On Being an Ambivert

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For a long time I’ve never been able to reconcile why I can happily lead a crowded room of people at work yet crave peace and quiet.  A craving that usually has me avoiding social gatherings like the plague and then getting a bad rap of being antisocial.  I love to socialise but admit I’d [...]

One of the many frustrations of being a photographer

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It’s just typical of me to unpack my photography muse from its long vacation just as we’re headlong towards winter when the light is less forgiving to a photographer.  It’s like being all dressed up with nowhere to go. I have all these ideas swimming in my head but they’ll have to stay there until [...]

The Promised Land

Queenstown

Surrounded by such natural beauty in the South Island of New Zealand it’s a real challenge not to walk around with your mouth wide open.  There are jaw dropping views all around you with autumn colours, rugged peaks and seemingness endless lakes.  It took us less than an hour to meander along the Cardrona Valley between Wanaka [...]

The risks of leaving your bassets at home

Bassets

One of the least relaxing things about going on holiday is leaving the bassets at home. I have this constant low-level anxiety about them misbehaving or pining for us, causing untold annoyance or inconvenience to our house sitters.  And before you start rolling your eyes and thinking neurotic dog mother, its worth you knowing that [...]

Daily Snap: Heartland

Wanaka

  Amongst the drizzle lies the pioneer heartland of New Zealand Wanaka, New Zealand

Daily Snap: Bleak Beauty

Wanaka

Even in the wind and rain there is a deep bleak beauty in New Zealand’s lakes. Lake Hawea, Near Wanaka.      

How one view can bust your stress

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I’ve written about 50,000 words in the last two weeks. It’s a pity that none of them have been here on the blog.  Instead I’ve been up to my wrists in essays, proposals and writing reports all of which are speculative in nature.  Written without knowing whether the tutor will mark them favourably, the prospective [...]

When pet owners start to behave like their pets

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It would be easy for me to claim a sudden onset of seasonal adjustment disorder for the embarrassingly long time since my last post. Those long sunny days have vanished and replaced by flashes of sunshine mixed with showers and the occasional grey cloud pout.  Days are starting later and evenings rush headlong in late afternoon. [...]

Daily Snap: Zesty Promise

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  It’s all getting topsy turvey in the garden.  The greens are turning to yellow and the fledgling green lemons are starting to show signs of turning yellow.  An exciting first here at Domestic Executive HQ as very other citrus tree I have  managed to kill off.  I have high hopes for production of some [...]

All Hail Tomato Season

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As the seasons change so does the Domestic Executive routine.  Nightly chores include putting the chickens to bed, watering the vegetables and tucking up the tomatoes for the night in the greenhouse.  New habits take a while to stick but if I want to keep my greenhouse cargo safe from evening chills then diligence must [...]