Monday August 7

[Dave]

After the disappointing performance by the US in the Round of 16 at the World Cup my daughter and her husband are cutting short their vacation in the lands down under. But before they return they will enjoy a couple of side trips to experience more of what this area of the world has to offer. By now they are on their way to Auckland and tomorrow they're off to Fiji (a 2100 mile 3-hour flight) for a few days to try to forget all about soccer. Then back to Auckland for a previously arranged outing to see and maybe interact with red pandas. After that comes the long flight back to California.

Here's a shot from April 2018 that I revisited and reprocessed...

   

I hope it has been or will be a good day for all of you.

[Man From Ironbark]

Fuchsia are such beautiful flowering plants. Good contrast there Dave.

[Luv2shoot]

Those blooms are perfect. I know sometimes we like th show the beauty of flowers even as their blooms start to wither and petals turn brown. But I also appreciate flowers when they are fresh and perky. Mother Nature can be quite the perfectionist as demonstrated by your image.

I am glad that your daughter and SIL can squeeze in some sightseeing. I envy their trip to Australia.

[Dave]

Thank you, MFI. These flowers are long gone, but I'm thinking it would be nice to once again have some of them, and IMO they are ideal flowers for a hanging basket.

Thank you Lorell. I too envy them this trip. I turns out that Megan Rapinoe was on their flight back to Auckland and is considering going to Fiji too. I have tremendous respect for Rapinoe, partly because of her long and very successful soccer career, but even more so in her fights for equal play and equal training facilities, and also for trying to end discrimination of all kinds.

[Man From Ironbark]

Here's a story celebrating her marvellous career.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-09/u.../102696812

[Dave]

Thanks for that link, MFI. A good story.