I took this photo about four hours ago. The flower grows in large water filled terracotta pot that sits in our yard. It wasn’t until now that I realised it wasn’t quite perfect — one petal has been torn by the Kookaburras that bath and drink there each day. I saw another bud getting ready to flower. Maybe that one will be perfect.

Finally some exciting news: A leader in urban recycling is preparing to enlist San Francisco’s canine population for a United States first: turning dog poop into energy. Link

There is something very special about walking. I don’t mean the arms-swinging, striding-out kind of walking so many people do for exercise. I mean this kind of walking — the kind in the photo.

We seem to be in so much of a hurry that we don’t seem to have time for walking and talking like this… It reminds me of my youth. Of a slow walk up the street after dinner. Of sitting on the front step of our house, playing with my toys and smiling at the world as it walked by. I wonder what you remember

A Photo Friday photo assignment: the snapshot was taken last Friday while I sat at a cafe drinking coffee. Cute kid ah!

Tibetan Buddhists view the mantra, Om Mani Padme Hum, as a powerful and benevolent blessing which they often repeat out loud. Viewing the written form is said to have the same effect and is often seen carved into stones. This is what the guy in the snapshot is doing. He sits by a bridge caving Om Mani Padme Hum into various sized stones, people walk by, buy the stones and place them where others can see them — it’s a living!