This gallery contains 1 photo.
Young Bella is taking a bit of time to get used to being at home alone with Poppie all day. She continues to surprise us every couple of days with some new level of destruction.
Another fine welcome home
Gallery
Author Archives: toscanakiwi
A word or two about filters
Gallery
This gallery contains 10 photos.
Filters have been part of photography since, well, the start of photography. I remember using everything from vaseline smeared on glass to panty hose as a filter in the days of film. And with the switch to the digital world … Continue reading
A fine welcome home
Gallery
This gallery contains 3 photos.
For the first time in years both Jean and I are working full time. This means Poppie and Bella have to spend days at home on the bed by themselves. For Poppie, this is an old routine but for Bella … Continue reading
The view across Siena
Siena from the Torre del Mangia
For no reason, a photograph taken from the top of the Torre del Mangia in Siena looking towards the Duomo and the countryside beyond. The view, after climbing the tower’s 400 steps is absolutely wonderful.
This shot was taken 12 years ago and has survived a transfer from film to print to scanned image. The scan was state-of-the-art for 2002 (for that read low res, and full of noise) but, with a little Photoshopping, it can be brought back to life.
Suddenly I can paint in watercolours
Gallery
This gallery contains 12 photos.
I would love to be able to paint in watercolours but sadly any attempt I make ends up looking like the work of a 5 year old – splashes of colour randomly thrown at a page with no structure or technique. … Continue reading
Another cute dog shot
Let me start with an apology. Sorry, it’s yet another cute dog shot. Yesterday Bella the puppy discovered a green Cicada in the back yard. Every time she went to sniff it, the Cicada flew a few inches away, which for Bella was captivating.
A footnote for the animal lovers among you – both Bella and the Cicada survived the encounter unscathed.
-
- Bella fascinated by a bug
Last of the autumn sun
I’ve mentioned a few times that our place loses the sun for a couple of months every winter. This means we all make the most of any chance to enjoy a sunny day in autumn.
So when Rosie the 19 year old cat, Poppie the 8 year old Bichon and Bella the nutcase puppy had a chance to lie in the sun last weekend, they took it.
My wife and the science of baking – part 2
My wife and the science of baking
On Sunday afternoon my lovely wife baked. We were going out for dinner at friends and she had offered to make the dessert.
She has a stable of excellent desserts she could have called on but decided to try something new – to bake a Torta Gianduja or Chocolate and Roasted Hazelnut Cake.
The only issue with this decision is that Jean is not a natural baker – as she is the first to admit. Something about the discipline of following a recipe runs counter to her “free spirit” approach to cooking in general. After each baking adventure she wonders aloud why she ever attempted the recipe, why baking is so complicated and stressful, and why she doesn’t learn from past experience.
Testament to the complication and stress involved is the state of our usually spotless kitchen at the end of Sunday’s baking odyssey.
It’s been almost a month
After promising at the start of the year to keep a steady stream of posts flowing, I have been remiss. It has been a month since my last post.
Please forgive me. The hustle and bustle of daily life has left little time for the the ramblings that make up this blog.
And it’s not because of a lack of material.
There’s always something happening at our place. Currently the exterior of Casa Kainui being repainted by a team of eager and hard working painters. They arrived 2 weeks ago and immediately surrounded the house in scaffolding, ladders and other painterly things.
I learnt early on that any semblance of privacy rapidly disappeared and no room was a safe haven – even two stories up in the bathroom a little head would pop around the open window and wish you a cheery good morning – always at the most inappropriate moment.
Their work has been cut short by a solid week of rain that is still continuing and which means the house is split between two colour schemes and is surrounded by ladders, pots of paint and scaffolding. With the forecast being for another week of rain this chaos might be around for a while yet.
It always pays to look the other way
Just north of Pienza in Tuscany is a stand of Cypress trees that have been photographed more often than most others. The reason is they seem to represent Tuscany to tourists and they are visible from the main road. In each season they summarise the beauty of the region.
It’s not unusual to see half a dozen cars stopped at the side of the road with the occupants out shooting the grove of trees.
Interestingly very few people turn around and look the other way to a view that, in my humble opinion, is even more Tuscan. Captured here in late Autumn.
-
- The view the other way
That house in Nelson
Every time I pass through Richmond I pass an old run down house sitting in the middle of a field. I always mean to stop and photograph the house but there has inevitably been a good reason not too.
Until recently.
On the drive back from Pelorus Sound, I stopped and risked life and limb crossing the main road to captured a shot.
-
- The most photogenic house in Nelson
A weekend away
Gallery
This gallery contains 10 photos.
It’s been a few years since I’ve spent time in the Sounds. Or in this case Kaiuma Bay in Pelorus Sound. It was June’s 70th birthday and a family weekend away to celebrate. After flying from Wellington to Nelson we … Continue reading
Thank you all for the good wishes
February is birthday month at Kainui Road. Both Jean and I have had birthdays in the past week and we’d like to pass on a big thank you to everyone who sent their best wishes.
It was also a big birthday for Jean’s Mum and the family spent the weekend celebrating and relaxing on the shores of Pelorus Sound. But more of that in a future post.
What, me get into mischief? No way.
Bella has that ability to look completely innocent – even when there is evidence to the contrary.
This is what happens when she goes rummaging through a wet garden looking for something to chew on – despite being taught not too.
Toscanakiwi 