Let the flying begin!

Tuis are just so acrobatic as they syphon the nectar out of all the blooms.

“When we walk to the edge of all the light we have

and take that step into the darkness of the unknown,

we must believe that one of two things will happen;

There will be something solid for us to stand on,

Or

We will learn how to fly.”

~ credited to Herta Payson

 but not confirmed.

I know I’ve said this before, but I LOVE Fridays!

Especially when they’re accompanied by clear blue skies, 

gorgeous sunshine 

and a low tide.  

Could have done without the icy wind though

but that’s a small price to pay for such a magnificent day.

My little piece of paradise gleams and glistens!

It MORE than makes up for the tumbled-up world I’m living in.

We’re on the move again.

Moving home that is.

Not quite sure yet where to but we’ve handed in our notice

and the search for alternative

 ... and less expensive ...  

accommodation begins.

I’m putting it out to the universe

KNOWING that it’s the right thing to do.

I keep asking myself why I’m having to leap these hurdles on my own though and, 

as is usual when I ask questions of myself, 

the answer soon sprung to mind.

I have to learn how to fly!

It’s quite ironic then that the low tide this morning elicited a glut 

of Kingfishers and Herons for me to photograph.  

If anyone can teach me how to fly, they can!

Except that we’re talking flying of a different kind.

And it’s hard.

That’s why mornings like this are necessary.

A quiet reminder that, whilst life might not be quite perfect, 

there are still moments of magnificence in the midst of the mayhem.

Let the flying lessons begin.

I am a beautiful, messy, screwed-up human being.

I am a beautiful, messy screwed-up human being.

Just as we all are.

I attract to me, other beautiful, messy screwed-up human beings.

Some of them don’t realise that they’re like that

 ... so I tell them.

A  crested pigeon

They make my world rock.

Whether they be friends in the real world, or real friends far away in my cyber world,  they are the rock my house is built on.  

It would be a very shaky house indeed were it not for the support of these 

very human, very messy, very screwed-up peeps.

Zebra Finch ... they move SO fast!

They make wild animals look tame

I do love them, warts and all.

An Emu

As most of you know, I’m PASSIONATE about capturing moments.

They’re never posed, never planned.

They just HAPPEN.

Rainbow Lorikeet

So when I get invited to the ZOO for the day, you just KNOW there could be magic

.... especially in the AVIARIES.

Mackaw

I do have mixed feelings about zoos though

 ... their necessity or otherwise.

Spider Monkey

Whilst our modern zoos have elevated habitat emulation to an art, they’re still confining wild animals in an unnatural environment.  

Their attempts to relieve boredom and stress by offering 

challenging activities aren’t always that successful.

Ring-necked Lemur

Serval

During our 6 hours at the zoo, we witnessed several animals 

exhibiting a repetitive type of behaviour congruent with said boredom and stress.

  It’s sad and challenges the perception that zoos are necessary for educational purposes, 

and for the protection of endangered species.

I have to believe that the message of conservation that the zoos are spreading is being heard.

It’s the only way I can accept their necessity.

Judging by the number of school groups at the zoo yesterday, 

and the note-taking and question-asking happening, 

Auckland Zoo do take their role of spreading the message seriously.

Dinner time in the otter enclosure

Is it enough though?

Red Panda

The volunteers we encountered are passionate about their involvement in the Zoo.

There’s a vibrancy and belief to what they do that’s contagious.  

They care SO much about the welfare of each and every animal.

The Kea - the world's only alpine parrot

Humour is NEVER in short supply when Em’s and I are out together.  

That humour being shared by some of the volunteers we encountered made for even

more laughter-inducing moments, particularly at the Lion enclosure and in the shop.

What is it about Em’s that makes her do the DAFTEST of things!

I’m NOT complaining.  

Her DAFT moments make for tear-inducing laughter.

A Whio

“Eventually all things fall into place.  

Until then, laugh at the confusion, live for the moments, 

and know that EVERYTHING happens for a reason.” 

~ Albert Schweitzer

The Takahe, a flightless bird indigenous to New Zealand ... once thought to be extinct

My all-time favourite of the Big Cats

Love these faces

Yawning and roaring for his mate

A moment can seem like an eon ...

I was going to write tonight about how busy my week has been and how tired I am

 ... then I had a light bulb moment.  

How dare I complain.

Despite the heavy clouds and the rain, sun rise this morning was beautiful.

I have a part-time job that I thoroughly enjoy.  The rest of the time I get to indulge in beach rambles with the hound, and satisfy my passion for being a crocodile.  I earn an income from it too ..... albeit a small one .... at the moment. 

 It will grow though, of that I'm certain.

Viewing life through a lens is magical.  I get to capture moments in time that would otherwise be forgotten ... like this morning’s rainbow.  It was magnificent.  The most vibrantly coloured rainbow with another sneaking up behind.

There for a brief moment in time ... then gone.  

The "extra" left me a message in the sand.  One of those moments that was here one minute ....

That’s what life’s like too.  Moments in time slapped together in haphazard order with no logical rhyme or reason to their placement .... or so it seems.  A moment can seem like an eon but when viewed as part of the whole is actually quite insignificant.  

.... and gone the next.

Press PAUSE.  I want to REWIND.  I want to catch up.

Oh dam .... it's that Chiefs rugby ball.  Saturday night is the night of reckoning.

“Take ONE moment just to be here .... to be still

.... regardless of what is passing through you.” 

~ Gangaji

ONE moment.  That’s all I need.

The hound understands what I mean.  She would have her time on the beach over and over again if she could.  She would press rewind EVERY day, but especially on Tuesdays and Fridays..

They’re her catch-up days with Sam.

They chase rugby balls and unearth logs and dig trenches to China ... and drink coffee. Their energy and enthusiasm is boundless. 

 I nearly lost my coffee this morning to an ever-vigilant Sam.  Taking photos of rainbows took a back seat to save my caffeine fix. 

 It was my FIRST one of the day

 ... there was NO way NO hound was pinching it!

Sam and Bailey having Labrador playtime!

We’ve had King tides this week and there’s been an abundance of driftwood on the beach ...until yesterday.  The powers-that-be sent a tractor to clean up our bay and it removed a lot of the driftwood.  The hounds still found some though.

It looks aggressive .. but it's not.  It's all mouthing and noise.

I’m being very careful to avoid being stabbed again by a wayward log.  I am STILL having to visit A+E to have the wound dressed. Tonight was my 6th visit and I have to return again on Monday.

 I think I’ve learnt my lesson.

“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” 

~ Henry David Thoreau