Scout Float

Last weekend for the annual Autumn Festival the Scout group put together a float for the parade.  We did really well and ended up winning the "Best community float" prize which gave us $500 towards the group's funds.

The float was based around a camp scene with a rock climbing wall at the back, which we had 2 kids "abseiling" off.  We borrowed the rocks for the climbing wall from our neighbour who is a set builder for movies etc.  The float was completed with a fake camp fire with a smoke machine and a flying fox across the top.  One of the hardest parts was choosing only 1 kid for the flying fox and 2 for the abseiling!  They all had their hands up!

Greg supervising the final touches:

About half of the group involved with the float (about 1/3 of the whole scout group):

Jamie and Jak proudly displaying their abseiling skills

The group starting to walk, in front of the spectacular autumn colours that are the reason behind the festival

The front of the float - we thought the big scarf was pretty awesome - made from a sheet wrapped around novacoil, then a sheet of building paper spray painted the right colours to make the scarf itself.

Isla was pretty pleased to be the one chosen to dangle off the flying fox but her arms must have been pretty sore by the end!

Autumn at the Grove

It's been a while since we last blogged, and a bit has been going on around here!  Greg had surgery on his shoulder on the Wednesday before Easter so things have been a bit quiet in terms of things worth photographing.  We went for a walk this evening (the second short walk Greg's been able to manage since the surgery) down to Kelvin Grove (our wakeboarding beach) and the golf course, and Autumn has definitely arrived.

(Photos taken on a camera phone so not quite as great as they usually are)

Autumn evenings are typically clear and still, and tonight was no different:

They say that when the Rowan trees are well laden with berries, that it will be a long winter.  As far as we can tell though, there's hardly any difference year to year... but the red, orange and yellow leaves look pretty with the red berries!

The quintessential South Island Autumn shot of poplar trees..

And up close:

Cecil Peak looks different every time you look at it.  On Autumn nights it's crisp and clear like the nights are!

And sunset - not blood red or orange like some of them but gorgeous all the same.  Taken from the golf course.