It's a good job I'm NOT a man!

This morning's sunrise

“Sometimes you have to do what’s best for you and your life, not what’s best for everybody else.”

...... and reflections!

Good job I’m not a man ... there are certain extremities on a man’s body that might have frozen off this morning ... it was SO icy! Even the boardwalk had ICE on it which made it treacherous to walk on .... I guess there aren’t many people trying to walk on it at 6.30 in the morning though.

Sunrise was at 7.33 and the shadows and reflections on the low tide were beautiful. I’m still coming to grips with getting the ISO right for low-light photography ... it’s all trial and error right now but that’s how you learn the limits, or otherwise, of a new camera.

I just LOVE mornings like this no matter HOW icy they are.

It’s gloves and scarf AND ear muffs weather when the skies are this clear .... except I don’t have ear muffs! Julia reckoned the temp dropped even more as the sun rose. All I know is that I needed to don my jacket in addition to all the other layers this morning. The icy weather NEARLY stopped Sam and Carol from coming down to the beach this morning too.

Sam has decided he LOVES the rugby ball and he’s very definitely DEVELOPED an addiction for CAFFEINE 

...or should that rather be the froth on the top of our coffee. I THINK Carol and I might be to blame for that. It would be fine if it was just Carol’s and my coffee he liked to pinch but apparently he licked all the froth of the top of Pete’s coffee this weekend .... uninvited.

He nearly got mine on the beach today too. I, rather stupidly ... yes, blonde moment .... sat down on the sand to drink it whilst the hounds were fetching the ball. Sam, having pinched the ball of Chocolat, came charging over, ball in mouth, to offer his assistance with my coffee. He doesn’t seem to have realised yet that he’s too large to be a lap-dog.

He IS an awesome hound though and is growing into the most delightful character. He’s stubborn too as Carol’s finding out. Plonks his bum down on the ground and won’t budge when he’s not ready to go home. Thank goodness Carol works out at the gym ... for a little person, she’s incredibly strong ... and needs to be with a hound like Sam.

It’s school holidays right now so Callum and I headed to the Museum today to see the National Geographic Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition. There were some incredible pictures there. Outstanding photography. It makes me so aware of  how important it is to never stop practicing and learning. It’s an international competition so there were several exhibits from photographers in South Africa too ... and of course, wildlife from Africa .... so awesome to see.

Sunsets and reflections were the order of the day this evening. The hound and I headed back down to the beach at twilight to see if the sunset was going to be as good as I was expecting. The hound of course was given strict instructions to stay out of the waves ... totally unnecessary instructions as it was low tide ... ANOTHER blonde moment. 

The sunset was breath-taking, especially with all the reflections in the low tide. The photos just don’t do it justice.