I thank Patrick for permission to post the above beautiful sunrise over Burrum Heads, Harvey Bay, Australia.
Congratulations and condolences are in order now that the Rugby World Cup is down to the two finalists. The accounts I have read agree that England dominated the favorite Kiwis in one semi-final while South Africa edged Wales in the other. Australia and Ireland went out in the quarters. Scotland earlier.
Of the twenty teams at the Rugby World Cup only about half are competitive, including this year the hosts, Japan. The other ten just fill in the numbers, including the US which did not win a match.
I have friends in England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Congratulations and condolences as appropriate.
From Durban, South Africa, Chris recently mentioned James Hilton’s novel, LOST HORIZON. This is a novel everyone knows of, having introduced ‘Shanghri-La’ into the tribal consciousness, but I doubt few now read. I had not, so I downloaded a Kindle edition which I finished two days ago. It is much different and much better than I expected. Four Westerners—two young men in the British counselor service, an English woman Christian missionary, and an American wanted for Wall Street fraud—are on a small plane that deviates from its expected course and takes them to a monastery in the high Himalayas. I am not going to say more. The book is well worth reading. James Hilton also wrote GOODBYE, MR. CHIPS.
Seen on my walk beside the flood control channel to the supermarket today. Obviously high tide. Obviously life thrives wherever it can.
Two days ago I did the first and second sets of my workout. I felt I could have done the third set, but stopped. I have just come down below after having done the full workout, including 160 push-ups and crunches in sets of 80-40-40 and I really only have to do 77 in the first set for a few more weeks, for the first time since my fall on August 17. I am still smiling. Even old bodies heal.
