Vine I

Almost all the grapes are already harvested, but the leaves gives photographer something else to be excited about.

Wait for Meeeeeee.....

I was standing in the middle of the road between Zest and Stingray cafes, and looked up, and saw them.

Under The Tree

I would like to have a nap under a tree like this. I believe this is an oak tree. Almost all these leaves have fallen by now. The photo was taken in late April.

A Photographer's Bag

Ben's been taking lots of photos this past week with his fancy new camera. He had this week off. It's a great time of the year to go around the region looking for autumnal colors (Ok, that may be my primary interest). I'm not sure who this little guy is, but he guarded Ben's equipment for the duration of one shoot.

Autumn Light II

The autumn light and leaves series was running on Ben's sketchbook from 22/April through 4/May, include some shots from local vineyard. Please check out if you have interested and missed out.

Just Arrived

We had to drop our car at the Mitsubishi dealer for service the other day, and parked behind this red one. It must have just arrived from the port; it says Nelson on the rear window.

There are a lot of Japanese imports in Nelson, probably like anywhere else. Some of the commercial vehicles still have the names of the organizations in Japan: "so-and-so kindergarten" on the side of a van, "this-and-that Construction" on small- or mid-sized trucks, and so forth. We've also been approached by a few strangers, who find us by word of mouth, to read car maintenance records to see if the vehicles have been in serious accidents before.

Autumn Light I

Missed the Chance

These guys were looking straight at us until the car turned a corner. We followed, but they weren't interested in us any more. Darn!

Hide and Seek

Lunch break at the primary school. Not a good weather on the day (30th/April), but the rain had a little brake to allow children to play.

Back Entrance

This is the back of the Courthouse. (See front here.) If you've been naughty and on remand, you are delivered on a van that goes inside this cage; they shut the cage before you're let out the van.

But that's just my theory. Police is to the left, just behind where I was standing, and I do know there are basement cells there, because I read it in the paper... Soooo.... they wouldn't transport the baddies just to cross the drive way, would they?

Sunset

It's just beautiful, isn't it?

Stingray Cafe

I shot this sitting at what's becoming my usual seat in the big Zest Cafe on Church Street, (as opposed to the little Zest on Hardy Street). It's Stingray Cafe across the street. They have good food and the best coffee in Nelson (said Trish, and she knows her coffee, so you'd better listen to her), but I've only been there once. The thing is, there seems to be an unusually high ratio of male clients there, (usually between 4:0 and 8:0), so I hesitate to enter alone.

I'll go back with Ben or Trish next time and give you a report.

Mac's Brewery

Mac's Brewery was Nelson's local brewery; sometime in the last couple of years they moved to Wellington's waterfront, seen in this shot. They changed the labels, put on a series of TV ad (something we never saw in our 10+ years in Nelson), and is becoming a national brand. I'll have to go shoot the original brewery down the road; that one is closed down and up for sale. So if any of you want to start a brewery in Nelson...

I prepared this post initially for yesterday's theme day.

PS. Has anyone noticed one of our shots in yesterday's seaside gallery Theme Day post?

May Theme Day: City Exchange

Budapest all over Rabbit Island, by Ben, or as Isabella says, Budapest grows on trees in Nelson. (And the "making" shots and my best here.)

It's amazing how much more spectacular the photos looked printed in a larger size of A4; Budapest is so much lovelier enlarged. By having these beautiful photos all around me, I'm not sure if my stone-building envy was cured or worsened. And though we chose the relatively colorful for this purpose, some of the B&W ones, especially those of the fog over the river, are moody and romantic.

Budapest Daily Photo can be found here; Zsolt's (note: two o's in the URL) Flickr has more of Budapest and beyond. Zsolt, and Zannnie, we hope you keep on posting many more beautiful shots of the lovely city, and thanks for your friendship!!

And of course today is DP Theme Day and many other DP bloggers have participated in the City Exchange. To view their contributions, please click on the following places:

Monte Carlo, Monaco -Rome, Italy - Singapore, Singapore - Tenerife, Spain - Rotterdam, Netherlands - London, UK - Montréal (QC), Canada - Melbourne, Australia - Naples (FL), USA - Bastia, France - Hong Kong, China - Mazatlan, Mexico - Buenos Aeres, Argentina - Manila, Philippines - Arradon, France - Madison (WI), USA - Evry, France - Seoul, Korea - Shanghai, China - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - Sequim (WA), USA - Singapore, Singapore - Budapest, Hungary - Baziège, France - Hamburg, Germany - Toruń, Poland - Nelson, New Zealand - Madison (WI), USA - Vantaa, Finland - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Mainz, Germany - Dubai, UAE - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Cork, Ireland - Stockholm, Sweden - Menton, France - Tel Aviv, Israel - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Kitakami, Japan - Stayton (OR), USA - Szentes, Hungary - Stavanger, Norway - Grenoble, France - Villigen, Switzerland - Paris, France - Hyde, UK - Moscow, Russia - Joplin (MO), USA - Jakarta, Indonesia - Greenville (SC), USA - Cape Town, South Africa - Asheville (NC), USA - Seattle (WA), USA - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Madrid, Spain - Auckland, New Zealand - Oulu, Finland - Lubbock (TX), USA - Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Baton Rouge (LA), USA - Sydney, Australia - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Vancouver, Canada - Seattle (WA), USA - Selma (AL), USA - Chandler (AZ), USA - Sharon (CT), USA - Manila, Philippines - Lyon, France - New York City (NY), USA - Los Angeles (CA), USA - Brookville (OH), USA - Hayle, UK - Wailea (HI), USA - Saarbrücken, Germany - San Diego (CA), USA - Boston (MA), USA - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Cypress (TX), USA - Anderson (SC), USA - Torino, Italy