Mellow Yellow Monday: Hard hat

http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com/

At the train station at Mt Albert, this rail protection officer wears a yellow hard hat. He uses his mobile phone to tell the next officer that the train has left. In Malaysia, in the old days, they use the land line.

Happy 4th of July and Sunday bridges

In 1993, we went with the girls to Washington DC, New York and LA. As an engineer, the water engineer was very interested in the tall buildings and the bird eye's view when we got up to the Empire State Building and the Twin Towers. I am sorry I can't tell you the names of the two bridges.

A lot of water has flowed under the bridge. The most significant one would be The Twin Towers are no more. Last night, on my Television, I watched a conspiracy theory, and I can't believe it.

To all my American friends, Happy 4th of July, I recall not so long ago. I was in Canada when you were celebrating the Bi-centenntial.
http://bayphoto.blogspot.com/

Robert Burns

The Auckland statue broke with tradition. Instead of Burns in writer's garb holding a pen, Pomeroy created an image of Burns as the ploughman poet. Burns is shown in a tailcoat, knee breeches and a big Kilmarnock bonnet, leaning lazily against a plough and wistfully holding a pencil and notebook.
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-899-CzXQWItUfFyjSFOjxOGTEkQROWseDRIH7E7c9vaS4cU9uY0dAvNwmXzEF3utxzHVq1OPmL1XKT3YtWP1_Y3xCVsYQlOtJdAYWoaTaJ-tSZW375nF4eqFVAr-h783_IcGshSyI0Bu/s1600-h/scenic+sunday.jpg">
http://scenicsunday.blogspot.com/


Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796) (also known as Rabbie Burns, Scotland's favourite son, the Ploughman Poet, Robden of Solway Firth, the Bard of Ayrshire and in Scotland as simply The Bard[1][2]) was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide.

I might have heard of Rabbie Burns before, but it only on Wednesday that Edgar senior told me about the Statue in the Auckland Domain.

Strange as it may be, I read JunieRose2005's blog a poem of Robert Burns. http://just-poems-from-june.blogspot.com/2010/06/ruby-tuesday-6-29-10-oh-red-red-rose.html (Read the comments that followed)
Blogger Ann said...
Isn't funny today, I should be told about Rabbie Burns, the Scottish poet? and you have posted his poem?
I was talking to an elderly man whose wife I work with, he tells me that his son is a sculptor and his work/sculpture is next to the statue of Robert Burns.
You think our life in connected? I plan to take the photo tomorrow and will post it for you.

On Thursday, I went to look for the Edgar Sculpture using Rabbie Burns as my guide. I took some photos and determined to find out more about Rabbie.

Blogger JunieRose2005 said... ;)
Yes, Ann, more and more it becomes evident just how much all our lives are connected.
This poem often comes to mind when I look at a red rose!
I'll be pleased to see your photo of the statue.
Thanks for coming by!
Junie

Blogger Ann said...

I went the next day to the Auckland Domain, it took a long time to locate Robbie. When I asked, some one asked if he was my son. LOL
I will do it for you on my Sunday post. He was standing very high up.
Next time, I see a red rose, I will remember him too.

weekend reflections: Road corner safety mirrors.

http://newtowndailyphoto.blogspot.com/

Once I was almost in an accident. The road round the building was at ninety degrees. I was driving on my side of the road and approaching the junction. The car from the opposite direction veered to my side of the road. I braked in time, otherwise we would have been in a head on collision.

The driver was either in shock or she was such an irresponsible driver, she did not get out of the car to say sorry. Because we were living in the same residential area, and I was a professor's wife, I did not let out a string of expletives at her.

My friends said they too had encountered the same trouble with her. she drives very fast. I was told both of us did not use the round mirror. Otherwise this won't have happened.

Whenever I see such a mirror, I remember I must look at it.

Skywatch Friday: Matariki, Maori New Year

http://skyley.blogspot.com/

The Chinese believe in YUEN or fate, something I do not really believe in having become a Christian and having received a Western education. This could be coincidence, perhaps.

Last year, I went to the Orakei Marea, met and befriended Ngarimu. I spent the night before Waitangi Day in the marea and the elder said," You have eaten our food, slept in our Marea, you are now a Maori." I went to school and told my students I am now a Maori and they looked at me in disbelief.

Yesterday, when I went to the Auckland Domain, my mission was to look for John Edgar's sculpture. The sky was beautifully blue and with just tiny puffs of clouds. I went for a long exploratory walk.

I went to the old crater and reminisced the time I spent my lunch time training for the Round the Bays. I came to a clump of trees.

There among most of the trees whose leaves had fallen was this big tree, what attracted me was the Maori poles surrounding it. Curiousity got the better of me, and despite the soggy muddy crater, I trundled to it. Peeping through the poles, I saw the Red Maori craving supports. I have been in New Zealand since 1978, I had not previously noticed it. I was really excited.

I came home, and googled, but didn't find anything. I remembered my friend Ngarimu, and this Historical Gem should be respected. Ngarimu had previously invited me to his Tree Planting events. I am privileged to accept.

Kia ora Ann

This is a sacred totara tree, Te Puea planted it in 1940 to honour 100 years of the Treaty of Waitangi and her Grand-dad, Potatau Te Wherowhero (the 1st Maori King) who lived on that hill in early Auckland.


Regards

Ngarimu

p/s Te Puea Herangi, CBE (9 November 1883- 12 October 1952) was a respected Māori leader from New Zealand's Waikato region known by the name Princess Te Puea.

Watery Wednesday: Auckland Domain Duck Pond

The Auckland Domain lies mostly within the Pukekawa Volcano crater. Originally, the crater floor was a lake, which later turned into a swamp and slowly filled up with alluvium and sediment, before being drained by Europeans for use as playing fields and parkland. These origins are still somewhat visible in that the Duck Ponds are freshwater-fed from the drainage of the crater.


What you see in the photo are success story of keeping the ponds pure. They have increased the size of the pond from when I first saw them over twenty years ago. The fountains aerate the water, and people are told not to throw food in the water to feed the ducks.

This was not the case ten years ago. I have written a couple of post one this.
http://ann-mythoughtsandphotos.blogspot.com/2009/04/western-springs-do-not-feed-ducks.html
I remember another little pond at the Domain next to the Auckland hospital. I used to go and spend my lunch time feeding the ducks. In May when the official duck shooting is opening, you will see a zillion ducks seeking shelter in the tiny pond. You hardy see the water at all. Years later when I came back from Singapore, I found botulism had killed the ducks, and the pond was a smelly mess. The water engineer said this can be saved. In deed, some smart water engineer had widen the pond, put in a few fountains that pumped air into the water, and the pond is now a beautiful family and tourist attraction place again.text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdTi7Qc5hIhk-mAbIqtJK3gf0m1_PLUEagSHwAPOMAX1lqUBOUYzMeBVWB_nFx-2xNdmMeUHyrAjYJBjFqgFj2O1600I-B64zm2a1ovy06fbUH22MiVlDMW1d7onDPTvjWccRijk8Tqrvh/s400/fountain+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489070642077993762" />

http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/

Photo Hunt: Canada Day

http://tnchick.com/

Photohunt for this week is open. I take it to mean I can post anything I like.

Today 1st July is Canada Day. I wish all my Canadian friends a Happy Day. A Special greeting to Barry and Linda.

This the coat of arms of Windsor University. I was there in 1975-77. Canada was the first country I lived away from home.