Capture: Roamin' Holiday
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Chris Waugh, in reply to
Ah, 《我的父亲母亲》(ETA: the Chinese name literally translates as "My father and mother"), one of Zhang Yimou’s better films from that period before he started doing silly martial arts flicks that make the government happy. Zhang Ziyi’s debut, and one in which she actually managed a decent job of acting – she’s a much better dancer than actress.
The mountains I have to cross are much steeper than those in the film, though, and the mountain section of the expressway is overpopulated with heavy trucks most likely grossly overloaded, poorly maintained and whose drivers have probably been fiddling their logbooks and not taking their rest breaks, so hopefully I won’t have any snow to deal with.
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So we're entering in the last days of school holidays. (Well, some of us are at least.) Whilst I am looking forward to the new year, and all it holds, I have enjoyed being a bit of a sloth for five weeks. And nothing, really, encapsulates a summer holiday more, for me, than a walk on the beach with some dogs.
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Chris Waugh, in reply to
Ah, beautiful. Reminds me of my dog, who loved a good run around (I think he defined exuberant), but never got to run along the beach before he vanished. He did enjoy running down village lanes, and even followed me up the mountains back in the days I was allowed to climb the mountains (the mountains up the back of our village are being reforested and so are a forest fire prevention zone, and my wife and her parents have been terrified I'll get bit by a snake ever since they heard a strange and clearly exaggerated rumour of a man from a nearby village dying after being bitten by a giant poisonous snake. To be fair, some of the snakes around here are poisonous, but if you don't bother them, they won't bother you). We kept him up at my parents in law's place rather than cramped in our city apartment and he loved the space and freedom of the countryside. He was also a very friendly dog, which may explain his disappearance, in that he may have accepted a ride in some tourist's car and then been kidnapped. But, damn, he would've loved a run along the beach like your dogs.
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Jackie Clark, in reply to
Oh Chris - how sad that he disappeared!
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Chris Waugh, in reply to
My wife got home from the supermarket one day babbling about this supercute puppy she'd seen and dragged me outside to see. Some people who evidently worked the dog markets (pets! don't worry, this isn't either south China or the largely Korean areas of the northeast) had a vanload of puppies they hadn't been able to sell at the dog market around the corner from where we lived at the time. She showed me this tiny cocker spaniel and we instantly bonded - y'know how sometimes you see a dog and instinctively know "this one's special"? He was absolutely filthy! But fortunately there was a vet up the road. We got him his shots and cleaned him up then smuggled him around the Beijing subway and onto two buses (this was years before we could afford a car) out to my wife's home village. We never did persuade him to clean up and we were forever picking foliage and thorns and seeds out of his dreadlocks. He was hopeless as a guard dog, he just smothered everybody in love. I do still miss my Zaizai. Ever since he vanished, we've hoped he was invited into a car by some city slicker tourists and is well cared for. It ain't much of a photo, but after a computer crash that stole a lot of my photos, it's all I've got left.
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Islander, in reply to
Aue!
Bad when you know death- much worse when you dont know how & when- -
Chris Waugh, in reply to
Yeah, I'm a big fan of being well informed, makes it much easier to deal with things. It's no good when you're left with your mind racing through possibilities, some of which, knowing the area, are really best left uncontemplated.
But we're four days short of the new year, let's get back to the happy stuff.
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Islander, in reply to
Then all I can say is, Happy Spring Festival, dragon year to all of yours & yourself--
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Chris Waugh, in reply to
And to you and yours too.
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Jackie Clark, in reply to
And really, the happy stuff is that you had the chance to have such a beautiful dog in your life. What a stunner that boy is. So lovely.
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And while we're at it, let's do very happy dogs.
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Moonlit gazebos. Waimarama campsite, Hawkes Bay, January 4, 2012.
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The Buskers are back. Not a minute too soon. Twisty Twins.
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Ernest The Magnifico
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Near Dunedin. No one on the beach but me and this rocket-propelled horse and rider. The picture can't convey the speed, or the volley of hoofbeats on the wet sand!
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Our decorations are up, off to the in laws' village later this afternoon, tomorrow is New Years Eve, there will be much fireworks and firewater.
The photo is a papercut 福(fú, good fortune) character and dragon on our bedroom window, looking out onto our balcony. The balcony windows are opaque because they're covered in a thick layer of ice on the inside of the window panes. Well, that's where we hang our washing, so it gets humid there, and a norwester came through last night. That means cleaner air, but much lower temperatures. Sorry, another frigid photo.
Happy Dragon Year, everybody!
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Happy Dragon Year. Looking forward to the firework pictures.
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Lilith what a lovely shot of such a noble creature, the horse that is.
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JacksonP, in reply to
Yes, Happy New Year (I know how to say it in Mandarin, but not write it).
That horse is literally flying, Lilith. This was a reasonably common sight on the beach at Waiotahi, near Opotiki. They had races once a year on New Year's day, I seem to recall.
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Lilith __, in reply to
That horse is literally flying
Yes, it was a lucky shot, there was only time for one! More common along that stretch of beach are harness-racers in hobbles. And they are beautiful too. Wonderful to see creatures at such a peak of fitness. And flawlessly groomed with their coats shining.
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Wonderful to see creatures at such a peak of fitness. And flawlessly groomed with their coats shining.
Or scruffy and wild :)
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Lilith __, in reply to
Oh, lovely vid, Rob! Whose horses are they? Handsome beasts.
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Whose horses are they?
They are nominally some of ours, but I don’t think they know it :)
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Jackie Clark, in reply to
Wow. Freedom epitomised. Beautiful creatures.
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Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to
Wow. Freedom epitomised.
As opposed to...
nah, this happy couple waved to me as they strolled through town. I was impressed at the casual Kaitaia attitude of both creatures. Thought the couch conveyed this also. Everything being a tad odd.
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