Friday, September 5th, 2025

[Dave]

TGIF friends.

Here's a photo taken in July 2020 and just now completely reprocessed...

   

What pleases me about the shot is that it seems (to me at least) to have a calming, serene mood to it.

I finished my 2025-2026 NFL predictions before yesterday's opening game:

I have Philadelphia beating Detroit for the NFC title and Baltimore over Buffalo for the AFC title.

Then I'm going with Philadelphia to beat Baltimore in the Super Bowl.

But it's a long season, and injuries to key players on any of the top teams could change things dramatically.

[Rich]

Lovely, well processed! It is calming!

Good luck with the predictions. If you bet money, I hope you win. One of our radio stations has something similar. I don't remember what the prize is but bragging rights for sure!

[Dave]

Thanks Rich.

No, I don't bet on the games. Just enjoy seeing how well (or poorly) I can predict results.

[Man From Ironbark]

It is a calming image.
Hard to tell but is it one of the poppies?

I prefer to not gamble as it is usually a loss. Wins are for dreamers.
Lost interest in football about the same time I lost interest in war games.

I do appreciate that others are obsessed with being football fans and that it is a big part of their lives and happiness etc.

I simply have more tiime for other things.

Like falling over while looking up. Luckily, only broke my neck rather than the camera.

[Dave]

Thank you, MFI.

Regarding my photo, the unopened buds look much like those of poppies. But the blossom's petals don't seem poppyish to me, and I've never seen a poppy that color. So I'd have to say it's a small rose.

I agree with  you about betting. Although I do buy lottery scratchers, the money comes from my small entertainment budget. And since I don't go to movies and haven't been able to play golf for 25 years, there are few other entertainment things I spend $$ on.

But there was one time when I was playing golf with my boss and his boss, and they were big gamblers. By the time we got to the 17th hole I was down hundreds of dollars. That 17th hole was a long par 3 that required a draw, and I could never hit a draw. So I took a 4 wood, aimed way left hoping to hit a high fade over some tall trees. It just cleared the trees, landed on the green, and stopped close enough to the pin for me to sink the birdie putt. All 3 of us tied the final hole, so nobody won or lost money. WHEW!! We wouldn't have been able to pay the rent that month if I hadn't planned and nailed that good 4 wood shot.

Your tale of falling reminds me of a fall I took a few years ago. As I fell my first reaction was to try to protect my camera, so I ended up tweaking my back and landing hard on the point of my shoulder. Lots of pain for weeks but the camera itself was saved - just had to replace the small protective filter.

[Rich]

Interesting cloud formation Peter. Kind of looks like a spine and vertebrae.

I may buy a lottery ticket tomorrow. Jackpot is in the Billions.

[Man From Ironbark]

Vertebrae is the interesting part. I tripped over a folding clothes basket trolley while trying to photograph the sky. It folded, my legs folded and I landed on my forehead BANG!

Now I have protesting neck vertebrae.