Heading 'down under'.................

This was yesterday in the Bay area, an overcast day with late gentle afternoon showers, a couple of flashes of evening lighting, and one clap of thunder. Very different from North Carolina storms with lashings of rain, massive, booming light shows across the sky, and sometimes frightening winds of hurricane strength.....and worst of all hurricanes themselves! 
I don't think I've ever been here in San Francisco in the rain - it had been 93 days since rain had fallen here! Looking out across the water from Paula's sunroom, a line of sailboats scurried homeward, white sails puffy in the breeze, as huge raindrops fell past the windows.

Today is beautiful and I sat outside for a little while. The sun is hot, just a few wispy clouds off in the distance toward the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Today, Paula and I are finishing up our packing - bags are everywhere - and tonight we head to the airport and will be on our way to beautiful Australia.

Neat bag seen recently at SuzAnna's Antiques!

Heading west...........

Today I fly away.  

Three and a half hours to Dallas, another three and a half hours from there to San Francisco. After the always fun stay at Paula's house for two nights, we'll have a brief flight to Los Angeles to board our plane for Sydney Thursday evening.......a very long fifteen plus hours when we plan to pull on those welcome Quantas PJ's they hand out, lie flat, and sleep our way to the other side of the world! That's not the final destination though, on to another flight of five plus hours to reach the town of Broome on the west coast of Australia.  

By then the beach is going to look mighty tempting...........and I think we're going to be doing something quite different during our brief respite there before boarding ORION. 

NO, I'm not taking up surfing.......too many sharks, and I won't be basking on the sand in the expected 90+ degrees! 

MANY THANKS for all your good wishes for this trip. Hope to be here again soon - I'll post when I can.

This weekend..........

............there is little time for celebrating the end of Summer and Labor Day.

.......I made fig jam - thanks Bob for doing all that picking and suffering the mosquito bites so I didn't have to. I trimmed shrubs, and weeded. I packed clothes - several times until I got it right, hopefully! Chose jewelry - when evening comes on board ship a plain tee needs a bit of bling. Had a lunch out with granddaughter Jasmin and her cute and very polite boyfriend. Yes, Jasmin now has a boyfriend, she will soon be sweet 16! 

Australia is calling - I'll have tomorrow to tie up loose ends then off to California on Tuesday. Perhaps I'll have time to BREATHE DEEPLY - Appreciate the Moment. Great words seen recently on the wall of the mall.

Happy Labor Day - wishing you sunshine and fun times.