Wanting to see further

We took Z to the Auckland War Memorial Museum and spent most of the afternoon there, including having lunch. 

The first rooms we visited were those related to the wars in which Aotearoa/New Zealand has been involved. There are many plaques with the names of those who died in the two world wars as well as others. One plaque contains only the words. "We hope never to need this".

The displays for the first World War are emotionally challenging and in the current situation in the Middle East very distressing. How do leaders of countries justify to themself sending their young men and women out to be killed? If they did so within their own country they would be vilified. 

Our two youngest grandsons were discussing what they could do that would mean they would not be frontline troops. Not seriously. But what bleak and black humour it was.

A brisk walk after we got home cleared my head a little, especially looking at two ducks with ducklings. The blip shows a parera/mallard hybrid with four littles, and the extra id of a mallard duck with five older ducklings. 

I had been required to stop when driving home after the museum as the older family were stuck partway across a pedestrian crossing. The duck appeared unwilling to cross either way. One of her brood suddently darted out while I waited, and a woman walking past rushed over and shooed the rest over onto the foot path. 

This area has many mallards (including hybrids), and most locals behave as I did.