There are TWO hounds living in this house ...

The Oyster Catchers LOVE the low tide

Mist causes madness and mayhem

I really live in an awesome spot in the world. No two mornings are the same despite similar weather conditions. Yesterday’s sunrise was spectacular and so was today’s but in a vastly different way. Yesterday the sky took on the hues of the rising sun but today the rays of the sun turned my world different shades of green and gold.

The mist over Rangitoto and my city added to the wonder of the early morning .... moody memories are made of moments like this. 

The melancholy cry of the fog-horn drifting through the mist only added to the atmosphere. 

For a change we couldn’t hear the ferries racing through the channel .... the mist put paid to any attempt by them to move speedily through the waves.

Sometimes when I look at my photos it’s hard to believe they’re all taken in the same spot. If I stand on the beach and take a photo looking towards Kohi I see green and gold and light and reflections .... a sparkling explosion of colour!

 If I stand in the same spot but turn 180 degrees towards Ladies Bay and the cliff, I see a dramatic contrast between light and dark, there are shadows and silhouettes and no definitive colour. It doesn’t feel real .... it’s FULL of unspoken emotions .... unfulfilled promises.

The flight of the Oyster Catchers over the waves only adds to the mystery.

What is it emerging from the depths .... 

What it is is MAGICAL and it’s all right here in my bay every morning. 

I love this little spot I live in .... I wish I could share it with all those I love and miss.

Two kayakers heading back into the bay

The hound and I had no time restraints on our ramble this morning so we wandered far and wide. The rugby ball got replaced with a log which ended up being carried half way home. I get these pleading eyes looking at me but I’m over carrying logs home for her .... if she wants it, she carries it. It was actually Bella’s log but my hound pinched it cause it was bigger than hers ...... she can be a bit of a bully at times.

Bella .... all of 14 weeks old.

It’s unusual to meet a large hound owned by an Asian family. They don’t generally like hounds and certainly not large ones but the Asian chap we met on the beach this morning had a gorgeous 14 week old German Shepherd pup. She was a confident little thing ... quite comfortable with coming up to the larger hounds then racing back and lying at his feet if she felt threatened. He told us he’d thought it was a good idea to own and train a pup before he tackled children .... I didn’t have the heart to tell him hounds are easier .... they DON’T answer back!

Maximus ... the Bernese Mountain Pup we've met on the beach before.

My hound obviously got fed up of me chatting though .... we’d stopped and passed the time of day with way too many people for her liking. She stood over her log, looked at me and barked.  Enough now, she was saying .... throw my log! The Asian chap was so amused. He thought she was really clever letting me know what she wanted. Hmmmm .... I’m not so sure, I think she was just being a typical beach bitch!

Nico, who's growing into himself beautifully.

In this house we have TWO hounds ..... one lives in a CAT’S body though. To all intents and purposes Tiger is a HOUND ... he’s just been given the wrong fur body, or so he thinks.  When I call the hound he comes running, if she has a bone, he wants one too. 

This morning, after the hound’s ramble, they both found the sun beams in the sitting room and lay down together to sleep .... little “wannabe” hound’s paws touching big hound paws. 

The 'look' I got when I came to take a photo says it all.

Go away Mom .... we're SLEEPING!

Reflections .... reflections .... reflections!

..... and still more!

I'm telling her that I can't see Rangitoto behind her because it's covered in mist
 ... she UNDERSTANDS exactly what I'm saying .... cause she's a GIRL hound!!