This is Auckland right? Nothing EVER sells out in Auckland!

“Our lives are not determined by what happens TO us but by how we REACT to what happens, not by what life BRINGS to us, but by the attitude WE bring to life. A positive attitude causes a CHAIN reaction of positive thoughts, events, and outcomes. It is a CATALYST, a spark that creates extraordinary results.” 
- anon.

Milford Market on Saturday .... we just didn't have enough customers.

I knew I should have run ‘Round the Bays’ again this year.  It would have been way more productive than what the markets I attended were.  I think everyone and their dog was at Round the Bays .... everyone that is except me and my dog, and the other stall-holders.

That being said, I did to get to meet some great new stall-holders at both markets I’ve participated in and the weather has been gorgeous!  Autumn hasn’t quite stretched its fingers into my world yet.  Summer is STILL in charge and I’m hopeful these blue skies and sunny days will continue for a while longer yet.

I even got to catch up with John from Cocasuma Bags
.... I haven't seen him since I stopped the St. Heliers market.

We watched the most amazing firework display last night.  It was part of a pyrotechnic performance by Group F, a collective of some of the world’s most masterful pyrotechnics artists. They use light in all it’s ‘brilliant’ forms .... LOVE the play on words there ... to produce spectacular outdoor shows!  This particular show “The Breath of the Volcano” was inspired by the volcanic hills of the Auckland ishmus. It was fire mastery, large scale projection and fireworks at their best.  What we saw of it was superb.

Trying to get tickets ....

This is NOT my photo and there's no credit listed for this one.

This is a video of some of the highlights.
The best of the fireworks are around the 6min mark!

The show was only on for 3 nights, Saturday night being the last performance. We’d planned on buying tickets to it but weren’t sure how many we needed so put it on hold until we were able to check ... and then FORGOT to buy them.  Yes, it was ME that forgot to buy them.

Photo by Craigsydnz on Flicker ... it's a superb capture of the extent of the fireworks.

Hey ... but this is Auckland ... right?  NOTHING ever sells out in Auckland.  

WRONG!

Photo by Craigsydnz on Flicker

We arrived at the domain in plenty of time confident that we’d be able to get tickets at the gate.  After all, they’d said on the web site tickets were available at the gate.

Photo by Craigsydnz on Flicker

The web site was WRONG .... there were NO tickets available .... just a long standby queue of like-minded people.

Photo by Craigsydnz on Flicker

We resigned ourselves to watching from the sidelines with all the trees in the way.  Group F were using the western face of the Auckland Museum building to project the images on to, and while we couldn’t see the image clearly, we were able to get an idea of what it was.  The little ant-like figures in their LED-lit costumes were VERY visible .... as were the FIREWORKS.  They were beyond description ... just jaw-droppingly magnificent.

It was a NECESSARY interlude in a busy weekend.

Reflections in the skylight above me at the Milford Market

I am TIRED tonight .... in fact, I’m BEYOND tired.  Life is BUSY with so much to do and so much happening.  Part of me felt disillusioned earlier by the lack of foot-traffic at BOTH markets I’ve attended this weekend.  

Albany Market ... the last one as the Market Organiser has closed it down.

That was only part of me though.  The other part of me ... the BIGGER part of me .... sees the positives that come out of these markets, regardless of how successful, or otherwise, they are. I get to meet amazingly creative people who in turn think I’m amazingly creative too.  I make connections with entrepenueurs that I can be of benefit to and, who in turn, can be of benefit to me.  

It’s all GOOD in my world.

And to think that just 4 months ago she was no bigger than the palm of his hand.
What a blessing she's become!