… tranquility in urbis.
IN INVERCARGILL’s
Queens Park there’s a lovely little Japanese Garden. Looked after by a ‘raker of the day’ who sometimes does a superb job and on other days simply plops the rake down and makes a few desultory wee squirgles (squiggles, swirls). No class or poor programming but it’s a job …
AND NOW
this vast metropolis (50,000 people!) is again being twinned, this time with the new dominant economic power—and we’re getting a Chinese Garden, being installed close to the Japanese Garden.
There will of course be a huge bunfight when it is officially opened. Champagne will flow, corns will be popped and many pledges of eternal friendship and other guff will delight the ears. Hopefully dancing girls … maybe one of the ‘dragon dance’ things complete with gongs, bells and whistles? To be met head on with a jolly old Haka or two?
Over the years I’ve taken a few snaps of the Japanese Garden but never caught the essence, here be a couple, make of ’em what we may …
and …
(love that ‘keyline’ effect! Boom boom!)
Unfortunately all access is roped off and sight-lines limited by terrain. I’ve sneaked in a couple of times …
The last time I broke bounds I saw an Asian damsel of about nineteen-ish doing the same, and tracked her until she went back public and was kneeling in the legal open for a shot; at which point I greeted her and said mock-chidingly that I’d been watching her …
… to which she gave me an impish smile and said the same, glancing over at where I’d been illicitly head down and tail up over something. Sobering thought.
I must be getting old… we got chatting and she explained that she was a student at the local Inst of Tech. I wish I’d thought to get a snap, she was absolutely delightful.
And, dammit—my undercover shots were rubbish so I ditched the lot. Win/lose a few … and to finish here’s a tiny stand-alone thingy in the street, apparently part of the same ‘twinned cities’ package—
—and I love it~!
* Can’t blame them, it’s what they’re paid for; and The Buck is what it’s all about, no?
DREAMING CAVALIER 
Very pretty, peaceful garden (well you don’t have the wildlife to disturb you) And stalking young Oriental damsels in public gardens? tut tut, over here you would get hit with a big stick for less!
Wee cutie was aware of moi before I was of her, I think. She gets the points, I’m just the bunny this time.
But she was lovely, though …
Ah, poppies. I do miss them growing in the wild.
I love the colours. I’m expecting a good selection this year and hopefully can dedicate a whole post to them, for you.
(Sending another man’s wife flowers? Hah—you can do that when you’re a dog) (woof).
Ah, you’re too kind, Argie!
You can send me flowers, I don’t mind. I won’t tell. 🙂 If my life could be filled with just poppies and roses, I would be a happy person indeed!