Missing the Father Country

Early January 2010. Me the dog and Lower Hutt.

More photos, fewer words.

 I think I prefer boarded up windows to normal church windows. What a silly tax window tax was.

 Trying desperately to get enough light to get a picture of the tree tunnel.

Half a lock.

The Notebook: page 2.

I is sick and feeling sorry for myself, what better way to get back on track with The Notebook?

So, without further ado, Page 2.

I work in a pub, sometimes it's really busy, sometimes it isn't when it isn't and I've finished/ had enough of the stupid little jobs such as restocking fridges, cleaning shelves, polishing cutlery, folding napkins, dusting I doodle. Despite four years and honours in a design degree I still think I can't draw. But I can sure draw lines. So that's what I do, draw lines. On the back of ripped up old menus. Zig Zags and plain. Lots of lines. 

I'm also working on a collection called 'Badly Drawn Chairs'. 

Co-worker "that sounds like some indie-rock band"

Me "yes, badly drawn boy"

Party Fun Times!

I'm going to London to party with VERY good friends, who I miss WAY too much. I'm catching the train tomorrow morning and am VERY excited! I also love catching the train - bonus. And I'm going to bicycle to the train station, I love bicycling - bonus. Here's some photos I have taken from train rides so far this year.

 Lower Hutt - Wellington.

 Woollongong - Sydney.

 

 Freemantle - Perth.

 Xian - Yulin.

 Xian - Shangai.

 Reading - Bournemouth.

 Bournemouth - Reading.

There were supposed to be more pictures but I am tired. There have been many, many more train journeys. And I always over do the train photo thing. Hopefully by limiting myself to film for a wee while there won't be so much to sort through. And they will all be awesome.

Sloe not Slow Gin

Ages ago I made Sloe Gin, embracing traditions of the English country side as I do. So here is the process and pictures along the way. I can't wait to taste it!

1. Pick the Sloe Berries which are the fruit of the Blackthorn bush. Apparently it's best to pick them after the first frost. I picked mine from bushes along the edge of the local rec ground.

 2. Freeze the Sloes.

 3. Once the Sloes are all frozen gather together:

     -Clean empty bottles (with lids)

     -Cheap Gin (I chose Tesco's Finest)

     -White Sugar

     -The Sloe Berries

     -Measuring cup

 4. I used my boss' recipe which is 1/3 Gin, 1/3 Sloe, 1/3 Sugar. I also used 750mL wine bottles so based on my High School mathematics that is roughly 1 cup of sloes in each bottle, then 1 cup of sugar, then 1 cup of gin/ just fill the rest of the bottle up with gin.

 5. Then you shake, rattle and roll, mix it all up and try to dissolve the sugar.

 6. Now for the really sneaky (thanks boss) part, just stick the bottles in a bain-marie. Bring water to the boil in a pot, stick the bottles in and leave the water on a low heat, this dissolves all the sugar and saves on months of daily bottle shaking.

7. Leave the Sloe Gin to develop flavour etc... I haven't actually tried mine yet but will be taking a bottle to London to get crunk with my ex-travelling companions. To be fair we aren't fussy but I'm thinking it will be a taste sensation.

Whoops

Whoops, I've been distracted. The cape was dragonified and went down well. But then it was crazy busy at work and I had to get Christmas presents sent home and I decided to buy a car and the list goes on. Oh, and there was snow, HUGE distraction.

So here are some photos from my latest film to be processed, there was another one in between which I haven't put up yet but I will, maybe. And then I'll get back into Notebook analysing action!

 Wee footprints in the snow/ some sort of weird accident with how they cut up the frames/ me opening up the back of the camera to check that I still can't rewind film. Awesome.

 More film cutting/ Film exposing good times!

 The melty snow on the tarmac kind of looks like sea-foam on black sand. Maybe a New Zealand summer and England winter have their similarities.

 I hopped off the bus early, I was so excited about the snow on the brick wall.

 Snow in the forest, I can't believe how much it has changed since I arrived, two and a half months and the forest has gone from full green tress - autumn colours - snow!

I was quite enchanted by the snow shadows left on the gravestones. I don't know the technical term.

I'm being very methodical in noting down the shutter speeds and apertures of photos I take so I can work out what is and isn't working why. And I think I'm getting better at focusing, so now I just need to learn to successfully rewind and remove the film.

Much Love Monday

The cape is starting to look like a dragon, the dress rehearsal is in two days as is chasing game birds to their death.  Today I am loving the (in a love hate kind of way) the below freezing weather that means snow should be on the way. fingers crossed. And of course making things (like dragons).

So here is a picture of a cross stitch I stitched for a friend. A wee while ago.

Thanks to Much Love's Anna for keeping me posting!