Choc Cross Bun

Our beloved chocolate have become so expensive, over $6 a slab, we don't usually buy any unless they are on special, but I do get weak-kneed at gimmicky limited editions.

6.05PM

With only four more store hours to go, shelves must be stocked. Never mind the chip-loving customer.

It's Been a Busy Saturday

 

And we are all exhausted.

Not Exactly Sunflowering

We found a half-used packet of sunflower seeds from a few years ago, so we put some in the edge of the tomato patch. It gets a lot of sun in our shady garden, but also high winds all the time. This one, the taller, faced the sun for the first few days of flowering, then gave up after 60km winds. The smaller never bothered with the sun, but has multiple buds from one stem.

To each their own!
 

New Zealand Spotted Longhorn Hoppers

We went to drop off something at friends', and were met by this unfriendliest bunny. He doesn't belong to my friends, but live in their garden. 

Apricot Kernel Perfume

Following Ben's success with two batches of yellow plum jams, I wanted to make something, too, and bought 1kg of apricots at the supermarket for a simple recipe. I had never heard of using stone fruits kernels before, and was very curious. I can now tell you, blanched and peeled apricot kernels to smell like intense almond essence, absolutely divine. Now I can't stop wondering if other stone fruit kernels smell likewise.

I'm not sure if it was meant to add pectin to the mix. Of course the bits didn't melt or turn invisible, but float in the jam like small almond bits.

Preference

 

I found an immobile bee on what to her is a vast expanse of concrete. If she was dying, I wanted her to die on a flower so I moved her to flowering calendula. When I went to check 15 minutes later, she had moved to this spend flower about 15cm away on her own volition. Whatever takes your fancy, dear.

Some Things in Life Need Explanations

 

Like what we're meant to look at while resting on this bench on Toswill Reserve. But then this is from November and things might have changed; it's high time we resumed our "daily" walk.

 

It also reminds me of when we lived in the US when I was a kid. My parents love "views" and "scenery", and encouraged by the car culture, we often got in the car to look at something, anything, even after Dad came home from work, or even after dinner some days. Except for the dead of the winter in Minneapolis. Things improved dramatically when we moved to Tucson the last year; we were off at least a couple of times a week, and further afield on weekends. 

Dad in particular had this sweeping hand motion, while exclaiming, "Look at this View, Daughter!!" expecting similar reaction from me. I was the only kid then, aged 5-6 that academic year; Dad was a research fellow. You see, I knew what a mountain/river/lake/tree/bird/sunset was, but I didn't know what a "view" was. I would have stared at a rock if he just said "rock", (because there were a lot of them in and around Arizona,) but no, he insisted I love the "view" as much as he did. So for three years, my eyes followed the line his hand made, and emitted a breathless, "Yeah..." in my quiet voice, praying there was enough awe and reverence in the way I said it. And hoped he won't ask questions about that particular "view" later; my parents were both teachers, and they liked to ask questions to stimulate my intellectual development.  

 

Ah, the things kids do for parents.

Round One, Veg Section

 

"Eat plant-based," they say. OK, OK, we hear you... We usually visit two supermarkets every week and sometimes a veg shop in addition. This summer we are somewhat addicted to cucumber juice.

Orange Gems

 

We have a shady garden, and even though I put the tomatoes in the ground much too early, it wasn't until the end of January that some started to turn orange. Not quite red, but we were so impatient we started picking and sitting them in bowls in the sun for a couple of days. All the plants came from tomatoes we bought in the supermarket and ate: Roma and Mixed Cherry Toms.

Gold Gems

Courtesy of good friends, we came into possession of 2kgs of golden plums. They about the size of a medium to large grapes, and super tart at first, but with a sweet aftertaste. Ben decided to give it a go making jam for the first time.

And what a lovely jam he made. The color is slightly darker because he used raw sugar, but the jam is sweet and tangy, and tastes similarly to apricot jam, his favorite.  

And I made a warp.

Summer

  

From PYO@185 in Hope, purchased mid-afternoon after being picked in the morning just before Christmas. Supermarket stuff never came close.

Inspired by "Rubbish"

Many artists say they are inspired by nature, while I always insist I prefer history, stories and man-made objects. I may have been wrong. I was loathed to discard these, and took gazillion pictures.

In Amongst or Underneath

Occasionally I must remind myself we do have stuff other than weeds in the garden. Or in amongst, or underneath.

#FirstWorldVice

  

We don't see too many of these pricey rubbish around here, but it's disheartening when we do. The pipe might have been exposed in the 2022/8/19 river-of-rain/flood/landslide. Maire Street.

Some Ordinary Days in Nelson are Extraordinary

 

As it must be where you live, too. From near the top of Tamaki Street.

We Must Live in Paradise

 

I have been a fan of Bird of Paradise since 1982 when I saw them in person in Hawaii for the first time. I have seen some around Nelson, but our place is shady, and I must clear a pretty large patch for them to succeed, so I have been reluctant to commit. 

Only a few weeks ago I got this close to one, from memory somewhere near the Cathedral Steps, and it was scary; there was a hint of viciousness in their beauty. Maybe it's enough to admire them from afar.

A Favorite Recycled?

 

Fuchsias were the flowers in fashion when we came to New Zealand. I had never seen them and the choice of colors were mesmerizing. Then they disappeared for over 20 years, but I swear I saw some in the garden shop last spring. She may be a survivor from the last century. Waimea Road.

Ben's Too.

 

Ben's been breaking a little bad for half a dozen years, roasting his own. The Coffee Company, Hardy Street.