David in Pen and Pics

Late afternoon tide. Cooler but still pleasant. Teenagers, one ball, play volley ball, soccer and play boxing. Boys pick up girls carry to water, squeals.
A lone seagull hops by, scanning for a bite to eat

Breakfast Sketch

Pain-au-Raisin on wooden table

Pain-au-Raison

Recipe:

Purchase precooked, frozen.
Bounce around in a car boot for a day.
Take for a jaunt on a car ferry.
Delay cooking while those around you, folk passing by, give advice.
Locate oven.
Do knowing bloke talk about Celsius and Farring-Height.
Think of a number, wop doughy globs nearest the element that’s working.
Shut oven door.
Discuss Plan B and locate a cafe that serves pain-au-raisin.

Waiheke Car Ferry

It is an ancient Mariner,
And he stoppeth one of three.
“A cheese and onion toastie Sir?”
Plus flat white, was served to me.

A cafe upstair . Bubbly holiday crowd.

Back car on, wobble wobble. Drive forward to get off.

So far they all speak English.

Scarecrow

Auckland city. I have always walked past this corner shop and cafe to my preferred cafe. But there lunchtime was over, expired, gone. So I returned to the cafe on the corner.

The staff member delighted with my thank you for a fine salad. Familiar accent, Rome, a lively conversation and I departed for with a free meal tucked under my arm. “See you again,”I say –
No free salad next time!
Laughter.

Summer Time

When the cafe is breezy

Thank de Lord

But why does my cat want to snuggle up INSIDE the bed

And people watching

Paint splatters, french doors almost complete. Cat a-zizz.
Coffee time.
This afternoon a river swim but, a warning, beware of slow moving warm water, slimes and stuff.

Pause for paws

Put cat in tower
Cat escapes
Put cat in tower
Cat escapes

Wait
Cat gets in tower

Oooooh, no!

An eel.

Our hottest day this summer. Happy families in the river. It’s warm.

An eel swims by. He’s superb at underwater. I depart company over water. A young woman about to enter the water. Instinc . A shriek.

I swim my lengths and depart while the woman is still negotiating terms with Neil the Eel. I am sure they will come to a fluid arrangement.