I shall start this post by telling you that I've not been on top form over the weekend and although I've managed to achieve a lot and carry on almost as normal thanks to Panadeine and Ibuprofen they did not manage to eliminate the nausea I felt a lot of the time. So far as I can recall it's the first time I've ever felt that bad whilst in New Zealand. But then memory has a very short life span when it comes to things one would rather forget. Why it was relevant to tell you that will become evident.
Today I woke to discover that my head was not bursting and the sun was, as yesterday, falling out of a flawless blue sky. Which was good because we were de-thatching one of the croquet lawns at 9am and that's quite hard work. So this morning that's what we did but that'll be another post.
Late this afternoon on the way home from the croquet club with the lid off the car and the autumnal sun bathing my face and arms I suddenly felt a great elation, a joy in being alive that lifted my mind, body and spirit in a way that I find hard to describe. If I had been able to keep on driving with that feeling watching that sky and the beautiful landscape of New Zealand in a perpetual autumnal evening, then I would have done so and would have been lost to the real world for ever. I always believed that heaven was a state of mind. That being the case I would have been in my heaven. I'd like to try and share some of that heaven with you:
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| From Poraiti to Bluff Hill, Napier |
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| From Poraiti to the central Ranges |
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| A humble abode |
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| Over the Hawkes Bay hills to central Ranges |
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| Looking out to the sea from above the Pukatitiri Road |
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| Looking at the setting sun from above the Puketetiri Road |
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Beautiful. It's still hard for me to rearrange my thoughts of it being Autumn over there when it's barely Spring here.
ReplyDeleteAnd, I truly mean "barely".
Glad you are better. It's hard work growing old.
ReplyDeleteA beautiful place. It's vile here today. Keep posting the pictures.
PS. What on earth is the sort of window or checker board pattern in the last image.........Don't say Shadow. That was your finest moment.
ReplyDeleteI can see why you felt such elation! Gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteWhat a gift those moments are. Would we appreciate them as much if we experienced them all the time? I think not.
I hope you're feeling better now!
What beautiful scenery. Almost as good as some of the views over here - if only our weather would sort itself out and realise that it is spring!
ReplyDeleteI just loved the last one. Very atmospheric and really stunning.
Do hope you are feeling better now. Love xx
Glad you seem to be feeling better.
ReplyDeleteYour last paragraph reminds me of something said in the last Harry Potter book: 'Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?' Thanks for sharing 'your world' (and your heaven).
glad you are feeling better, all I can say its time you were coming home, been long enough away!!!!!! Can't wait to see you
ReplyDeleteThank you all for your comments. They are, as always, much appreciated. Particularly as they were all there for me when I woke.
ReplyDeleteAdrian: the only checker board pattern I can see is a fence. I'm wondering if you can see something that I can't see (like Pauline and her auras?).
Beautiful pics - so nice to appreciate our own country through your eyes.
ReplyDeleteAlso makes a change from the endless rubble piles I see every day! We went for a drive north on the weekend just to see some untouched countryside... which was sunny and peaceful and lovely, but for me, it felt sad and hollow with no Jaz and family to visit there....
Glad you are feeling better
:)
I, too, am glad you're feeling better. I thought the same thing- fence. So what is Adrian seeing? I love your bit of heaven. I would so love to be able to visit NZ, but...I'd have to win our lottery. I'm happy to see that I'm not the only one who gets confused about the seasonal differences we in the USA have from yours. (Was I making sense?)
ReplyDeleteI love your shot of the central ranges! But after reading Adrian's comments I'm definitely missing something in that last shot - obviously hasn't been drinking the same stuff I've been on! It is a lovely sort of nostalgic shot though!
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