There's something seriously delicious about goose poop.

“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.”

~ W.B. Yeats

The rather shy Song Thrush

From gorgeous blue-eyed geese, daft ducks and spunky sparrows to seriously elegant swans, Western Springs Lakeside Park has it all.  

I had MORE than my fill of feathered friends on Tuesday afternoon.  

It was magical!

I just love their blue eyes

Navigationally challenged me didn’t realise Western Springs Lakeside Park was so close to the specialist vets.

Had I known it was overflowing with birdlife, 

I’d have stopped there EVERY time.

It’s one of those vibrantly thriving green belts that Auckland does so well.

The natural spring-fed lake is one of the city’s earliest water supplies.  

It’s also a refuge for the native Orea (Eel) and they’re easily seen trailing the swans and geese around the lake. 

Synchronised swimming

It’s the perfect place for the hound to have a short ramble after laser treatment.

Except for ONE thing.

She likes to eat the GOOSE POOP.

Yes.   GOOSE POOP.

And there’s a LOT of it there.

As quick as I try and walk her across the grass, 

she’s snatching up these little delicacies faster than I can move her.  

There’s obviously something SERIOUSLY addictive about  GOOSE POOP.

Not that the Geese are keen on her eating it.

“It’s MINE” they hiss as she grabs another mouthful.

The only time the Black Swans hiss is if she gets too close to their babies.  

One Daddy Swan was taking his parental duties very seriously.  

She SO nearly had her nose nipped!

Breeding season is in full force at the lake and the Black Swans have become quite territorial.

There was much aggression on display, which is odd as swans are monogamous birds and mate for life. 

The only difference between male and female is size so I wasn’t sure if it was male on male aggression or male on female aggression.  Apparently some swans are homosexual.  They’ll either steal eggs, or form a temporary threesome with a female, to obtain eggs.  After the female has laid the eggs, they’ll chase her away.

How cunning is that!

Their wingspan is HUGE, and I for one would be TERRIFIED 
if a swan came charging at me with it’s wings fully outstretched!

They are the MOST photogenic of birds though and had no qualms
in paddling right up to the bank to have a closer look at the hound AND I.

All you need is love ....

My Space .... setting up for our Christmas Crafty Evening on Sunday!

It wasn’t MY body I dragged up to to the viewsite on Monday morning ... mine was at home in bed ... still sleeping. 

Wishful thinking!

It’s been another hectic but productive week ... successful too. 

It still begs the question though of why life has to be so frenetic.

Frenetic is an apt word to use. According to Google, the arbiter of all things inane, the definition of frenetic is "Fast and energetic in a rather wild and uncontrolled way"

A most apt definition!

Our bay was a hive of activity on Monday Morning. A film crew was setting up on the beach for the
filming of a Miller's Beer commercial.

I don’t know if I’m coming or going ... if I’m Arthur or Martha, or Peter or Paul. I need HELP .... with my sanity obviously .... as the busyness of my days is self-induced! I LOVE working at the shop, I LOVE my family .... and my hound ..... and the fur-ball .....  and I LOVE developing my business. Maybe I’m trying to wear too many hats and not always filling any of them adequately. Food for thought.

Slowly but surely though I’m selling more canvas prints. It’s a magical feeling! I love knowing that my photos are being displayed on someone’s wall for their enjoyment. It means someone, somewhere sees something special in my little works of art.

On to LOVE and it’s impact on my life.

The little rescued fur-ball has opened my eyes to the need we all have to be loved AND touched .... to the benefits to our well-being of having someone to hug us or, as in the fur-ball’s case, of being stroked and tickled.  I could have just housed and fed her and she would have survived. Still feral maybe ... but she would have survived. 

In addition to the housing and feeding though, we’ve given her lots of love .... and TOUCH ... and she’s not only survived, she’s THRIVED.

Catching up with Maggie!

All you  need is love .... it brings to mind the song written by John Lennon and sung by the Beatles .... it’s one of my favourites.  The lyrics in the song don’t have it quite right though, love ISN’T all you need ... you need that loving touch too.

Impromptu feast at Waiatarua ... even Indy tried to get in on the action.

When Yvonne first bought the fur-ball to me two weeks ago, she left me with a message from the Vet “Tell them it’s not their fault if she doesn’t survive. She’s the runt of the litter, she’s malnourished, under-weight and might not make it.” She weighed less than 400g. If Yvonne had taken her to the SPCA they would have euthanised her as her chances of survival were negligible.

I don't care how bad everybody says these birds are, they're still one of my favourites.

This little fur-ball’s a SURVIVOR though .... she’s not only thriving, she’s doubled her weight and, in the words of a song sung by Bonnie Tyler, given me a total eclipse of the heart. 

Who would have expected it.

Even the Sparrows came to join in the feast.

Love DOES indeed make the world go round. We all NEED love AND, whether animal or human, we all NEED that loving TOUCH.

Just another of the hat’s I’m wearing but this one I think I’m doing ok with ... YAY!

On Friday, after the tornado that hit Auckland, the grassed areas at Waiatarua were like lakes ... there was so
much water! Even the ducks were swimming on them.

Chasing balls through puddles is SO much fun!

Huge puddles of water EVERYWHERE!

Gorgeous reflections too!

On the beach on Saturday and Bessie's pinched her ball!

It's NOT only  MY heart she's eclipsed!

The reflections this morning were awesome too!

Zak, the 10 year old Hunterway/Shepherd we met.

Finally they've got the water fountain working for the hounds .... it's only taken about 6 months!

Grrrr .... summer time beach restrictions.

“Those who were seen dancing were thought to be INSANE by those who could not hear the music.” 

... a quote credited to Friedrick Nietzsche, a German philosopher and poet.

I MUST be insane.

Grrrrr .... along with daylight saving come summer hound times on our beaches. NO hounds on the beach between 9am and 7pm .... not even on lead. Yes, I know .... I’ve been on my soapbox about this issue before and the times ... they be a-changing .... but not at a speed that I’m happy with!!

Very low tides mean more fish than the gulls can eat

I’m NOT even supposed to let her off-lead before 9 in the morning. I’m on the beach from 6.30! 

Who in their right mind is going to be on the beach at that time in the morning unless they’ve got a hound?

The Dog Wardens ... that’s who! 

I CAN’T wait for the new regulations that have been proposed, to come into force! It will be a victory for dog-owners throughout Auckland. BAH HUMBUG to those who said it couldn’t be done and an avid THANK YOU to all those who’ve made it happen.

It was WORTH collecting all those signatures!

Our weather is STILL dismal. I think summer’s gone on holiday and it’s certainly NOT here in Auckland. Rain is the order of the day .... and clouds .... heavy grey ones. I’m even beginning to forget what that big yellow orb in the sky looks like.

Despite the rain, despite the gloomy weather outlook, I LOVE my rambles. I don’t mind getting wet .... or cold .... and I certainly don’t mind getting muddy! Thankfully my camera’s quite robust and able to tolerate the drizzle and mud and sand and whatever else rambling with the hound might throw at it. Smudges in photos are more often the result of raindrops or mud splatters on the lens. It’s one of the pitfalls of rambling with water-loving Labradors ....  and "pseudo"  Labradors.

The reflections on the beach today, albeit sans sunshine, were brilliant! Low tide was at 7.10 and the ocean was like a mirror ... even Rangitoto at that early hour in the morning had a reflection. 

Not only can I photograph raindrops on roses but raindrops on swans too! The Black Swan family put on an impromptu photo-shoot this morning to introduce us to their babies ... though their babies are NOT so little anymore. 

Neither adult swan was happy with Shadow (he of the pseudo Labrador fame) prancing around like a lunatic on the water’s edge ... yes, he’s insane too. Dad sailed rapidly forward hissing loudly at Shadow as Mom, hissing just as furiously, gathered the youngsters around her. They didn’t seem to mind US being there but they weren’t happy with the hounds. 

I’ve seen the swans regularly in the distance but it’s the first time I’ve seen all of them up close and personal. They’re so beautiful and just so elegant .... it was awesomeness and beyond to snap photos of them like that this morning!

"If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely."

~ Roald Dahl