Basil Pesto... Yummy

My basil kept growing and growing... It was getting too big in the basket
to support itself and was continually droopy
no matter how much I fed and watered it.

So it has had a hair cut...

And all the leaves are going to make pesto.

I whizzed them all up with garlic and lovely olive oil and parmesan...
Added walnuts...

And here is the end result... Delicious and yummy.

I've put it in the freezer as I've found this is the best way to keep it's lovely green colour.

HERE IS THE RECIPE
2 packed cups basil leaves
2-4 large cloves of garlic, peeled
3/4 - 1 cup good quality olive oil
1/4 - 1/2 cup toasted pinenuts or walnuts
Puree until a smooth paste.
I put the nuts in last so they are a little chunky.
Store in fridge or freezer in small containers.
Ice block cubes is ideal.

Hooks To Catch The Fish...

I have my new fishing kite and the dropper line...
Which, of course, needs hooks on it if I want to entice the fish.
The hooks on these semi 'long lines' go on the
end of a  piece of nylon gut called a 'trace'.

 
 Hooks, tied on with a fancy knot called a 'Long Line' Knot...
These traces fit onto a trace board.
I had never heard of all this fishing stuff and terminology
before I started getting more serious about fishing...
That's why I'm explaining it all to you...
In case like me you don't know these things!

So I bought the trace board and have been learning how to make traces...
The knots to tie and  how to make them the right length
to fit the board... It's all quite technical.
At the other end from the hook is a thing called a 'Snood'



It's a clip that goes onto the long line.

 
I had some old traces that were made for a longer board
So I reused the hooks and nylon.
I threaded the nylon through thin clear tubing...
It stops the trace line from tangling...
I put on a coloured bead... The fish might like them...
I'm told it adds interest or 'bling'.
Then measured the length and attached the nylon
with a 'Clinch' knot.

Here's the finished end result... Traces that
are a good tight fit on the board...
Ready to go fishing.
The wind has changed so I'm relocating to the
West coast and have been told... By the experts...
Just the spot where the snapper will be lurking...

Australian Bush Fires Cause Spectacular Sunrise

Smoke and dust from the terrible bush fires in Australia last week...
Blew across the Tasman Sea to New Zealand...
 

It caused some spectacular sunrises at Tokerau Beach where I am parked.
 

These three photos were taken at 5.45am as the sun rose in
a flame of colour.


The next morning was another stunning sunrise...


Of totally different colours


Again... Photos taken at 5.45am outside my bus...
Standing on the dunes.

Kite Fishing...

I've been watching people on the beach and how they fish.
I have a surf casting rod but decided I can't get out far enough with that.
Some people use electric torpedos and winches...
Some use wind powered long line balloons...
And some use kites.
I decided that I could manage that...
So this is what I bought.

It's called a 'Flexiwing' from Pauls Fishing Kites...
Read more about them here.
It's a medium size kite...
And I thought plenty strong enough for me to manage.

So I went to a great fishing shop not far from where
I am parked at the beach.
They had one... Plus a short rigid rod... It's the same height as me.

And a new reel, suitable for kite fishing and strong enough to pull it in.
700 meters of dacron braid... It's strong and very fine so can fit lots on the reel.

A trace board with traces and hooks...
An empty milk bottle filled with sand and water for a float...
Some sinkers...
A dropper line...

And out it goes...
The kite sailed up into the wind...
The challenge is not to let it go!
It was a moderate westerly... Just right


Here it is... A speck in the sky.

Here is a diagram  of how it all works.
The kite goes out first... On the dropper line...
Then the main line on my rod is joined on...
And both lines go out together...
The float bottle and weights...
Then the hooks.
The main line takes the kite out and the dropper line
and the hooks float free in the water.


  This is the ultimate goal... Beautiful snapper
I haven't achieved it yet...
But I will!

Sunrise... Today In Pardise...

I woke up early this morning to this amazing view...

God, the creative artist at work...

I stood on the dunes and admired...

No words can describe the splendour...
I hope these photos do.

Smoked Tuna... Sausages... Kumera Chips...

My BBQ and newly honed smoking and cooking skills
are getting a lot of use.
I was given most of a good size  Albacore Tuna.
Some bus neighbours who had a boat...
Had been  out fishing in deep water.
He used the fillet on one side for bait...
And didn't want the rest!

Some friends came for a BBQ... So what better way to impress...
Than hot smoked Tuna...
Well it was delicious.

We also cooked sausages.. Patties... Asparagus...
Kumera chips... I slice and par boil then they cook
quickly and go brown and crisp.
We also cooked lamb chops and onion rings...
But it took several cook-ups to fit it all on.

This is my friend Carolyn...

And the feast we all enjoyed...
It's become the preferred way of cooking dinner.

A Brain Teaser...

A friend sent me this... you might enjoy it...

I've seen this with letters out of order but this is the first time 
I have seen it with numbers.
If you can read this OUT LOUD... You have a strong mind.
And better than that... Alzheimers is a long way down the road
 before it gets anywhere near you.

 

This is for my 'strange' indeed friends...
It is weird but interesting...
If you can raed this you have a stgrane  mnid too!

Can you raed this? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.
 I cdnuolt blveiee that I cluod ualaclty uesdnatrnd what I was rdanieg. 
The phaomneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rcscheearh at 
Cmadbrgie Uinteirvsy it dseno't mtaetr in what oerdr 
the lrttees in a word are, 
the olny ipromatnt tihng is that the frsit and last ltteer be in the rgiht pclae. 
The rset can be a taotl mses and you can still raed it whotuit  a pboerlm.
This is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by isletf but the word as a wlohe.
Azanmig huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slepling was iptmorant!

3 - Now find the N below... It's a little more difficult.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNM?M
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM?M
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM?M
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM?M
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM?M


This is NOT a joke. If  you were able to pass these 3 tests, you can cancel your annual visit to your
neurologist. Your brain is great and you're far from having a close relationship with Alzheimers...

The Changing Moods... Of The Sea...

I've been freedom parking at Tokerau Beach.
I'm close to the sandhills or dunes and the sea.
I can look at the sea for hours...
It's always changing...
It's always different.
These photos are taken from my doorway or the dunes just outside.

Early morning, the sun glints on the waves
as the mist in the distance clears...
It's deserted...

During the day... Cloudy, windy and a bit stormy...

 
The sun's out, it's clear and still and hot...

 
People are fishing... There is a lot of longline fishing done here...
The beach goes for a long way and there are no rocks under the water.
Most people fish with battery operated 'Seahorses'...
There are a few balloons and kites
but the wind needs to be off shore to blow them out.


Even on the busiest of days... There are not many people...
That's the beauty of this place.

Storms... And big seas...


Dark threatening skies... But it often doesn't rain.



Delicate sunsets...

And the rising moon to end the day.