Monday 8 June 2009

gore [shucks]


after five delightful days teaching in the Nelson region i hop on another magic broomstick and fly to Invercargill via Christchurch
the ground below looks as though someone has casually flung a velvet quilt in a crumpled heap and sprinkled it with icing sugar


at Invercargill i am met and driven to Gore
there are wild animals on the outskirts of Edendale 



at Gore evening falls shortly after i find my digs. nonetheless i wander out to explore

 i discover that i've just missed the Golden Guitar Festival
luckily some of the stars are frozen in time


i take close-ups as well, but will spare you

down by the railway track there is treasure. had i the farm ute i would fill it with these brilliant fish plates.  ah well


in the morning i walk to my next workshop, marvelling at the vernacular architecture.
here Cape Cod meets arts-and-crafts
reminding me of a limerick

there was a young lass from Cape God
who thought babies were fashioned by God
twas not the Almighty
who hiked up her nightie
but Roger the lodger, the sod!

oh. alright. enough. 



Gore is an interesting place. they grow swedes [vegetables not people] the size of houses. everybody eats them....cows, sheep, people and even a dog i met. the animals eat them raw but some folks turn them into soup. the recipe includes peanut butter.

despite having lots of lovely rain the town water supply is pumped from a bore. something special in this water gives us the best and most beautiful green dye from a cocktail of Choisya ternata, ragwort and bronze fennel [incidentally the bulb of the latter is also tasty when steamed with mussels, tomatoes, chili and garlic....an excellent all purpose weed!]

the town also has a brilliant art gallery which boasts an extraordinary art collection
i am riveted by the work of Ralph Hotere 
more about him later

10 comments:

  1. Are you sure they were swedes not turnips? The landcrapes and fund ojectionables are lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Looking forward to more India. I hope your resting and squeezing loved ones before the next adventure. Cleo and I are getting ready to make new and interesting bundles. That trip got us all fired up again. Oooooooooooo, wishing there was more time with my favourite peeps for creating. Sigh. Missing you for sure.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Senecio Jacobaea - the latin name for 'ragwort' - I had never heard from this flower before and I don't know if it is in the wild here in Holland. I also wasn't aware of the fact that this little lovely yellow flower was the cause of a 'world-wide' battle. Once you have it in your garden it will stay there for ever, it even breaks down the concrete. I will do some more internetresearch for the other items you have mentioned in your cocktail - I'am looking forward to the results. Btw nice limerick... xDorie

    ReplyDelete
  4. Just put a post up about ragwort (and the picking of it). It's so good to know that it can actually be used for something good. Love the Limerick, perfectly surrendered!-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. yes yes ralph hotere....i understand, saw his work in auckland and wellington...loved the limerick too, the sod!!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. sounds like an all round nice time where the teaching shedule did not drain the very marrow from your bones..

    ReplyDelete
  7. they were swedes... with golden hearts [just like the people i met] as opposed to turnips [that are white inside]

    ReplyDelete
  8. Do post pics of the lovely greens. I'm quite green with envy at your marvelous travels.

    ReplyDelete
  9. good food for inspiration..those white patches.
    ragwort is the killing horses weed.
    Send you a shell whisper
    love
    yvette

    ReplyDelete
  10. Very beautiful snaps. I would love to see this place.

    ReplyDelete