Bamboo

It's not just  me that loves hanging out in the shady bamboo understory.

The violet patch is thriving...........and I found evidence of some one making potions.

This is one of my timber bamboo groves. As I harvest every year there is  room to move, play, set up hammocks... 

Out of the sun, next to the stream, rustling leaves... what more would you want?

Mud

There is nothing like the feel of mud. 

This mud has been hiding underground alongside a spring. Bright blue when you first uncover it but it changes color as it gets exposed to air.

I love how these guys have used it!!

Supplejack nest

Verdict. Too small. We are off to make another so we can sit in it.

 

New happenings

 While the digger was diggering the children where playing. 

MUD!!!

So many colors and textures usually hidden.

What a day. We have been waiting for the digger to come for a while so to be finally working with it was amazing. A full on day exploring potential and change. Being open to possibilities as they emerged. 

Now on to those trees.

Full moon eclipse.

  

A super blood moon eclipse warrants a night in the tipi. 

So beautiful. So lucky to have seen this. Just after the eclipse a heavy fog settled down. 

Happy harvest

 Ours was spent with the best of friends. Sharing kai, clay creations, great conversations and of course music late into the night.

We ended up staying in the tipi overnight. Breakfast was leftovers and foraged fruit.

Brick yard

 How can you walk past the brick yard without spinning a wheel and getting your hands in the clay? You do not need to make. Just the rhythmic spinning of the wheel and clay moving under your fingers. And well if you cannot reach the treadle just sitting with the clay.

A trailer load of harvest

 Corn harvested and ready for hanging. Thanks to all of my helpers!!

We dreamt up a harvest party while shucking corn and collected corn silk for rongoa too.

Brownies in the garden

This afternoon I had a wonderful group of brownies in the garden. We wandered tasted and wondered. It is amazing what is edible and how much fun you can have mixing it up.

It is amazing how much of a jungle the garden is at this time of the year.
 

And thank you to Pam Pearse for taking the photo. It is not often there is one of me!!

Tagastaste are up.

 These seeds are sometimes hard to germinate.

Lucky me. I had a whole heap of little fingers to help me collect them and then we made a worm cast potion for the seeds to soak in for a week before planting.

Germination success!!

These are some of the most valuable trees on our place. Tree fodder for Kereru, Tui, sheep, and cows, mulched for compost shelter for emerging trees....

Seaweek

WOW!!! Seaweek 2020.

This event has now been running for years. I was lucky to be invited back and to see how it has emerged.

I designed some activities that would hopefully create spaces for people to stop and interact with the beautiful harbor environment.

I believe to observe  fully (while immersed in natural ecosystems) with all of your senses is the start of so much. To freely question and then to interact (process or play/exploration) is to form connections, understandings, literacy,  ......

My hope is that these exploration possibilities sparked many wonderings.

Children’s explorations are so rich to join so we had a wonderful morning.

Bonfires

To celebrate the solstice we have an annual bonfire.
We start by sharing food from this land to honor the abundance.
We then make and shoot fire arrows with the memories of a year past.
This year a phoenix flew through the flames and then went up in flames as we set our intentions for the new year and then cooked sausages in the coals before making charcoal with what was left to return to the land that supports us.

Weekend away means music

Packing for a weekend away means making sure the Cajon's, Ukulalie's, guitar's, flutes and of course poi are all packed.

Self sown

These Silverbeet seedlings knew when they needed to germinate.
I will transplant them now and possibly sow some more winter greens.

It is great to garden as if you know nothing. I think you see a lot more and tune in to what nature is telling you. We will never be able to understand the full complexity of it all.

Learning to read. Every day. The patterns and webs nature weaves.

On the lake

My old stomping ground. I love Lake Rotoma.

A fun paddle.

Charcoal pencils

Charcoal off gassing in my charcoal tin. I love watching the gasses as they burn.

When the flame goes out I remove the tin from the fire and turn the tin upside down to cool and stop any further combustion.

Gourd tendril

Tendrils are amazingly touch sensitive. as soon as they come into contact with something they start contracting and spiral.

Any plants with tendrils can be trained up into trellises, huts, archways walls................even better if they are edible.

Coast

Family, fun and fishing too!!

Once a year the whole family stays down the coast for a week.

Net full

One of the favourite places for children of all sizes is our net hung high in the trees. Cool, shady, quiet or a great place to jump and yahoo if you are brave.

Honey for the teacher

Toby collected a jar of honey for his teachers thank you present.