First Light

The dog and I had an early start for our walk this morning.  I, perhaps unwisely in view of the pressure of packing up stuff ready for a move, decided to make a third Christmas cake last night.  I even had to send Keith out for some brown sugar for the cake.  It is a very rich fruit cake and my previous two had been given away in large slabs to family members.  So my timing was not the best…up at 12 midnight to turn the oven down to a low heat…then up again at 4.am to take the cake out of the oven.  Then I sloshed brandy over it…. The alcohol part of the brandy dissipates leaving the subtle favour.  Finally I applied a glaze of heated apricot jam.  All this at 4.am.  Sleep then eluded me and I gave up and arose well before 5.am.

All this explains my image for the day…..First Light.  I am forever enchanted with that first sliver of golden light that sneaks across the distant hills.  The rows of pine trees that can be almost seen creeping up the contours of the hills were planted as wind breaks many years ago. These wind breaks provide shelter and shade for stock and also break up the howling nor-west winds prevalent in Marlborough.