Flowering furze

Totally lacking in motivation for a run this morning. No good reason; it wasn't cold, it wasn't windy, it wasn't raining. It was cloudy and the sunrise was going to be disappointing; a bad reason for not going, and I gave in to it.

Working on a report until S and I went to the garden centre and bought some plants for the developing garden. Included getting some seed potatoes for the boys to plant and monitor, eventually to dig up the new potatoes. Decided on return to the beach house that I would take my run then, delaying lunch until afterwards.

Headed up hill along Mahurangi East Road towards the end of the peninsula (well away from here), and was quickly into farmland. On the side of the road was a good going growth of gorse. An introduced weed. Spreads mightily in New Zealand's North Island. It's diabolically hard to get rid of because of underground propagation.

Apparently the bees love it, and there is currently a bit of a drive to "save the gorse" for the bees! I tried a number of shots of the gorse. Close up. Showing the extent of it. Looking over the gorse to the Mahurangi River

I chose this one because I like the two horses, the pastures and the pond. The gorse (or furze) is almost incidental to the country scene, yet is the reason I stopped and took this picture. Large is good.

(S has almost forgiven me for not taking and blipping a photo of the trolley load of plants for the garden)