Sunrise spring equinox 2017

During the week I set the alarm on my phone (the old alarm clock has given up), so that I can be sure of waking in time to not be rushed in getting to work. Normally, I enjoy the chance to sleep on as long as I need on the weekends. Knowing that this morning was the southern hemisphere spring equinox (at 0810 NZ time), I wanted to get a photo of the sunrise on this important day in the annual cycle and set the alarm. 

Despite the clouds being omnipresent, it seemed worth getting down to the edge of the Waitemata Harbour. So it proved. 

It was an interesting time. There was one fisherman with his rod tied up, while he sat in his car. Only caught glimpses of him. A couple of youths, the worse for alcohol (or other substances) they had ingested, wandering around and interacting with the driver of a car that came and went and came and went again. Then a van turned up. I was checking my settings when the driver of the van yelled out asking me if I didn't know how to use my camera. When I waved at him (admittedly slightly dismissively, of what he had asked), he proceeded to become extremely hostile and abusive. Again the alcohol, I suspect. He stayed in his van and ignored me after I had called an apology for upsetting him. The gulls were many and loud in their raucous calling, and I really heard their mewing this morning.

Later this morning we voted. Our three yearly Parliamentary elections are today. B New Zealand law, I cannot encourage anyone to vote in a particular way between the hours of 0000 and 1900 today. It seems that I might be in breach of the law if I even indicate my own vote and my preference. I never realised just how powerful my opinion might be. I thought my school teacher daughter had the right touch when she advised her older students when they asked about voting; C advised that they should consider what sort of New Zealand they would like to live in and then see which party offers policies that are most likely to achieve that. I hope that is how most people will have voted when the counting starts after 1900 tonight.

S and I had a late lunch with our daughters, and now back to follow the TV coverage of the day and the results as they come in. I still hanker after the days when I could sit with my charts and listen to a radio announcer read out the numbers as they came in from each polling. booth. It was possible to ignore the rare commentary, and make my own sense of the results. Now, the election is a form of entertainment, and experts and celebrities ponce around giving us their opinions, most of which are inaccurate.

Here's hoping the result will be a good one.