Rose Cottage

When S was at the recent NZ Poetry Conference, she met another poet; today she attended a writing workshop at the Pah Homestead in Onehunga, organised by that person. I acted as chauffeur, and then found things to do for four hours.

One of those things was to go to Haverstock Road in Mount Albert to take a photograph of another Paul Walsh utility box painting. As I drove along Haverstock Road (a very suburban residential street), I saw Rose Cottage. One of the survivors of the once ubiquitous corner dairies. S had asked that I record them before they passed completely from the landscape. I have been somewhat dilatory on this "project"; this was a chance to change that.

I drove through the roundabout, found a safe and legal place to park, and got out of the car with my camera. And looked directly at Piwakawakawhaaat, the title given to this painting by the artist. 

So I composed this photo of Rose Cottage which is still surviving despite the supermarkets. By rebranding itself as a "Superette". Meaning that it carries a much larger range than the basic staples, such as dairy items such as milk, butter, cheese and ice creams. Hence their name. Surviving rather than prospering, judging by the state of the weatherboards.

I then turned my attention to the utility box, and that is included as my extra for today.

Once the workshop was finished, and I had collected S, we packed a few things and came north for a short weekend stay. Soon after we arrived here, we visited her cousin and his partner; he and I shared a litre bottle of low alcohol South Farthing Amber Ale (which I bought in Hobbiton at Easter), while he recovered from an afternoon of hard labour on his property. 

The deck needs sweeping tomorrow.