This was me today.  Wet around the edges and slowly unfurling all the various strands of life as a Domestic Executive. The course materials for the Masters in Gastronomic Tourism, which officially starts next week, are thankfully online early so there is frantic... There is something hypnotic about the unfurling fern frond. The way it springs into life and creates something larger and more complex than you’d think possible. This time of year is perfect for fueling one of my photographic addictions. To me it is one of... Nature is certainly starting to wake up with blossoms, magnolias, rhododendrons and deciduous trees all starting to come into flower and leaf. Since we’re at the lofty heights of 280m we are about a month behind the rest of the valley which is a good thing... Taking a walk through the bush is like moving through a prehistoric land. A place full of strange and beautiful things. One of my favourites is the Ponga Tree which are the native New Zealand fern trees. With the warm wet climate this winter it’s perfect... New ferns unfurling are so architecturally beautiful I can’t resist snapping them at every possible opportunity. This one looks much like the caterpillars I fear are invading my cabbages. But I won’t hold that against it. 