tiny happy

making journal

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I was out walking last night and took these photos along the way. They show parts of our neighbourhood. My favourite, slightly wild parts. Running through our suburb is a reserve, where people can walk or cycle, and while there has been a lot of planting and care of the land on either side of the cycleway, the summertime weeds are doing their best to envelop everything else. I know it will be a lot of work to clear them, but there's something kind of magical about honeysuckle, blackberries and clover growing en masse. 

There's a divisive debate raging in our city at the moment, because the authorities want to build a major linking highway through our community. It's a complicated and wide-ranging issue, but it seems to be the only solution they have to redirect traffic away from a wealthy and picturesque part of town. Along with writing letters and protesting, I have plans to take more photos of our colourful neighbourhood, in the meantime.

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16 responses to “at twilight”

  1. Margaret Oomen Avatar

    that would really be a shame. I remember a similar fight when we lived in Ottawa and they decided to build a major set of roads through an area known as the green belt. Unfortunately the roads won:(

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  2. Emily Avatar

    Are blackberries allowed to grow in New Zealand? The council sprays them here in Australia which I think is such a shame…I know they are not a native plant but they’re delicious and it’s wonderful to pick them from the bush as you walk by.

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  3. Carrie @ Rhubarb Sky Avatar

    Oh! Keep fighting, Melissa. Your neighborhood is so beautiful. And, that late summer light is making me VERY jealous.

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  4. Sera Avatar

    Go Melissa!
    I love that photo of the jasmine. It’s one of my favourite things about summer evening 🙂
    Sera

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  5. Clare Avatar

    oh melissa doesn’t it make you sad (I don’t live too far from you it seems, as the road will affect us too). we don’t even have a traffic problem! sigh. your photos are gorgeous. I think I’ll take the babe for a walk along the reserve tomorrow x

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  6. Rattling On Avatar

    Are you going to have a protest group? Your pictures would help I’m sure. And people from all over the world would join as it’s happening everywhere these days. I often wonder what room there will be left, in the future, that isn’t built on or a road…

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  7. Lotus Avatar
    Lotus

    Oh I just can’t beleive how ridiculous the council are! There should be a public transport system and therefore no need for extra roads. And how dare he put it through the lovely community. Argh!

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  8. Janet Avatar

    The wild parts of your neighbourhood look beautiful and precious. We live in the scruffy (unposh) northern part of our city and are lucky to have two creeks that meet and the adjoining bushy areas near us. Recently the community won a major battle that had been going for almost a decade to preserve some floodplain as park, rather than have it sold for housing. It can be done!

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  9. aupres de mon arbre Avatar

    Beautiful Melissa, don’t fold !

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  10. Holly C. Avatar

    Oh no! Hope things go your way.

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  11. tinyhappy Avatar

    hi emily, i don’t think they’re ‘officially’ allowed but noone has cleared them from our neighbourhood. (it would be a big job!) i agree, it’s nice to eat them as you go past 🙂

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  12. tinyhappy Avatar

    thank you clare- sorry to hear it would affect you too!

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  13. tinyhappy Avatar

    thank you, rattling on, yes i am part of an organised group trying to fight it…

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  14. tinyhappy Avatar
  15. laurelwilliams@paradise.net.nz Avatar
    laurelwilliams@paradise.net.nz

    Melissa,
    Ash took some photos of the railway reserve for this very same purpose! He even has one very similar of the house with the cabbage tree in front. He got a bit shy when it came to doing anything public with them, but I think it’s a lovely way to help our cause. xoxox Laurel

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  16. Passionate Blogger Avatar

    Do keep writing letters of protest. Your magical surroundings must be preserved. I love the flowers – geraniums, snapdragons, etc, are so lovely.

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