Wind ravaged tree, snow, races, traffic and space ships

The above photo is one I've been after for sometime. It's on the summit of the Crown Range road that links Queenstown and Wanaka - the high alpine route. Imagine my surprise to find this lone tree, the object of my creative desires to be plastered so... by a good overnight bout of bad weather. As you may also imagine the skiing since this storm has been awesome. I'm averaging 13 Kms every couple of days, and now with no racing to train for I please myself when to push the fitness and technique, and it continues to be totally addictive and fun as the investment in both becomes realised.

On the subject of photos, part of the mission in Queenstown was to pick up my first print from the camera I've been using and learning for the last several months. I was very pleased with the results, and on the strength of the high quality output I've decided to push on with my self imposed artistic project - a photo essay of part of our local area.

Yesterday [Sat.] was a busy day as I once again helped with the annual local Mountain to Mountain multi sport race [Treble Cone to the Snow Farm]. Mostly I did traffic control and it was very scary initially until I learnt that the most effective technique is to stand right in the center of an intersection, be theatrical with arm movements, decisive and even if you're not quite correct as to who has right-of-way, act as though you're God! Then smile a lot and mouth "thank you" often. However it got a little bizarre when some back packers stopped mid traffic and asked for the location of one of the local back packers. I pointed across the rear of their van and said "that way", so they continued on in the direction they were pointed, then did a "U" turn, came back and again parked in the middle of the road and traffic and asked for further confirmation. All I can say is it's better to field this behaviour than road rage! And in case you're wondering the race organisers are a bunch of off-duty local Police, including my neighbour Mike, so I was coached in the technique of traffic "pointing".

The other shot on this post is of the Snow Farm x/c skiing Lodge. Part of the building is often referred to as "the space ship" and in this double reflected light [off of clouds then off the building] the sunset on it gives me at least, a sense of the ethereal.