"Scruff is what they call me"

Week 42 challenge word is ancient. There is very little in New Zealand that might be called ancient. Meaning 2 in the New Zealand Oxford Dictionary is "having lived or existed long", when the word is an adjective. That is related to an archaic noun usage, meaning "an old man".

I took a midday run along Ponsonby Road looking for an old man to photograph. The first man I saw who fitted this description was walking determinedly along. I took the picture, and then approached him. He crossly asked me why I was taking photos of him, and as I started to explain he very crossly told me where to go. I have therefore deleted that photo, as I accepted his response as non consent.

In the Three Lamps area, outside a bank I saw a busker who fitted the description I had in mind. I told him my name and asked him if it was alright for me to take his photograph; he smiled and said yes. I explained about blip, then took two pictures, after which I asked him his name and if he minded telling me his age. Ray is 63, and you can see him in my blipfolio. (S has drawn my attention to an unintentional self portrait in that picture) I did also blip him ten months ago.

On the way back home, I passed Scruff walking briskly the other way. He stopped to talk to a man at a table outside one of Ponsonby Road's many cafes. They appeared to know each other, and had a brief but animatedly cheerful conversation

Again, I introduced myself and explained about blipfoto, and that the photo would be seen by many people around the world. His response? "I've just walked all the way here, and on the way I've had many cameras shoved in my face. And I'm a photographer too. So go ahead."

I didn't ask his age; he's likely a bit younger than Ray, so maybe I'm pushing it to call him ancient. However, the full face and scalp moko (traditional tattoo) is a modern presentation of an ancient art. Therefore this is my response to the challenge.

Large is good.