Monday, January 16, 2017

New Year, new start


Hope your year is off to a great start dear friends.
I love the start of a new year and the thrill of having a blank page and writing down thoughts and dreams in a journal or like painting a picture on a fresh blank canvas.
We can look to the next twelve months with excitement and dream of what we want to do and achieve.
After taking down Christmas and storing it away until next year, it always feels good to have the house clean and tidy.


We were out driving when we had to stop and take  some pictures of these sunflowers, that I would like to share with you. Such bright and cheery flowers and make me smile

Out on a walk the Tui was drinking nectar from the flax flowers

Lastly the Pohutakawa tree blooming a few weeks back, with bright crimson flowers. 


These trees are often found around the coast and the flowers appear in late December. This tree is often referred to as the New Zealand Christmas tree.


' Let new adventures begin',  
the message read on the wooden seat, overlooking Hekerua Bay on our walk the other day. Waiheke Island has some beautiful walks with spectacular views and we are so lucky to be able to ramble around and take in all the beauty of nature.
Wishing you a wonderful week
hugs
Carolyn


23 comments:

  1. Happy New Year, dear Carolyn.
    I love the sunflowers too, they are a ~happy flower~. Years ago I planted some seeds and I could not believe how fast and strong they grew. The birds loved the seeds too.
    Your last photo is just breathtaking.. How blessed you are to have such a beautiful place to enjoy.
    blessings,
    Penny

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  2. Wonderful sunflowers and the view on the last picture. Let's see what new the new year will bring to us😀

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  3. Dearest Carolyn,
    this fence with all the sunflowers is beautiful!
    Thank you for the wonderful pictures and wishing you a happy and good week too, my dear friend!
    Let new adventures begin ...yes, words to think about !
    Sending much Love and hugs and blessings,
    Claudia xoxo

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  4. Gorgeous and inspiring post, darling!
    Happy New Year!

    xoxox,
    CC

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  5. It is so lovely to see the Pohutukawa tree in flower Carolyn. This week I watched a programme about an extraordinarily beautiful house built in Piha, NZ that was built within an indigenous forest of native Pohutukawa trees. It required special authority to build so as not to damage the trees, but permission was allowed for four trees to be removed.
    I love the way those sunflowers have been planted in such an orderly row.

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  6. Lovely post dear! Have a great week! xx

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  7. Yes dear Carolyn ,it is really so beautiful there, -amazing with the sunflower fence and the trees flowering in red- a true christmas tree. We are both lucky, to live close to nature experiences, and to be able to enjoy such beauty.
    Hugs, dear friend-

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  8. Owwwww Carolyn many thanks for your beautiful card filled with kind words....you are so special for me....i really love it......thanks a lot......love happy week Ria x

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  9. Lovely post - enjoyed the picures! Don't think I've ever seen such orderly sunflowers, lol.

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  10. I hope it is a great 2017 for you, off to a great start means it will surely continue that way!

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  11. Happy new year! I love the sunflowers. Your pictures are so lovely
    Hugs Alessandra

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  12. The Pohutakawa tree is so pretty, Carolyn. The sunflower is such a cheerful flower. And that last picture is stunning. It's nice that you take walks in nature, Carolyn. You see so many lovely things along the way.

    Have a wonderful week.

    love, ~Sheri

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  13. It's crazy, I can smell the sun and flowers in the air, and I can feel the warmth of your walk. Thanks for sending a bit of sunshine. Today it is dark and rainy, but not in my head. Have a marvelous weekend!

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  14. This is what is so good about blogland, you get to visit friends all around the world and see flowers and birds that aren't in your country.

    Well we will get sunflowers in the summer but not in January and we will certainly not see a Tui or a NZ Christmas Tree 'tree', what a beautiful colour it is too!

    Your last photo is so lovely.

    Take care

    My good wishes

    All the best Jan

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  15. Oh, lovely pics!!! I love sunflowers!!!
    Kisses, Paola.
    Expressyourself

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  16. You're right, Carolyn! A new start for the new year. I'm not big on resolutions, but I did make a couple this year. Hope I can keep them!
    Such pretty sunflowers!
    Hope all is well..
    Hugs, Barbara

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  17. Hope the new year is treating you well!!! <3 - http://www.domesticgeekgirl.com

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  18. Oh Carolyn, I loved every photo in this post! I am always happy for a shiny New Years too. It seems like a fresh start somehow. I hope you are doing well my dear friend! All is good here in my little town and we have almost 5 feet of snow so far! :)
    sending love to you...

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  19. So many lovely flowers and views...
    Have a beautiful time and take care!
    Love from Titti

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  20. Dear Caroline, Happy new yerar to you, lovely friend! Such a pleasure to see all these flowers in your part of the world, while we are in the midst of icy cold winter. Yes, let new adventures begin! Cheers to an exciting and happy, healthy 2017! Love, M.

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  21. Dearest Carolyn,
    How I long for the tropics around Christmas time! Miss those 3 years that we lived in Indonesia...
    You show such exotic photos from nature around you; very uplifting!
    After a bad cold that ended into a lingering bronchitis, I'm now catching up.
    Have completed the largest crocheted curtain in 100+ hours. What a Mega Task that was! It's a good thing we only need to do this every 40 years.
    Looking forward to a good new year with new adventures indeed.
    Sending you hugs and blessings,
    Mariette

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  22. Those are wonderful views and plants! There are so many sunflowers it's almost like a hedge! Sarah x

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Thank you so much for visiting Draffin Bears.
It always makes me happy to read your comments
and I look forward to visiting you.


Carolyn xx