Wide ranging support

Up and out at my usual (pre daylight saving!) time. I am at home this week because of mother-in-law's state of health; we were meant to be at College conference in Queenstown all week. So no early morning appointments means gentle starts to the day.

Lovely sky and I got a number of blippable dawn skies.

However, along Surrey Crescent I went past the rest home I blipped in December. Then I was attracted by the opportunity to photograph someone whom I had seen many times in the area, and he gave permission. Not long after that photo was taken, I stopped seeing him. So it goes (acknowledgements to Kurt Vonnegut Jr).

Today, I was attracted to take this picture because of the flags. From the right we have the New Zealand, All Blacks, Tonga, Western Samoa, Australia, Great Britain, South Africa and England flags. Does this represent the countries of origin of staff, residents, neither? Is it just the teams they support?

Whatever it is, this is repeated in many guises and variations around the city. Every sixth house or thereabouts has a flag of some sort, and occasionally two, rarely more. Wales and Ireland are popular; sadly, given my whakapapa, Scottish flags are relatively rare. More than South Africa, though. In this part of Auckland New Zealand and one or more of the Pacifika flags predominate. On the west facing balconies of our building are four flags; all for New Zealand or All Blacks.

Car flags!! Everywhere. All sorts of cars, varying from expensive Beamers to beat up 15 year old "Jap Crap" (I drive a 12 year old Japanese made car, and am very happy with it). In little more than a week the business end of the tournament begins, and New Zealand will most likely face Argentina and if they win, either South Africa or Australia in order to reach the final. Against which team? Perhaps France again. Perhaps England.

Looking forward with trepidation.