off the coast of Tauranga. Two of the holds are flooded. Oil has spilled from this ship already. Efforts are being made to disperse and/or collect the oil, but birds and at least one seal have been affected already. Many people are very concerned that this will be a major environmental disaster. I've just received through an email from Forest and Bird a request for volunteers to help mediate impact on sea and coastal wildlife.

This is the news in the main NZ paper this morning.

(I heard a few minutes ago that the dispersant you can see being used in this clip from yesterday, may have been more efficient than first reported. So that's one good thing)

Restroom Art

2011-10-07T01:07:00.001+13:00

The ambiguity is in the box.

Goodbye Steve

2011-10-06T17:00:00.002+13:00

"You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle."

Somedays the Song Writes You

2011-10-06T10:54:00.002+13:00

I know this feeling. Some days the art draws me...

Thank you K for recommending this. It's more than splendid.

Shelly

2011-10-05T01:06:00.000+13:00

While looking for Eye Candy images the other day I came across this one*.

Suddenly I realised it must be about a year since our dear little Shelly died. Since then many visitors have remarked how quiet the house is, and how they expect to see her when they call in...

We miss her too.

* Can you guess who this famous person is hamming it up with a 'Shelly'?

Chance Favours the Connected Mind

2011-10-04T11:29:00.000+13:00

Rice Pudding

2011-10-03T23:04:00.006+13:00

Mmm-mmm, rice pudding! The secret is to cook it slow and long and top up the milk occasionally if it looks like it's getting dry. It's soft, milky, buttery, a fragrant hint of nutmeg, and nice with a spoonful of good strawberry jam. Such a lovely 'afters' on a cold winter's night!

Eye Candy Day 38

2011-10-02T20:52:00.001+13:00

Rain

2011-10-01T20:33:00.003+13:00

Well, it was a lovely week last week!

The Two-Spined Spider

2011-09-30T21:20:00.003+13:00

Sometimes on a summer day when sitting in my garden near the sitrus* I see this sort of spider. I have a sneaking suspicion that, supposing I were significantly smaller, I would be startled by this spider. I submit this suggestion because the the two-spined spider's slanted spines are shaded so as to seem to stare at someone or something that surveys it as being suitable for supper. I suggest it would be so surprising the predator would stop seeking supper here and search for it some situation less strikingly stereoscopic.

This spider succeeds in seeming scary from several spots, as my second snapshot shows.

Something else strange; the egg sac of this small spider is a surprising spindle-shape and can sometimes be spotted suspended under a stick.

Some say they have seen a six-spined spider, but as even a superficial scan shows it's not similar, it's surely a separate species.

* you would essify it too.

* They are truly to be found on lemon trees. Check up if you don't believe me.

Worms.

2011-09-28T15:51:00.006+13:00

When my boys were young, they couldn't say the 'er' sound in 'worms'. They replaced it with 'or', as in 'more'.

It was a quirky and extremely specific speech defect; temporary, but amusing while it lasted. They could not read at the time, and in any case, it wasn't that they had seen the word 'worms' because it extrapolated to any 'er' sound. 'Words' were 'wards', 'girl' became 'gorl' and 'dirt' was 'dort'.

So I was asked for permission to dig for warms in the dort, for how to spell the ward 'gorl', told that baby boards eat warms, and other examples I have forgotten. Cute.

Cute might also be a description for this piece of writing from the late 1700's, by Gilbert White, early naturalist:

"Lands that are subject to frequent inundations are always poor ; and probably the reason may be because the worms are drowned. The most insignificant of insects and reptiles are of much more consequence, and have much more influence in the economy of Nature than the uncurious are aware of, and are mighty in their effect, from their minuteness, which renders them less an object of attention, and from their numbers and fecundity.

Earth-worms, though in appearance a small and despicable link in the chain of Nature, yet, if lost, would make a lamentable chasm. For, to say nothing of half the birds, and some quadrupeds, which are almost entirely supported by them, worms seem to be the great promoters of vegetation, which would proceed but lamely without them, by boring, perforating, and loosening the soil, and rendering it pervious to rains and the fibres of plants, by drawing straws and stalks of leaves and plants into it, and, most of all, by throwing up such infinite numbers of lump of earth called worm-casts, which, being their excretement, is a fine manure for grain and grass. Worms probably provide new soil for hills and slopes where the rain washes the earth away ; and they affect slopes, probably to avoid being flooded. Gardeners and farmers express their detestation of worms ; the former because they render their walks unsightly, and make them much work ; and the latter because, as they think, worms eat their green corn. But these men would find that the earth without worms would soon become cold, hard-bound, and void of fermentation, and consequently sterile ; and besides, in favour of worms, it should be hinted that green corn, plants and flowers, are not so much injured by them as by many species of coleoptera (scarabs), and tipulae t (longlegs) in their larva, or grub-state, and by unnoticed myriads of small shell-less snails, called slugs, which silently and imperceptibly make amazing havoc in the field and garden.

These hints we think proper to throw out in order to set the inquisitive and discerning to work.

A good monography of worms would afford much entertainment and information at the sae time, and would open as large and new field in natural history. Worms work most in the spring, but by no means lie torpid in the dead months : are out every mild night in the winter, as any person may be convinced that will take pains to examine his grass-plots with a candle ; are hermaphrodites , and very prolific."

--------------------------

In my search for a good image of a worm cast to accompany this post, I came across this one. But oh dear, look at the words. It appears not much has changed in over two hundred years... What a pest those worms are!

To provide balance, here is another recent piece of writing about worms. This comes from an old blog of CJ, Geeb's brother.

"Have you noticed how very rarely one comes across worm casts on the lawn nowadays? They used to be all over everyone's lawn at one time but now they are quite a rarity....

Unfortunately the worm population of many parts of the UK is under great threat at present from the New Zealand Flatworm (Arthurdendyus triangulatus and related species). The upper surface is dark, purplish brown with a narrow, pale buff edge. The underside is also pale buff. They are pointed at both ends, and ribbon-flat. A mature flatworm at rest is about 1cm wide and 6cm long. When extended, it can be up to 30cm long, and proportionally narrower. This interloper first arrived in the UK in the 1960s and feeds exclusively on earthworms. It can reduce the numbers to below detectable levels in the right conditions. The species common on Merseyside and in the South-west is the orangey-red (Australoplana sanguinea var alba).

A worm cast (also known as worm casting or vermicast) is a biologically active mound containing thousands of bacteria, enzymes, and remnants of plant materials that were not digested by the earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris and other species). The composting process continues after a worm casting has been deposited. In fact, the bacterial population of a cast is much greater than the bacterial population of either ingested soil, or the earthworm's gut. An important component of this dark mass is humus which is a complicated material formed during the breakdown of organic matter. One of its components, humic acid, provides many binding sites for plant nutrients, such as calcium, iron, potassium, sulphur and phosphorus. These nutrients are stored in the humic acid molecule in a form readily available to plants, and are released when the plants require them. So despite the fact that in large quantities worm casts used to look unsightly they were good for the soil..."

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The last word from me: Every time I set out to explore an insect (or critter) recently, I have found the same phenomenon: PARADOX. Within such a diverse group of animals, I expect to find a contradictory mass of information and beliefs. But contradictions and paradoxes keep occurring within a species too... How very fascinating.

Losing Touch

2011-09-26T13:49:00.003+13:00

For some time now a theory has been coagulating in my brain. First, in no particular order, some factoids:*

Since 2008, more than half the world's population live in urban environments.

Most people no longer have to compete directly with predators and scavengers for their food.

Humans need a certain amount of stimulation and will actively seek it.

Fear and excitement produces adrenalin.

Many people watch television for stimulation.

Television encourages people to stay indoors.

In the past, most real insect encounters occurred outside

These days, most real insect encounters occur inside the home.

For many people, television 'nature' programmes or movies are the main information source for ideas of 'nature'.

Many 'nature' programmes sensationalize insects.

More people than in the past are exhibiting signs of insect phobias.

Putting all these together I come up with my theory:

That the real life connections and encounters between humans and insects is decreasing and being replaced by sensationalist, adrenalin-driven exaggerations and simplifications portrayed in many television nature programmes. This will result in increasing incidence of disconnections, gross discrepancies, myths, phobias, and generally foolish misunderstandings and silly stories about insects and other little critters. This is in an age where the biological knowledge-base of this group of animals has never been larger and is growing all the time. The reality is actually much, much more marvelous! But more complex and subtle.

So, if it has been a while since you've had a real insect-human encounter, may I politely suggest you go outside soon...and leisurely watch. Ants. Or something. Maybe take a kid along too?

* May or may not be true.

Grey House Spider

2011-09-17T08:54:00.003+12:00

Spiders are so useful around the house! This one is a fairly common visitor to ours and it eats everything it catches in its web. I am always happy to see it munching away on a fat blow-fly in summer.

It is Badumna longinquus, the Australian Grey House Spider, although actually its only grey due to fine hairs that cover its abdomen. More a sort of raw umber brown with those warm reddish striped legs.

This one refused to stand still on its own identification page in my Crowe, and was much happier when it had slipped under the book and onto a branch of the wisteria.

Like its relative the black house spider B. insignis, it builds a rather messy nest, which sometimes gets bits and pieces stuck in it (not a reason for sweeping it away, I plead). When the webbing loses its stickiness these two spider species just seem to weave on a few more strands, usually at night. It's rather like a human house that's just been added onto as the family has grown. With a broken fence, a couple of old cars and a dead pear tree out the back, maybe.

Female Badumna are very shy to leave their homes and will be quite reluctant to vacate if you try to frighten them away. They will slip quickly back into their funnel-shaped room in the centre or back of their web, where there may also be a couple of cocoons of eggs or babies developing. Some of these babies may stay around and eat tiny midges and other food that may be too small to be noticed by the mother. It is unusual among spiders for the mother to share her home with her growing babies.

Badumna's main predator is the white-tailed spider, although I once read of a Badumna defending itself successfully and the white-tail beating a hasty retreat, with a limp, ha ha!

Most people, including farmers, probably don't realise how useful spiders are in eating insect species that would otherwise be a pest in our gardens and houses. It's hard to calculate the effect if all spiders were to be suddenly eliminated from the world, but the increase in pests would possibly be noticed within six hours!

Spiders are generalist feeders - meaning they eat anything, but they will eat more of those species that are very numerous, so they are very good at keeping populations from getting out of control.

Spiders are also very numerous themselves, and are able to go a long time without eating, so they are there waiting and hungry in spring when the pest insect numbers start to really take off. So don't kill them off in winter! Your vegetables will thank you!

The large numbers of spiders' offspring (and, indeed, that of all insects) provide an important food source for birds and other animals.

Here is a little information on a great Chinese study that helped to educate farmers about the importance of spiders and other insects to their crops. It also showed them the importance of providing 'rough' strips of uncultivated land on the borders of fields, and that pesticides killed off the beneficial species as well as the pests, and altered the ecological balance.

Coming the Raw Prawn with Me.*

2011-09-16T13:25:00.008+12:00

Prawns a la TLVD

(Serves two as a lunch and 4-8 as a starter)

Ingredients.

About 40 prawns

4 tsp crushed garlic

3 ripe tomatoes, skinned and chopped

about 1/4 cup white wine

2 tbsp avocado oil

2 tbsp sweet chili sauce

salt and pepper to taste

1. Fry prawns and garlic in oil for about 4 minutes, turning over once.

2. Add the wine and reduce by about half.

3. Add the tomatoes and chili sauce and, tossing the prawns in the liquor frequently, reduce the liquor until it's a thick consistency and coats the prawns. Season to taste.

4. Serve with fresh brown bread and butter.

* click

The Cockroach in my Art

2011-09-15T11:30:00.006+12:00

Black NZ Cockroach

There is an innocuous native New Zealand cockroach. It lives outside, rarely comes indoors, and then only if you transport it, say in firewood. It is more rounded than the German (Blatella germanica) or American (Periplaneta americana ) or Australian/ Gisborne (Drymaplaneta semivitta) roaches.

It's a lovely dark black, can't fly, has shortish antennae, eats decaying plant material and its only shortcoming from a human perspective, is that it can make an unpleasant smell if scared. Its common name is, rather unimaginatively, Black Cockroach. Its latin name is much more interesting: Platyzosteria novaeseelandiae.

I have been painting them. En masse. I'm not sure how successful the works are. I blue-tacked them to the wall to try them out. They aren't especially scary. Nor are they especially beautiful, although there is a certain pleasing designerly quality I suppose.....

But what I'm getting around to saying it that I painted one individual near the lounge door. And, even though I know I was the one who put it there, and it was made with a potato stamp so the legs are too fat, the feelers are black acrylic, felt-pen, and is very much two-dimensional, it still makes me give a little jump of alarm every single time I walk through the door! Weird.

Information about NZ cockroaches from Landcare Research

Still Windy

2011-09-14T11:13:00.000+12:00

It's a very blustery day again today... the wind is roaring down the river corrugating the surface and a duck was sitting very still on the bank trying hard to be invisible to me. She would have found it hard to keep position on the water today, let alone make progress upstream.

The winds have blown half of a willow down too. But the sun is making an appearance earlier and earlier, and the magnolia flowers are almost over and the daffs are out. Spring is here!

Windy Tuesday

2011-09-13T22:09:00.001+12:00

When I went for my walk this morning a strong wind was trying to blow the big avocado tree inside out...

But there was a silver lining to the scurrying clouds... no, not the leaves all over the ground (that's not an especially good thing unless you are one of the exceedingly rare New Zealand flightless Avocetera birds that feed exclusively on leaves of Lauraceae species).

I'm referring to all those lovely avocados on the ground. By the way, did you know that the plural of avocados has no 'e', i.e., not avocadoes, as in tomatoes and potatoes? Possibly you did. Possibly it doesn't bother you either way. But until recently I did not know this fact. Actually, I was beginning to think, in addition to my present position of Apostrophe Police, I should take on the role of Avocado Police, such was the proliferation of (I thought) incorrectly spelled road-side stall signs. I hereby humbly announce I was wrong.

Fun

2011-09-11T20:43:00.001+12:00

Click here for some gentle whimsy.

(Thanks JC)

Naked bus Saga finale. Hooray for Naked Bus!

2011-09-05T23:22:00.002+12:00

---------------------------------

Thank you very much Naked Bus!

I'm sure I will enjoy my trip. It is my Father's 81st birthday.

Katherine.

--------------------------------

Naked Bus Saga continues.

2011-09-04T23:14:00.001+12:00

Hello Helen.

Thank you for your prompt email. I very much appreciate you rebooking my return journey Hastings to Rotorua for me. However that still leaves the problem of the outward trip.

And, with the greatest respect, I did indeed send my email before the 24 hours before the journey, as per Naked Bus policy. If you will check your records (including below) I'm sure you will find this out. You mention the 27th. The 27th was when I received the automatically generated message from Naked Bus. Was this later than usual? If so, perhaps for the same reason that I could access neither the booking form online nor Naked bus directly by phone?

I remember clearly there was about 25.5 hours before my journey was to have taken place (11.05am), that is, I sent my email (on the Naked Bus website form) between 9 and 9.45 am the day before (the 26th). As I have said, I tried repeatedly to change the booking from before 8 am that morning.

I would greatly appreciate your further attention to this problem.

Katherine De Chevalle

Naked Bus Saga 3.

2011-09-03T16:01:00.007+12:00

Hello Tim

Thank you for your response.

Oh But But But, You can see by the time and date of the email I sent (in desperation, after wasting a good hour of my work day trying to get through to the naked bus booking form, AND phoning at least three times direct), that it WAS sent prior to when my bookings would have expired. There is no reason why I would have done this when I could have made the booking changes myself, surely? Apart from not being able to? I was very frustrated, but rested easily once I'd sent it, knowing the date and time would reassure anyone.

Please will you reconsider? I am a Master's student and cannot afford to pay the full amount again, albeit less 25%, for this travel, when I have already paid it. Naturally I do realise I have to pay the booking fee for the change.

With respect,

Katherine De C.

NB. this exchange occurred on August 1.

The first part of this saga is here

Part 2 is here