Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Merry Christmas, Blossoms

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  • nzlemming, in reply to Jackie Clark,

    Is that a greyhound in your profile pic?

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark, in reply to nzlemming,

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    No, that's my Ruby! The pound thought she may have been lab/staffy/mastiff, but she's definitely Ridgeback, and something hunty/pointy, and something fast. I have a better photo......

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Jackie Clark,

    And here’s one I prepared earlier.

    Looks like you are gonna have a Snowy'* Christmas...

    ...enjoy, one and all...
    drain the Loch!

    *ok Milou for the French
    fans in the milieu

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    That's Mum's dog, Ollie, Ian. And yes, he does look a lot like Snowy (ou Milou, comme vous disez.)

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to Jackie Clark,

    She does look ridgy,pointy. Same as Stella but she is part whippet and a bit pitty. Great on sand dunes. Come to think of it Jackie. Ruby could have a touch of the pitty too.

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark, in reply to Sofie Bribiesca,

    I suspect so, too, Sof. And the whippet thing as well. Look at us taking everything back to our girls......

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

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    Some more pohutukawa ...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

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    And again, down at Pt Chev beach today.

    It's an HDR pic, and the tree must have moved, because it's gone a bit wacky at the top left. I quite like the effect.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

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    Oh, what the heck, another one. Yes, I am mildly obsessed.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • JacksonP, in reply to Russell Brown,

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    Yes, I am mildly obsessed.

    It's fully contagious.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2011 • 2450 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming, in reply to Jackie Clark,

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    I have a better photo......

    Ah, I was misled by the pointy nose. ;-)

    Here's my Chloe, a retired athlete!

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • Carol Green, in reply to JacksonP,

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    Truly.
    This was taken at Leigh Harbour on Christmas Day. We spent a relaxing hour down there watching the gannets diving for fish.
    Hoping my image upload works...

    Auckland • Since Jul 2008 • 53 posts Report Reply

  • John Farrell,

    The pohutakawas at St Clair (yes, we do have them down here) were showing a bit of blossom last week. I haven't been to check them recently...

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 499 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark, in reply to nzlemming,

    I love greyhounds. Beautiful gentle animals, they are.

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming, in reply to Jackie Clark,

    Indeed. Total sooks ;-) We got ours through Greyhounds As Pets, which finds home for dogs coming out of the racing industry. Perfect pet for a sloth like me :-D

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark, in reply to nzlemming,

    Where do you take her to run? Or is she over all that?

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Jackie Clark,

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming, in reply to Jackie Clark,

    We go up to Otaki once a month-ish to the regional organiser's farm. She has 3 of her own and has been known to foster or board up to 4 more at any one time. She also has a set of paddocks we can run the dogs in. They have to wear their muzzles, not because they are vicious, but because they are incredibly competitive and will nip each other in the heat of the moment in order to get ahead. And even a scratch can cause problems as they have only one layer of fur and no fat, so you're straight down to muscle, which can look much worse than it is. We usually have about 15-20 dogs running round, though sometimes up to 30. They race around like mad buggers for 10 minutes and then flop en masse under a tree for 20 to recuperate. No stamina but speed for Africa! Fabulous to watch.

    Chloe is 9 and stopped racing before her 5th birthday (which is about average). At least 1 litter was bred from her and we got her when she was 6. She raced under the name Rhani Reason. She's certainly not too old to run and can foot it fairly well with the younger dogs. She's big, for a bitch, but holds her own pretty well with the males as well. I'd love to see her run a straight line down the beach, but she'll only really run with a group of other hounds and we can really only do the good beaches in the winter round here (bylaws) and greyhounds do NOT like the cold.

    @sacha
    She loves to look at bunnies, but isn't so much interested in the live thing. We have plenty round here. Plus that's an awful long way to go for a trot...

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • Hebe,

    Christchurch • Since May 2011 • 2899 posts Report Reply

  • Hebe, in reply to Russell Brown,

    What lovely pohutukawa you have m'dear.

    Christchurch • Since May 2011 • 2899 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Hebe,

    What lovely pohutukawa you have m’dear.

    Not my doing, of course :-)

    Amazingly, the blooms are more than 50% gone up here now. The Christmas window slams shut pretty quickly.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • JacksonP, in reply to Hebe,

    Jaysus in a sock

    Isn't that Max Headroom?

    "Bob hope's the Pope."

    Auckland • Since Mar 2011 • 2450 posts Report Reply

  • JacksonP, in reply to Carol Green,

    We spent a relaxing hour down there watching the gannets diving for fish.

    Missed this earlier. Great capture.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2011 • 2450 posts Report Reply

  • Lilith __,

    Is this a good place to plug Project Crimson? A charitable trust that promotes the conservation and planting of pohutukawa and rata.

    As their factsheet states, the natural range of the pohutukawa is the north of the North Island (North from New Plymouth in the west and Gisborne in the east) but they will grow all over the country. Here in Chch there are some fine trees around Sumner. My sister on the coast south of Dunedin has a fine row of them about 15m high. [She also has a kauri planted when I was a kid, that’s in a nice damp sunny spot and is about 10m high, rapidly obscuring the view!]

    Pohutukawa is apparently causing trouble in California and South Africa!

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2010 • 3895 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart, in reply to Lilith __,

    Pohutukawa is apparently causing trouble in California and South Africa!

    When I landed in San Francisco in August 2010 - my first time in America - I could not believe how many pohutukawa there were. It was a bit weird, like New Zealand had unexpectedly followed me overseas.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

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