There is something about the smell of freshly cut firewood that stirs all sorts of pleasant memories and tells me that all is well with the world....and something about the effort expended in cutting the firewood that is very satisfying! Right now we are in the middle of summer, and there is no need for the fire for three or four months yet, which is of course the best time to prepare the firewood. By the time we need it, it will be completely dry and ready for use. Damp firewood doesn't heat, but it sure pollutes. This firewood is macrocarpa, a native of North America also known as Monterey Cypress. Introduced to New Zealand many years ago, it is used by farmers as a very hardy windbreak, and when it reaches the end of it's life, it either winds up as rustic furniture, or firewood. Macrocarpa burns very hot, and crackles merrily as it cooks our dinner.....it also has a very pleasant smell both when freshly cut, and when burnt!!!! It has been a very satisfying day, although the muscles in my back are telling me an interesting story....
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Digital photography has become the way we record events and moments, and why not. It costs nothing to capture an image, so we tend to take many pictures, and then delete what we do not want. The technology takes care of all the settings, including focusing, so all we have to is point and shoot. Easy! But what happens to that historical record....are our children and grandchildren going to enjoy sifting through tens of thousands of digital files, they way we looked through photo albums, and boxes of slides and negatives taken by our parents and grandparents? Or will the laptop or hard drive go straight to recycling? Since about 2002 when I bought my first digital camera (a 1.3mp fixed focus plastic thing that chewed up batteries and could store about six or eight images on internal memory) I shot only digital - it is so convenient. My first roll of film in sixteen years was shot in my replacement Contax 139 Quartz back in March, and the images really got my attention. The result is something I can touch, which can be stored away, and enjoyed in the future by others. It needs to be stored well of course, but probably has a better life expectancy than a digital file. I realised that the convenience of digital, while wonderful, did not for me fully replace the magic of film. The colours and textures are different, each type of film has it's own special characteristics, and the process is more about taking the time to make the image in the camera, rather than fixing it up afterwards on the computer. Vintage cameras and lenses are a bargain compared to digital equipment, and there is no arms race to stay up with the latest technology. In fact, I can afford the professional grade lenses that were always out of my reach, and my collection is growing. My next purchase was a medium format camera, the Zeiss Ikon Ikoflex in the picture at the top of this post. It was made in about 1952, so is a little older than me. It uses 120 roll film, and the negative is 6cm x 6cm. The image quality is amazing, especially when you go to print something big to hang on the wall! Here is one I took at dawn, just as the sun was rising at the Nugget Point Lighthouse, just up the road on the Catlins Coast! I love living at The End Of The World!!! Summer is the time when all of creation seems to be busy, growing and harvesting food is in full swing. There is a lovely plot of lavender by the front porch, and the bees spend all day there. It was quite windy when I took this image, and the bumble bee here decided to walk from one stem to the next. He could easily get a job in the circus!
Fennel is the black jellybean of the garden! The delicious aniseed flavour is a favourite with kids, and even the odd grownup! Also very useful in the kitchen - both sprigs and seeds make a great addition to many dishes. But what a big plant this herb becomes! This one dwarfs the entrance to our glasshouse..... |
AuthorSteve Mitchell has had a varied and busy career including stints as a carpenter and builder, police constable, air traffic controller, commercial pilot and businessman, almost always more than one thing at the same time. Seeking a simpler life, he came to Bluff, the southernmost town in New Zealand, and for the first five years lived simply and happily in a 115 year old historic home, with half an acre of developing garden and orchard. Now very happily married to the most amazing lady, Steve lives in nearby Invercargill, gardening, photographing and playing music. He still works in the Aerospace Industry, and he is very grateful to his Creator! Categories
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December 2021
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