tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12423480333271175772024-03-15T01:32:45.322+13:00The Lockdown DiariesThe sometimes humorous diaries of one, elderly and isolated kuia during the Covid-19 outbreak.
Zola the Gorgonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07569877587588044249noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242348033327117577.post-64588606900081546842023-03-09T18:59:00.002+13:002023-03-11T11:03:11.832+13:00<p> </p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The Aztecs were spiritual people and among
their pantheon of deities was<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">the goddess Mayahuel who gave birth to 400
rabbits which she fed exclusively on fermented agave juice known as pulque.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Most farmers know the damage even 40
completely teetotal rabbits can do, so with 400 riotously inebriated bunnies
doing what they do best, the Aztecs had something of an agricultural challenge
on their hands.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Sensibly they issued the Aztec people with an
order: they were not to emulate the sacred rabbits but keep strictly to a
maximum of 4 cups of pulque. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I'm unsure about the size of these cups but
judging by the actions of Quetzalcoatl, of whom more later, they were not the
delicate and rose patterned little vessels your granny used for her Orange
Pekoe.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Taking a 5<sup>th</sup> cup would,
therefore put them over the limit <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and could
result in Dire Consequences. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Sensible Aztec leaders may initially have
tried to control the rabbits but old <s style="text-line-through: double;">rabbits</s>
habits die hard, as today’s Diet Police have learned and animals <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>tipsy from birth were unlikely to conform. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Chances are they showed a scut, uttered a
bawdy Leporidean insult and scampered away for another go at the pulque.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">And why am I telling you all this?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Because once Aztec elders gained the age of
70 years, they were allowed to drink as much pulque as they liked, proving that
in this ancient civilisation there was joy in getting old. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Unlimited grog was a reward for long-term
Service to the Community but there were still guidelines. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they intended going for that 5<sup>th</sup>
cup, they had to be accompanied by a designated Abstemious Person, often a grand-child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">These guardians had to make sure that when
elders were in their cups they did not fall into a ravine, set fire to
themselves and most of all, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">become uncovered</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Aztec Admin had good reason to worry on this
score.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">A once revered leader of the Tula people, Quetzalcoatl,
was tricked in some nefarious way, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>into
taking that vital 5<sup>th</sup> cup of pulque after which he stumbled, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>pie-eyed into the street where he threw off
his clothing and collapsed, showing all he possessed to an outraged world. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">On sobering, he was so ashamed of this wild
and uncharacteristic nudity that he raced to the sea and set fire to himself. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">We might speculate at this rather drastic
and somewhat contradictory remedy, but he was still a bit confused and one can
understand his feelings, especially if he had been a little boastful when
charming the ladies and his naked and unadorned version showed otherwise.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Fortunately he was reborn as the Morning
Star, </span>Tlāhuizcalpantecuhtli, although I can't help feeling having 'pant'
in the middle of his new name was just a little cruel on someone's part.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;">So are we not fortunate
that in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">our</i> elder years, we moderns can,
on any day or night, drink as much pulque as we wish, have endless fun staggering
comically about with our friends and throw off our garments with abandon, without
ever feeling compelled to rush to the nearest ocean and immolate ourselves? <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;">There are, in my opinion
quite a lot of advantages in being older and some of it is even funny.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">We know stuff.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Reader, let us assume you are approximately
the same age as myself which currently amounts to something a little over </span>27,795.43<span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Given that we learn something every day, that's a heck of a lot of knowledge, a veritable storehouse of information. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">It doesn't have to be an erudite or important
thing, in fact if might only be that we can't get out of the chair without
making a rude noise and even ruder smell but it all adds to our undisputed
wisdom. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Zola the Gorgonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07569877587588044249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242348033327117577.post-64510970768175801042020-10-02T14:38:00.004+13:002020-10-02T14:39:07.630+13:002nd October 2020<p> Many years ago and long before White Water Rafting
was one of the ‘extreme experiences’ offered to tourists, I had a dare-devil friend, Bruce, who offered to take me down the Clutha River. No, that’s not a euphemism and I was a respectable
married lady anyway.</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFv3bs38gJzGikg9pzzfLdmEh8pxHqIauPnzufDFVxKINQEgDt0HVB23VueMzhsEKGEbvNr-75w_s_7xMkIJRe8WPjvznO12pxthd3rGGkMIIGbm2D98vEQSYnhrkJ9Q00eMKyUB_t7Bit/s600/clutha+3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="402" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFv3bs38gJzGikg9pzzfLdmEh8pxHqIauPnzufDFVxKINQEgDt0HVB23VueMzhsEKGEbvNr-75w_s_7xMkIJRe8WPjvznO12pxthd3rGGkMIIGbm2D98vEQSYnhrkJ9Q00eMKyUB_t7Bit/s320/clutha+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">He owned an inflatable dinghy which I think he’d
bought 4<sup>th</sup> hand from <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a Surf
Lifesaving buddy, with more patches than an Amish quilt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s the inflatable, not the buddy
(although knowing Bruce's mates one can never be sure) and he assured my reluctant self that
he’d ‘gone down the Clutha’ many times and it was an experience not to be
missed.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">I’ve seen people on the telly saying the same
thing and often they’re talking about ‘amazing opportunities’ such as having a
live tarantula crawl across your face.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5-JmQsTA0QkxBjaYoykYWRD1xWs0xLN4K2cDybxvNgngFJp84SirEsR0XJxWdZ7tJg8wokDyVqrU3c8B64dffXqaZzmUW9JXBxynHEptVTxCEezmrh2WnMtvV3HHUL4YXhtjm2Qkttr6A/s2048/shark.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5-JmQsTA0QkxBjaYoykYWRD1xWs0xLN4K2cDybxvNgngFJp84SirEsR0XJxWdZ7tJg8wokDyVqrU3c8B64dffXqaZzmUW9JXBxynHEptVTxCEezmrh2WnMtvV3HHUL4YXhtjm2Qkttr6A/s320/shark.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">‘I promise you it’ll be life changing,’ <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bruce told us. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">And what exactly would life be change into? As far
as I could see, there was only one option and I didn’t want to choose it.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Nevertheless, we arranged to meet old Brucie, my
husband and I, at his landing stage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">The husband was raring to go and as excited as a
puppy as we drove to Balclutha.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF40rgxTJMCYZ5aAia6BmfvKgw2rvA0r0lFegZhVGo0hXc1KIryi8vxMPrkH8Bveeykh5V_F6z2PYB_96CbPLhrOEAE7VTDfXvtYEgwSFf0qdfEn76rdqrApJ7FWE9ZM0qT5cJ5IxFTFwk/s600/clutha2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF40rgxTJMCYZ5aAia6BmfvKgw2rvA0r0lFegZhVGo0hXc1KIryi8vxMPrkH8Bveeykh5V_F6z2PYB_96CbPLhrOEAE7VTDfXvtYEgwSFf0qdfEn76rdqrApJ7FWE9ZM0qT5cJ5IxFTFwk/s320/clutha2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Looking <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>down
from the road at the raging river in the gorge beneath us, I had serious second,
third and fourth thoughts but the husband assured me Bruce had everything in
hand and all the necessary safety gear; we’d be perfectly all right.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p>Now to me, having safety gear is an ominous thing.
You only need safety gear if you’re going to put yourself in danger. </p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">You don’t need safety gear when you stroll to the
shops, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or when Auntie comes to tea
(well, actually with my Aunties you do but that’s another story). <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s only
when you are doing something potentially <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">life
threatening</i> you need safety equipment.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkpxr7C44bEZpIdn37ETDAqrAMDeHeWeJdJvUdtbaA-IL4AK843sqy4202DoIZdgSLQy-CNL-iiBeWfySodcO7lszIXhqPhC3YP94pPIFrbt1g1j3gP34IJQol7ofLHYe8m-odKAP6EJwn/s1000/cluthabeach.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkpxr7C44bEZpIdn37ETDAqrAMDeHeWeJdJvUdtbaA-IL4AK843sqy4202DoIZdgSLQy-CNL-iiBeWfySodcO7lszIXhqPhC3YP94pPIFrbt1g1j3gP34IJQol7ofLHYe8m-odKAP6EJwn/s320/cluthabeach.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Balcluha is in Otago, on New Zealand’s South
Island, the name is from Scots Gaelic <span style="background: white; color: #202122; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Baile Cluaidh - ‘Town
on the Clyde’ and James McNeill from Dumfriesshire, named it and</span> is
regarded as the founding father.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">And this little morsel of knowledge would have
been fine, even comforting had I not read, on the way to what my stomach was
increasingly convincing me was my doom, that the Maori name for the place, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Iwikatea</i>, meant ’Place of Bleached
Bones.’<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">True, it related to a battle which took place in
1750, leaving many dead but I felt I was also on the way to a battle, with
raging, unforgivingly fatal water which would wash my bones up on some distant
shore, many years later.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">‘What are you worried about?’ asked the husband as
we merrily bowled along, ‘you can swim.’<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">‘So could many passengers on the Titantic,’ I
replied trying to keep the note of panic from my voice.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">We got to the landing stage and Bruce, grinning up
from his orange inflatable asked, ‘Ready for the experience of a lifetime?’<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Somehow that too sounded worrying, lifetimes are
finite.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p>The husband leaped into the boat with gay abandon
and both men turned to assist me but stubborn feminist as I was in those days,
I waved away their hands.</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p>I’d taken the precaution of wearing jeans and
trainers and was about to climb, in somewhat ungainly fashion onto the rubbery side
when a jet boat, common on the Clutha then as now, whizzed by sending a huge
wave towards us.</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p>This hit the boat just as I had one foot in and
the other on the bank.</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">The boat lifted, moved away from the shore and I
fell into 8ft of icy cold water.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUqXt9g4CUPSsJmEItJL5ilsMmEMG74cK2gkHg0eub3svlZcYnd8LRW1DKNbNG0JQ8YzEWzAWVOGIC8s5xl_ShmbiKdpMT5Oc6MDq6OQrvRmx1GdRpaX3utOAtakuK243bQXenONA7P5cO/s344/banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="147" data-original-width="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUqXt9g4CUPSsJmEItJL5ilsMmEMG74cK2gkHg0eub3svlZcYnd8LRW1DKNbNG0JQ8YzEWzAWVOGIC8s5xl_ShmbiKdpMT5Oc6MDq6OQrvRmx1GdRpaX3utOAtakuK243bQXenONA7P5cO/s320/banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">As I bubbled to the surface I swore that if either
man had even the ghost of a smile on his face, it really would become the place
of bones. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p>‘Do you want to give it a miss?’ Bruce asked as I
sat, dripping on the transom. He was visibly
disappointed as was the husband.</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">I knew that during the course of our devil run
down the Clutha, we’d be getting wet anyway, which is why we’d brought
waterproofs with us.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">I just hadn’t anticipated the water being on the
inside of the coat. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p>It was an omen I was sure but that stubborn side
of me which I prefer to call tenacious and independent, prevailed and we set
off on what turned out to be a wholly exhilarating and wonderful experience.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz7S4ORcoecQGPs8ClxsypDQpS5pbg7VIfFtGVCE3d49C-cNFZ7IjXBiRjFw0gM7iLtTtLMFdbMPrN20DDR-n1LaH13LBGRLQLyEKJ3QVonG7XRez2zithTQZbL1ayF-p-OCE34nD59AVG/s800/raft.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz7S4ORcoecQGPs8ClxsypDQpS5pbg7VIfFtGVCE3d49C-cNFZ7IjXBiRjFw0gM7iLtTtLMFdbMPrN20DDR-n1LaH13LBGRLQLyEKJ3QVonG7XRez2zithTQZbL1ayF-p-OCE34nD59AVG/s320/raft.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">True, I was gripping the safety lines every
single moment of the mad flight into rushing rapids and was wearing a life
jacket which almost strangled me but it was the sheer exuberance and speed of
our careering flight which took my breath away as trees and banks flashed by
faster than the eye could see.</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p>Despite all the trepidation and mishaps which
preceded it, I laughed and shouted with sheer joy throughout the entire mad
journey and when we emerged from the maelstrom into calm water, was keen to do
it all again. </p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">And did.</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNv091hD6MtnNWUuLY-aRInGwGkO5ITMIUNcfFMY2Q0XZ2qqFOjg2tFviddxb5TcSQe6a_lieNuN9llIWV3bfQsdYxjXKBIiDJO6G_pM3UW9R2YsYUc77U2p7lm02TOsvzWPmk7zrGNim0/s344/banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="147" data-original-width="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNv091hD6MtnNWUuLY-aRInGwGkO5ITMIUNcfFMY2Q0XZ2qqFOjg2tFviddxb5TcSQe6a_lieNuN9llIWV3bfQsdYxjXKBIiDJO6G_pM3UW9R2YsYUc77U2p7lm02TOsvzWPmk7zrGNim0/s320/banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>Zola the Gorgonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07569877587588044249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242348033327117577.post-42026338980966766262020-09-24T15:50:00.002+12:002020-10-02T18:00:36.318+13:0024th Septermber 2020<p> </p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Wanted: Temporary
nanny for two adorable children aged 4 and 2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Central London; generous salary."<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">The last two words jumped off the page shouting;
I’d been working in a <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>day nursery for a
pittance which barely covered my bus fares. A live-in job with money as well
sounded like a dream. And in the exciting, vibrant capital too.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">My granny was not so sanguine, ‘London? That den
of iniquity! They’ll sell you to white slavers.’ <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If she
could have chained me to the leg of her orthopaedic chair, I’m sure she would.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">‘It’s all right Gran, I’ve been to London before,
it’s not that bad.’<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">With the extensive experience of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a day trip to the Big Smoke with my school, I
was wise to it all.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ6wyI3ki3WaB_58gUcsMyGC_K-1jLIhVEI2j7K0PdjXJOHGX33H5h-RytnQ2v6uy5bxeqLw86vlkEPJ7VD-tIhgIiTIagGEx2Ua29S0HxcjW4prTcoq8lqIJBQV2uERQxCKwAIpO7_joH/s344/banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="147" data-original-width="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ6wyI3ki3WaB_58gUcsMyGC_K-1jLIhVEI2j7K0PdjXJOHGX33H5h-RytnQ2v6uy5bxeqLw86vlkEPJ7VD-tIhgIiTIagGEx2Ua29S0HxcjW4prTcoq8lqIJBQV2uERQxCKwAIpO7_joH/s320/banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">I only got lost twice before arriving at the impressive building where, with any luck, I’d be working.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At reception, a doorman the size of an ox barred my way but having read
my <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>letter of introduction allowed me
through to the holy of holyies.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">A uniformed maid let me into the apartment itself and
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>showed me to a sitting room which
positively glowed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Super-thick white carpet as far as the eye could
see, leather couches the colour of double cream, rich tapestries on the walls
and overhead, a sparkling chandeliers. Wow.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>French
windows opened onto a garden manicured to within an inch of its life. As was the woman who now prepared to interrogate
me.</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">I should have realised I was on the brink of
calamity the moment I sat down and the leather couch made a rude and prolonged noise.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p>Lady Olivia, my potential employer had an accent so
plummy I nearly asked for an interpreter
but the interview went well, apart from the fact she called me, ‘Ninny’ all the
time. I thought that a little rude until I realised she
meant ‘Nanny.’</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">I <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>had a
great CV and anyway she was <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>desperate,
so I got the job.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGje2Yce11CH7NsHGQgTyvpF81EInmJ-TY6tYGynYZPpcHOskS1qQESWy-O8nP08mNpH-YqfTePy88oqjEFOW-N3yozsZv5ls3oLBw-4P4tQjkOSddmQPUeaQf70qap51_GROksxQjGNa0/s344/banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="147" data-original-width="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGje2Yce11CH7NsHGQgTyvpF81EInmJ-TY6tYGynYZPpcHOskS1qQESWy-O8nP08mNpH-YqfTePy88oqjEFOW-N3yozsZv5ls3oLBw-4P4tQjkOSddmQPUeaQf70qap51_GROksxQjGNa0/s320/banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">My employers left for a wine tour of France the
next day and I got to know the children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Horatio and Eugenia were indeed adorable and we played hide and seek,
shrieking up and down the corridors of the enormous apartment, causing Angel the maid
some alarm but before long, she was joining in.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p>Buttered toast and honey for nursery tea and some
hilarious bath time play before I read the children a story and tucked them into
bed.</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Time to get on with their laundry.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p>The gigantic kitchen was next to the dining and sitting
rooms, so staff had easy access when serving. </p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"> In one corner stood the unfamiliar washing
machine but just how complicated were these things? I loaded the clothes, added a scoop of Daz, pressed
the buttons and, as it was summer time
and still brilliantly sunny, sat in the
garden. In minutes I was dozing.</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQdNqWODteLQ1GhNJoP16fQwxk4YZnojFUPFjFOpXa-eV5CfeXdxElXUChLKG-6LxvEf0l_Y0qCK4fPsE5QWQH5GGDODSiMtoQBJvZuDs6Nmr0AJ4wrHpJcQfZTTpzjFFHKlsNTo3Wntex/s344/banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="147" data-original-width="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQdNqWODteLQ1GhNJoP16fQwxk4YZnojFUPFjFOpXa-eV5CfeXdxElXUChLKG-6LxvEf0l_Y0qCK4fPsE5QWQH5GGDODSiMtoQBJvZuDs6Nmr0AJ4wrHpJcQfZTTpzjFFHKlsNTo3Wntex/s320/banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Joyful screams and a splashing
sound woke me. Horatio and his little sister had left their beds and were clearly having a lovely time with water. Water?</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">In the sitting room my two little charges were jumping about in </span>an ever spreading
lake. Gallons and gallons of sudsy
water, spreading from the
kitchen like lava across acres of white Axminster.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p>In a panic I ran to fetch towels but could find
only those in the nearest bathroom. I had no idea where others were kept. Desperately I lay these down, to the great
delight of both children who stomped on them with gusto. </p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p>The Bendix was still pumping out bubbles and frantically
I examined the evil thing to see how it could be stopped. At the back, wound around metal pegs, was the
pipe I should have hooked over the edge of the adjacent sink, if only I’d
known.</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBPyKxJFeh0HNfGMjR3qDNtjoKjjGaKdhz_74rhiip8f8a9lORsrnK80KDkpxsShyphenhyphennBKFgAkaS8obyArRJNCnCtxLth54D8z6oRNSwLLrvhmuH_vubfwWpsGbDvqw0rz3lugGhzm2nqKH7/s800/bendix.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBPyKxJFeh0HNfGMjR3qDNtjoKjjGaKdhz_74rhiip8f8a9lORsrnK80KDkpxsShyphenhyphennBKFgAkaS8obyArRJNCnCtxLth54D8z6oRNSwLLrvhmuH_vubfwWpsGbDvqw0rz3lugGhzm2nqKH7/s320/bendix.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Having switched it off but still with a brain
unable to focus for sheer terror, I tried to fathom how to mop up and permanently
dry the carpet before my employers came back a few days later.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">First the easy bit - get the children out
of wet pyjamas and back to bed. They cried.</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"> ‘Want to squelch,’ complained Eugenia
but both were pacified with another story and were soon fast asleep.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">I returned to the flood, full of sympathy for Noah
and grateful not to have the two-by-twos to clear up after. Always look on the bright side of life.</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">A pile of newspapers were stacked in the pantry,
so I took up the sopping towels and lay these, several inches thick on the soaking carpet. </p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">I did a little
stomping of my own to encourage them to soak up the torrent. It was fun.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirsxbD4f9GfSObvxqvbz5-a5gNBQg4G02s1whQW6cC11Fw9lLGR232uOWP1COcZVMJyJhMsYA4Q1xCjI4hZtMcYmO1ccp-KpDeGH0oL-in5LesZg_quAAgMUhw5WUIW52iBguF7NncCxgr/s344/banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="147" data-original-width="344" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirsxbD4f9GfSObvxqvbz5-a5gNBQg4G02s1whQW6cC11Fw9lLGR232uOWP1COcZVMJyJhMsYA4Q1xCjI4hZtMcYmO1ccp-KpDeGH0oL-in5LesZg_quAAgMUhw5WUIW52iBguF7NncCxgr/w324-h120/banner.jpg" width="324" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">The children had thrown some of the towels onto
the cream leather couches and they were sadly stained. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was on the point of hysteria when Angel
tiptoed in, almost died with shock and immediately poured us two glasses of M'lord's brandy.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p>Calmer, I decided if we put every heater in the
house on full during the night most of the water would evaporate. Daytime, with the French windows wide open, the summer sunshine would do the rest. I hoped.</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Angel and I assembled all the heaters and after
another medicinal brandy, adjourned to her quarters where she advised me that
milk is the best thing for getting stains out of leather. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIDmE_kDvs6LcQW5MonS6ArNB-lxeY8vcd1n-lgGoqXapWwj31DrkMHAKJf0nfID_gWIUPULle6SSpZa0U9qJ_KUaJAwgsGXlgKs5vZtgUiQTTQfulMmRaRxnrN8i1nUA4ZJOXaL_9qPYH/s1322/ivy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="294" data-original-width="1322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIDmE_kDvs6LcQW5MonS6ArNB-lxeY8vcd1n-lgGoqXapWwj31DrkMHAKJf0nfID_gWIUPULle6SSpZa0U9qJ_KUaJAwgsGXlgKs5vZtgUiQTTQfulMmRaRxnrN8i1nUA4ZJOXaL_9qPYH/s320/ivy.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">The next day dawned with torrential rain, clearly
not drying weather but at least the heaters could stay on and were making a
difference. The newspapers were drying nicely.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Angel kept
an eye on the children whilst I, glass of Jersey milk in hand, set about renovating the
couches. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Small flakes of plaster drifted, like snow from
the ceiling. Unusual and prolonged humidity had crackled it but I couldn’t
worry about that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The carpet was still
far from dry, the heaters must stay on.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p>Another night passed and another rainy day and the
sitting room had a distinct pong of sour milk and soggy, mildewed carpet. </p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"> Half the ceiling had flaked away and the
tapestries on the wall seemed to be growing some strange sort of fungus. I wondered how easy it would be to abandon
everything and apply to the Foreign Legion.</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p>On the day my employers were due home, I prayed
for the Axminster to be dry and gingerly
lifted the reams of newspaper to inspect it.</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p>There, imprinted quite clearly and distinctly, on yards and yards of the once pristine white carpet
were the colourful pages of the Times Literary Supplement.</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7k2LDW-HuZR1Y9xitaFMiBl6xnIVhbMfeZblNI_5grXQpl5NZM71IMpwKhA1jvZlWIy924Vmfi_dTjo04YMHRyTBQuMeH6X__EIWrV-eG35W7H-bz46j2VLLMe7wMhM_jBoDrSP4ljAw/s1322/ivy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="294" data-original-width="1322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7k2LDW-HuZR1Y9xitaFMiBl6xnIVhbMfeZblNI_5grXQpl5NZM71IMpwKhA1jvZlWIy924Vmfi_dTjo04YMHRyTBQuMeH6X__EIWrV-eG35W7H-bz46j2VLLMe7wMhM_jBoDrSP4ljAw/s320/ivy.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p></o:p></p>Zola the Gorgonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07569877587588044249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242348033327117577.post-45984214677695682722020-09-14T15:51:00.000+12:002020-09-14T15:51:09.794+12:0014th September 2020<div class="separator"><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></strong></p></div><div class="separator"><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></span></strong></p></div><div class="separator"><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><o:p> </o:p></span><img alt="Pinocchio (1940) Movie Summary and Film Synopsis on MHM" height="178" src="https://www.moviehousememories.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Pinocchio-1940-featured.jpg" width="314" /></span></b></p></div><p><b><span style="font-family: arial;"> <i><span style="background: white; color: #424242;">Lying is giving information while </span></i><i><span style="background: white; color: #424242;">knowing</span></i><i><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"> it to be
untrue.</span></i></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: arial;"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;">There can be
few parents and teachers who have not impressed upon children that it is wrong
to lie. </span></strong><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: arial;"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;">These same adults
will, over the course of th</span></strong><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;">eir lives, tell many hundreds of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> untruths</span>. <o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></span></strong><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background: white; color: #202122; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The World's Biggest
Liar</span><span style="background: white; color: #202122; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> Competition is held in Cumbria where contestants,
who really do come from all over the world, have five minutes to</span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background: white; color: #202122; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> convince an audience with
their porkies.</span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga86iyzEuMbySxbXbJ9MS0YEoo8N4j-3TDwGIsaXy4JIrTi-ie6oqWmZEib9x69Oaan1Kp49qFqb-V8vMIkjIm2IR11wAGqatyhEqzVx-dTGsSH1bTB5f9s9vpVlphpb1jL4fLJQFc0Dn6/s1754/liar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1754" data-original-width="1240" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga86iyzEuMbySxbXbJ9MS0YEoo8N4j-3TDwGIsaXy4JIrTi-ie6oqWmZEib9x69Oaan1Kp49qFqb-V8vMIkjIm2IR11wAGqatyhEqzVx-dTGsSH1bTB5f9s9vpVlphpb1jL4fLJQFc0Dn6/s320/liar.jpg" /></a></span></b></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Politician</span></b><b><span style="font-family: arial;">s and lawyers are banned.</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></span></strong><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: arial;">BBC presenter Sue Perkins won the 100 year
old competition in 2006, the first woman to do so.</span></span></strong></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></strong></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"></span></strong></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXtgaH5swx9-g7C_spjn382EU_ujTXTdKIVt-D-OVKi-O0PyziYYc8Gvf5cFKZYNKq3cMDcGDBLALVqZ3726kkJr6w9TdG9FIA2eA3b0LEyfFY67EPf4TpJHfeyJe_rmY5EfAghMownuaM/s430/sue+perkins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXtgaH5swx9-g7C_spjn382EU_ujTXTdKIVt-D-OVKi-O0PyziYYc8Gvf5cFKZYNKq3cMDcGDBLALVqZ3726kkJr6w9TdG9FIA2eA3b0LEyfFY67EPf4TpJHfeyJe_rmY5EfAghMownuaM/s320/sue+perkins.jpg" /></a></strong></div><strong><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></strong><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Psychologists tell us that everyone, <u>without
exception,</u> lies.</span></span></strong></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> Advertisers, politicians, teachers, clergymen, American
presidents, sweet old grannies, barristers all lie through their teeth. </span></span></strong></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></strong></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="font-family: arial;"><strong style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In fact it's alleged that one of the Cumbrian champions was the Bishop of Carlisle with the shortest speech ever. He said, “I have never told a lie in my life.”</span></span></strong></span></strong></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background: white; color: #424242;">So </span></strong><strong style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background: white; color: #424242;">knowing this, </span></strong><strong style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background: white; color: #424242;">why</span></strong><strong style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"> do we ask and expect </span></strong><strong style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background: white; color: #424242;">children </span></strong><strong style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background: white; color: #424242;">to tell nothing but the truth?</span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></span></strong><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: arial;">US Social Psychiatrist Yah Lee discovered that
pathological liars, have 25% more white brain cells than more truthful people. These cells begin developing, in everyone, at
the age of 2, when </span></span></strong><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: arial;">children begin to lie.</span></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: arial;">When asked a sticky question, rather than simply telling the truth - and shaming the devil, as they used to say, we search for an excuse (lie).</span></span></strong></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></strong></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"></span></strong></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO1BHUOhjC9WSJyvR7V6RG3BwCsZ0CWvC91HrrBV-TiGvUjA2d9zUHlWePxj9Admbi0ytrCEKB41iiY7SYq7Z3lvcxXT5Lht8t8pX4qMZ9_6kQHkLLQF3vSHLXRP8BbUK8J6PJ11B7hNik/s2048/pres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1408" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO1BHUOhjC9WSJyvR7V6RG3BwCsZ0CWvC91HrrBV-TiGvUjA2d9zUHlWePxj9Admbi0ytrCEKB41iiY7SYq7Z3lvcxXT5Lht8t8pX4qMZ9_6kQHkLLQF3vSHLXRP8BbUK8J6PJ11B7hNik/s320/pres.jpg" width="320" /></a></strong></div><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></span></strong><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There are some obvious reasons to lie: to get
out of trouble; to make money or achieve
a position of power. </span></span></strong><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></span></strong><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There are equally good reasons to be truthful.
If you are a known liar, who’s going to trust you?</span></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The best relationships are based on confidence
and the ability to rely on the person you live or work with. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></strong></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The majority of divorces have at their beginning,
a <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>lie of some kind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When trust goes, so, quite often, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>does the relationship. <o:p></o:p></span></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></span></strong></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Ex2qFKcQwNEXhE2Gymowlo79Vm4X0luPxQGnpxB62rDy7IlNshyphenhyphen_ZMlZz79pMvnrwLEWAqMktyDS8VxF4rAqcM3AK8uDVoaxCe7tQKRr4aniGjdbU9n5ETg0bAW1PU8KzwqdIOmK-uc8/s344/banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="147" data-original-width="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Ex2qFKcQwNEXhE2Gymowlo79Vm4X0luPxQGnpxB62rDy7IlNshyphenhyphen_ZMlZz79pMvnrwLEWAqMktyDS8VxF4rAqcM3AK8uDVoaxCe7tQKRr4aniGjdbU9n5ETg0bAW1PU8KzwqdIOmK-uc8/s320/banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></strong></div><strong><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></strong><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: arial;">So I propose that when we talk to children
about lying, we try to be honest.<o:p></o:p></span></span></strong></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"></span></strong></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><br /></strong></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We teach them about lies and how they are part of life but that they should not be mis-used.<o:p></o:p></span></span></strong></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We don’t just tell them not to do it; we are
all hard-wired to lie but there are some lies which don't matter and can even be fun.</span></span></strong></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"></span></strong></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlLx_KVWQzTF3FZRFwtvxEPYSFxWsXI8h7E8sk1xz1L8xNmaqQwQiHyaGramjeG5c9egHKrayiuSJRkQ-2U-bdBERviCPzOh2zd8cG6bxNCPf9JJiwpl2E38fik2CRPn5Sklgdx68Mu40a/s271/santa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlLx_KVWQzTF3FZRFwtvxEPYSFxWsXI8h7E8sk1xz1L8xNmaqQwQiHyaGramjeG5c9egHKrayiuSJRkQ-2U-bdBERviCPzOh2zd8cG6bxNCPf9JJiwpl2E38fik2CRPn5Sklgdx68Mu40a/s0/santa.jpg" /></a></strong></div><strong><br /></strong><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We don’t punish them for doing what we too have
certainly done in the past and will in the future. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></strong></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></strong></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilro9QLBskYC4ZtVGwO0O3wCxssD8BQ_ONDqHjldUYVnqxhVNTi8PWDuMYhfZJbqwaM6Jxgtjft9O8srncSJatIJUus45_zVZItBF74bLWeNI6n4B-MJ88R6d5tBP5WTpnAGjAAdBZXMVi/s800/toth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilro9QLBskYC4ZtVGwO0O3wCxssD8BQ_ONDqHjldUYVnqxhVNTi8PWDuMYhfZJbqwaM6Jxgtjft9O8srncSJatIJUus45_zVZItBF74bLWeNI6n4B-MJ88R6d5tBP5WTpnAGjAAdBZXMVi/w205-h205/toth.jpg" width="205" /></a></span></strong></div><strong><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></strong><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We create an atmosphere
where children have the confidence to come to us and admit they’ve done
something, knowing they’ll get a fair hearing and not hypocrisy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We explain that lying is part of being human
but if we lie a lot and especially to get something to which we’re not
entitled, then people will lose confidence in us, dislike us<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and assume we <u>always</u> lie. <o:p></o:p></span></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Then, when we tell the truth, no one will believe
us. <o:p></o:p></span></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></span></strong></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCSm23SdZUhmdNHteSdvCUjJb15pfy-OL6H_Fq-Ht_yVTwpuCqK9E3YEXDSBasGsgtzzzRv1Qj37C5PDCglTDTbJluZX-8MJTGKHv8jqFvZie0C-NMkkUtYH8yOj1Krxn-LY6JploG1YLt/s400/wolf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="398" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCSm23SdZUhmdNHteSdvCUjJb15pfy-OL6H_Fq-Ht_yVTwpuCqK9E3YEXDSBasGsgtzzzRv1Qj37C5PDCglTDTbJluZX-8MJTGKHv8jqFvZie0C-NMkkUtYH8yOj1Krxn-LY6JploG1YLt/s320/wolf.jpg" /></a></span></strong></div><strong><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></strong><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We could teach children the value of being
truthful, whilst accepting there will be times when they need to lie.<o:p></o:p></span></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></span></strong><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I was recently asked to give an example of this. I recalled an incident related by one of my students.</span></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As he was walking to school, a car pulled up beside him, a </span></span></strong><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: arial;">man leaned out, pointed to a classmate walking ahead, ‘Do you know where she lives?’ </span></span></strong></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: arial;">He did
but shook his head. Then warned the girl, her parents and the school. Should he have given the address? Of course not.</span></span></strong></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Let's be honest about lying for a change.</span></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></span></strong><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There may be white lies and black lies but
lying itself isn’t black and white, it has many shades and many reasons. </span></span></strong></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: arial;">If we want our children to trust us, we will
admit this and teach them the value of truth.</span></span></strong></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></strong></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"></span></strong></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKbNrfFBeAIaluwyzifKqVDehcq6WPScQat25JB_bo95uNU39CHplpKglqekDT6nR18uzDisjbZWAXyPgSy6ZQyu6k1kMB4bLVTd200bUniAFFSg4km-uXBQ0yqfMZzWAU7CrF80xAfFn-/s235/BUN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="215" data-original-width="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKbNrfFBeAIaluwyzifKqVDehcq6WPScQat25JB_bo95uNU39CHplpKglqekDT6nR18uzDisjbZWAXyPgSy6ZQyu6k1kMB4bLVTd200bUniAFFSg4km-uXBQ0yqfMZzWAU7CrF80xAfFn-/s0/BUN.jpg" /></a></strong></div><strong><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></strong><p></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: arial;"><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></strong><strong><span style="background: white; color: #424242;"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></span></b></p>Zola the Gorgonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07569877587588044249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242348033327117577.post-44228197420195623582020-08-31T18:16:00.003+12:002020-09-09T21:48:17.905+12:0031st August 2020<p><b> Yesterday we talked about the French Foreign Legion, <i lang="fr" style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif;">Légion étrangère, </i><span face="" lang="fr" style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">mentioning Susan Travers, the only woman to have served with them.</span></b></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Si1ahxHjn6zWCkptNkcogo7yyn1rV-u80bmLVGnv-EpP9Dd45C99bEDJbXylms3KFC7oCTBnLuog9_Q7XsoA0SWSlrNZci6-fuq-9NB6F9gkIW05506CSUpNiWtbGFYhrZbqbhB1vREQ/s282/Travers+WW2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="282" data-original-width="226" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Si1ahxHjn6zWCkptNkcogo7yyn1rV-u80bmLVGnv-EpP9Dd45C99bEDJbXylms3KFC7oCTBnLuog9_Q7XsoA0SWSlrNZci6-fuq-9NB6F9gkIW05506CSUpNiWtbGFYhrZbqbhB1vREQ/w145-h181/Travers+WW2.jpg" width="145" /></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Susan Travers during WW2 <br /></b></td></tr></tbody></table><span face="" style="background-color: white; color: #202122;"><b>She had such a fascinating life that I decided to look into her story more fully.</b></span><p></p><p><span face="" style="background-color: white; color: #202122;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Susan Mary Gillian Travers was born in London on 23rd
September 1909. Her father, Admiral Francis Eaton Travers and her mother, Eleanor
Catherine were austere and distantly cold parents.<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>When she was 12, the family moved to the south of France for her father’s health and
there, Susan entered the world of a rich and carefree young socialite.<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>“It was a wonderful time to be on the Riviera. Parties and champagne,
and tangos and Charlestons and of course lots of young men - well, lovers
really.” </b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>In later years, her ghost
writer-biographer, Wendy Holden said, ‘there were rather a lot of lovers, even
a Russian Prince but we had to leave some of them out!’ <o:p></o:p></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxc52m-RIVzUul09y-CqoygyAOf4LXuQtDz8-DUbPNq_DYEJvAtuDVU2BX2ZQbcS_YqSg4_VX_TfhKNewRYYcBgBHMnCzgMX7oW2PhswP6S9q6ftgO2XgQL-yt2Ke6Nx65Wl47UmozkZon/s226/Travers+and+Holden.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="170" data-original-width="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxc52m-RIVzUul09y-CqoygyAOf4LXuQtDz8-DUbPNq_DYEJvAtuDVU2BX2ZQbcS_YqSg4_VX_TfhKNewRYYcBgBHMnCzgMX7oW2PhswP6S9q6ftgO2XgQL-yt2Ke6Nx65Wl47UmozkZon/s0/Travers+and+Holden.jpg" /></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Author Wendy Holden and Susan</b></td></tr></tbody></table><b><br /></b><p class="MsoNormal"><b>On a generous monthly allowance from an aunt, young Susan lived an
easy life, drifting between chateaux, country house parties and the smartest
hotels. </b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>She was staying in the luxurious Poitiers home of a divorced friend
when Britain declared war on Germany.</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>She was almost 30 and along with many thousands of other young
women applied to join the French Red Cross; completed training as a nurse but
decided a more exciting life could be had as an ambulance driver.</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpx9JN-czqMTnTzmli4hyphenhyphen4adSFC10oVHGx_jMvJOnwMzJP9a8b_m-gITOXyAZcT3pZAyfW8FS5OTRp41HG0YOwibbLnggn7u8nJi_SMKWWEHJJw9lpCFjd7hWjYRV7HJ_IsH26YCdFz4Bv/s624/ambulamce.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="624" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpx9JN-czqMTnTzmli4hyphenhyphen4adSFC10oVHGx_jMvJOnwMzJP9a8b_m-gITOXyAZcT3pZAyfW8FS5OTRp41HG0YOwibbLnggn7u8nJi_SMKWWEHJJw9lpCFjd7hWjYRV7HJ_IsH26YCdFz4Bv/w319-h180/ambulamce.jpg" width="319" /></b></a></div><b><br /></b><p class="MsoNormal"><b>In this role, she sailed from Liverpool with the 13th Demi-brigade
of the French Foreign Legion, as driver to one of the Legion's doctors. </b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Tragically, he was soon killed when his truck hit a landmine.</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>His replacement, Colonel Marie-Pierre Koenig for whom Susan was also the official driver, subsequently became her lover, some say the love of her life.</b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ4boYLXOhim468noCWRrOB69vExi3FQcnQogFeTUHwTRYfwVwfTA_4YcasI2itVzL7g7bWpgxRDk6D8O4TYSeN6YJhS2cxUAbZDoqQfIpR_vOmr3p9wAH4idgsWNLANXu6OzXQk4-_Ztg/s300/Koenig.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ4boYLXOhim468noCWRrOB69vExi3FQcnQogFeTUHwTRYfwVwfTA_4YcasI2itVzL7g7bWpgxRDk6D8O4TYSeN6YJhS2cxUAbZDoqQfIpR_vOmr3p9wAH4idgsWNLANXu6OzXQk4-_Ztg/s0/Koenig.jpg" /></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Koenig</b></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"><b>In May 1942, 1st Free French Brigade was posted to Bir Hakeim in
Libya, under constant attack from Axis forces. </b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b> During one bombardment, a shell took off the
roof of Koenig's car but Travers and a Vietnamese driver fixed it.</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>With Stukas, Panzer tanks and heavy artillery, the Germans
expected to take the fort in minutes. The Free French held it for 15 days. </b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqJAhfcJUd1N2DcaY8Hoj7neH28uLlUMyoFMW5wtCVdTrNmF39IOuNnbr0tcIbvUoX0X2XJE5CMUNuSaHZLPey4niLNPaWTNvgI3NGHzlYQF5xURIi5BL1ZeDkZ1JwosQgvddrV7HJOQ7T/s800/Legionnaires+at+bir+jakeim.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="800" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqJAhfcJUd1N2DcaY8Hoj7neH28uLlUMyoFMW5wtCVdTrNmF39IOuNnbr0tcIbvUoX0X2XJE5CMUNuSaHZLPey4niLNPaWTNvgI3NGHzlYQF5xURIi5BL1ZeDkZ1JwosQgvddrV7HJOQ7T/w410-h231/Legionnaires+at+bir+jakeim.jpg" width="410" /></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Legionnaires at Bir Hakeim</b></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>For
most of that time, Susan Travers lay in a small hole in the ground, dug out by
her Legionnair comrades. Temperatures reached 51C but she refused to leave her Legion friends and her lover.</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>As water and ammunition ran out, Koenig decided to evacuate and as they left Bir Hakeim,
their column ran into minefields and German machine gun fire but Travers was ordered
to drive at the front of the column, “The rest will follow” Koenig told her". And follow they did. </b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Reminiscing year later, Susan
Travers said, ‘It’s a delightful feeling, going as fast as you can in the dark.
My main concern was that the engine would stall.”<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>When they got to the British lines the next day, her vehicle
had 11 bullet holes and the shock absorbers and brakes were totally useless.<o:p></o:p></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5HcXyvHMHz8Hpeip00PyUF5pDkh65gyICZ34BDXWq1lqanay0KIZGxAQNtEpl89rHVPjRvSN9zJAy8RosvNuS6cHRM2RFLlWhFc3T4SRjtB0Z4Uq_FMZDuub5a_6R8HayBX4FRCyt6Mv/s1280/13th+demi+brigade.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="815" data-original-width="1280" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5HcXyvHMHz8Hpeip00PyUF5pDkh65gyICZ34BDXWq1lqanay0KIZGxAQNtEpl89rHVPjRvSN9zJAy8RosvNuS6cHRM2RFLlWhFc3T4SRjtB0Z4Uq_FMZDuub5a_6R8HayBX4FRCyt6Mv/w410-h261/13th+demi+brigade.jpg" width="410" /></b></a></div><b><br /></b><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Koening, promoted to General was transferred but Travers
remained with the Legion, who had nicknamed her ‘La Miss’, and went on to drive
a self-propelled anti-tank gun in the Italian Campaign. </b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>She saw further action
in Germany and France before being posted to Vietnam during the First
Indo-China War. . She was wounded when she too drove over a
land mine.</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhE_M10KfJ0wYFMQ6GL9Csg0trBMGEhTZBwDLs5u2JLG15ojmbeZDsWTH7l41neI1RdJApLNL0JYhB6KTGXldWL5BsqKRS7w_UFA4hK7uly3R1IwvXg6YEd73s7dQJUlHL6u3rq7EDvegR/s334/anti.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="151" data-original-width="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhE_M10KfJ0wYFMQ6GL9Csg0trBMGEhTZBwDLs5u2JLG15ojmbeZDsWTH7l41neI1RdJApLNL0JYhB6KTGXldWL5BsqKRS7w_UFA4hK7uly3R1IwvXg6YEd73s7dQJUlHL6u3rq7EDvegR/s0/anti.jpg" /></b></a></div><b><br /></b><p class="MsoNormal"><b>After the war, her military status with the Legion became
official and she was formally enrolled in the Légion Étrangère, as an
Adjutant-chef. </b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b> “I had to make my own
uniform because there wasn't one for a woman.”
She was sent on service to Tunisia, “where I had to go buy a barrel of
red wine for the mess every day, and bring it back on the back of a mule.”</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkPUpKJV3agY9axqDim8JqXm0fw-Nuwr4K9FXVDQmZz0CjKMSGlmJQg3Znkwb0YV7oq_uMidqkzrLNbltjsKy0q9Hn2s556UGtqx9jqpHKwvY64Rvl0pjee1sfYPr8Q29z_wnkHwpQ7wF9/s263/travers+desert.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkPUpKJV3agY9axqDim8JqXm0fw-Nuwr4K9FXVDQmZz0CjKMSGlmJQg3Znkwb0YV7oq_uMidqkzrLNbltjsKy0q9Hn2s556UGtqx9jqpHKwvY64Rvl0pjee1sfYPr8Q29z_wnkHwpQ7wF9/s0/travers+desert.jpg" /></b></a></div><b><br /></b><p class="MsoNormal"><b>After the war, she married Legion Adjudant-chef Nicolas
Schlegelmilch, who had also fought at Bir Hakeim. They retired to lived a quiet, unexceptional
life in France, raising two sons.</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPYU94zkTATIOZ2h9-mhnGt7BJ2f1l_eDPBGJmJmPiMRb7-vc_URKfrf9KFrZyPuStMmf-eReYSFtRXnrhpvXbq6m6Q-g_OXSWO5arrLL5ZtwrJTzCWFlyWi3lYoK8rtU0lsSKKhFrPEYd/s337/medals.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="184" data-original-width="337" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPYU94zkTATIOZ2h9-mhnGt7BJ2f1l_eDPBGJmJmPiMRb7-vc_URKfrf9KFrZyPuStMmf-eReYSFtRXnrhpvXbq6m6Q-g_OXSWO5arrLL5ZtwrJTzCWFlyWi3lYoK8rtU0lsSKKhFrPEYd/s0/medals.jpg" /></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Showing their many medals for outstanding bravery</b></td></tr></tbody></table><b><br /><br /></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b> Madame Susan Schlegelmilch waited until all the main figures
in her remarkable life were dead before she agreed to tell her story.<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>In in 2000, aged 91 and assisted by author Wendy Holden, she wrote, “<i>Tomorrow to Be Brave: A Memoir of
the Only Woman Ever to Serve in the French Foreign Legion</i>.” <o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>The title came from a poem once read to her by her beloved Koening:</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b> “Distrust yourself, and sleep before
you fight. 'Tis not too late tomorrow to be brave." <o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>“I do hope they make it (my life story) into a film," she told Holden, "I should quite like my grandchildren to
see what their naughty old grandma got up to”.<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>She died in a Paris nursing home in 2003<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Her medals:</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p> </o:p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A9gion_d%27honneur" title="Légion d'honneur">Légion d'honneur</a></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img alt="enacademic.com/pictures/enwiki/76/Legion_of_Hon..." height="201" src="https://enacademic.com/pictures/enwiki/76/Legion_of_Honor_-_Knight.JPG" width="134" /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1939%E2%80%931945_Commemorative_war_medal_(France)" title="1939–1945 Commemorative war medal (France)">Médaille commémorative
1939-1945</a> with clasp - "Afrique" - "Italie"-
"Libération"</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img alt="1939–1945 Commemorative war medal (France) - Wikiwand" height="178" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Medaille_Commemorative_1939-45_France_REVERS.jpg" width="117" /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonial_Medal" title="Colonial Medal">Médaille Coloniale</a>, du mérite syrien de 4e classe<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Croix de libération finlandaise<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_Glory_(Tunisia)" title="Order of Glory (Tunisia)">Officier de l'Ordre du Nichan Iftikhar</a><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img alt="MEDAILLE D'OFFICIER DE L'ORDRE TUNISIEN DU NICHAN IFTIKHAR MUHAMMAD EL HADI 1902-1906 - Militaria-medailles" height="168" src="https://www.militaria-medailles.fr/31159-thickbox_default/medaille-d-officier-de-l-ordre-tunisien-du-nichan-iftikhar-muhammad-el-hadi-1902-1906.jpg" width="168" /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A9daille_Militaire" title="Médaille Militaire">Médaille Militaire</a><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img alt="Médaille militaire - Wikipedia" height="227" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/19/Medaille_Militaire_4e_Republique_France.jpg/150px-Medaille_Militaire_4e_Republique_France.jpg" width="96" /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croix_de_guerre_1939%E2%80%931945" title="Croix de guerre 1939–1945">Croix de Guerre</a><o:p></o:p></b></p><div><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p>
</p><p><span face="" style="background-color: white; color: #202122;"><b><br /></b></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1tNmvbWUsr-6so3nj4BMZ3UV50DLHZV8s5k6IueRb8xHNa-o19A8w5Vs9R1TRsV-WreJYBxLUsJGyBa8c0ulnPTYl40QTLncyT3vRFqd5_LsaectL42guRhZwvGVISt-txkxfHsHTAGzT/s364/Croix_de_Guerre_39_45.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="364" data-original-width="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1tNmvbWUsr-6so3nj4BMZ3UV50DLHZV8s5k6IueRb8xHNa-o19A8w5Vs9R1TRsV-WreJYBxLUsJGyBa8c0ulnPTYl40QTLncyT3vRFqd5_LsaectL42guRhZwvGVISt-txkxfHsHTAGzT/s0/Croix_de_Guerre_39_45.jpg" /></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Le Croix de Guerre</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZSoR0erGjKN6XzCQhAidv1Qg6htGKmJil88_z_WnWi4SP_rrKepvUt4WSgDorGjrDLEBBem8ujKEcNRDNQ8tgIPJnlb1V2lRiB-yjvfKSDUiUa1wL7GbJVy94L9gyxleib0C2T4WfNXeA/s520/Travers+ID.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="353" data-original-width="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZSoR0erGjKN6XzCQhAidv1Qg6htGKmJil88_z_WnWi4SP_rrKepvUt4WSgDorGjrDLEBBem8ujKEcNRDNQ8tgIPJnlb1V2lRiB-yjvfKSDUiUa1wL7GbJVy94L9gyxleib0C2T4WfNXeA/s0/Travers+ID.jpg" /></a></div><br />Zola the Gorgonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07569877587588044249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242348033327117577.post-85012435318367069652020-08-30T16:44:00.001+12:002020-08-30T16:44:34.177+12:0030th August 2020<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="mw-mmv-title-paraCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span class="mw-mmv-title"><b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtb7fLuIG0vXItFHsQ7r8JETnF5dyFLhEIQhorwp4foziBLYEZ817vk7DdXTRQ68TUcuArAojN2uqYSs-1sEXLDlIuBvqutSyHfOLpUeG56pBduOyElR99B5pHi0EdficgUrW3S_WXDG9N/s1024/honour+guard+for+US.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="672" data-original-width="1024" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtb7fLuIG0vXItFHsQ7r8JETnF5dyFLhEIQhorwp4foziBLYEZ817vk7DdXTRQ68TUcuArAojN2uqYSs-1sEXLDlIuBvqutSyHfOLpUeG56pBduOyElR99B5pHi0EdficgUrW3S_WXDG9N/w328-h215/honour+guard+for+US.jpg" width="328" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: start;"><i style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 15.75px;"> Honneur et Fidélité</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="color: #202122;"><br /></span></b></span></span></p><p class="mw-mmv-title-paraCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span class="mw-mmv-title"><span style="color: #202122;">There can be few groups with as romantic a mythology as the
French Foreign Legion, or </span></span><i><span lang="FR" style="background: white; color: #202122;">Légion étrangère</span></i><span lang="FR" style="background: white; color: #202122;">.<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="mw-mmv-title-paraCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt; text-align: left;"><b><span lang="FR" style="background: white; color: #202122;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> "</span></span><i style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="FR" style="background: white; color: #202122;">You can join as a fugitive from the law
and you don’t even have to give your real name</span></i><span lang="FR" style="background: white; color: #202122; font-family: arial;">."</span></b></p>
<p class="mw-mmv-title-paraCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt; text-align: left;"><b><span lang="FR" style="background: white; color: #202122;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: arial;">Both these
assumptions are incorrect although it may have had some crédence </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: arial;">in 1831 when the Legion first began.</span></b></p>
<p class="mw-mmv-title-paraCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt; text-align: left;"><b><span lang="FR" style="background: white; color: #202122;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></span><span lang="FR" style="background: white; color: #202122; font-family: arial;">Nowadays,
strict background checks are made by </span><span style="background: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial;">Interpol and
France’</span><span style="font-family: arial;">s Intelligences services but petty crime may be overlooked in
some circumstances.</span></b></p>
<p class="mw-mmv-title-paraCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #444444;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWF_oEBrklLlR9MRZ8ExVBL7BZ4NypF-1b8i-J2dUOBi6vEkiWma6pGdDypPFlM9pYTr-SJ5_zBWIQCZK5trQKyy8_5AAyaHzpHZ84LolPNaiAkoQ839LCr1oxkI6r9TT41E-t0_ot4YHe/s1024/fording+river+in+full+kit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWF_oEBrklLlR9MRZ8ExVBL7BZ4NypF-1b8i-J2dUOBi6vEkiWma6pGdDypPFlM9pYTr-SJ5_zBWIQCZK5trQKyy8_5AAyaHzpHZ84LolPNaiAkoQ839LCr1oxkI6r9TT41E-t0_ot4YHe/w410-h307/fording+river+in+full+kit.jpg" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fording a river in full kit may have hidden dangers: currents and predators</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></b></span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="mw-mmv-title-paraCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>The selection process is rigorous; only one in nine applicants
even get through the doors. Basic training is harsh and many will never get to
wear the traditional white kepi. Injury
and even death during training are not unknown.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p><p class="mw-mmv-title-paraCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #444444;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs79zxZPUGDjAPZxPbiQHd7GQHR1T2fLo3PTKgUecVOPI2vwhlYvxICa34-Wpglg4g5MjuRhVJoUP6zKZUAOUbc3jVwXjcFkgs_GI7i7buqTS1bx5xP7RyeFTa7kQBiAGffgSABR1x6Kac/s1095/french+guina+training.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1095" data-original-width="800" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs79zxZPUGDjAPZxPbiQHd7GQHR1T2fLo3PTKgUecVOPI2vwhlYvxICa34-Wpglg4g5MjuRhVJoUP6zKZUAOUbc3jVwXjcFkgs_GI7i7buqTS1bx5xP7RyeFTa7kQBiAGffgSABR1x6Kac/w299-h410/french+guina+training.jpg" width="299" /></a></b></div><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: arial;"> Applicants must be between 17 and 40 and foreign (not
French), though this rule can be relaxed - up 15% of legionnaires are thought to be French.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial;"> </span></b><p></p>
<p class="mw-mmv-title-paraCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt; text-align: left;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #444444;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial;">The Legion can afford to be picky. Every day, dozens of men,
from all over the world, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial;">turn up at recruiting
station across France (and this is the only way to join, a personal visit) </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial;">eager to prove themselves with this elite
force.</span></b></p>
<p class="mw-mmv-title-paraCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #444444;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTKvH8wbPsy8AD6HYKj6ouFk9ZsNO0iNYojrrT_kt7Uzk1ZHtchDfg9ht4JbGfj3USUexPCzXVycyeqV78Kq3P7G_sy2qeH-LcAJdfwf0nomUJDI24euXnNfEpUpQX0GH1S1m3UT060Fvv/s1024/1024px-Pionniers-Camerone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="707" data-original-width="1024" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTKvH8wbPsy8AD6HYKj6ouFk9ZsNO0iNYojrrT_kt7Uzk1ZHtchDfg9ht4JbGfj3USUexPCzXVycyeqV78Kq3P7G_sy2qeH-LcAJdfwf0nomUJDI24euXnNfEpUpQX0GH1S1m3UT060Fvv/w410-h283/1024px-Pionniers-Camerone.jpg" width="410" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="mw-mmv-title-paraCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>The Legion can be made up of 140 different nationalities but
French is the common language, so learning is compulsory. There are daily lessons but as training often
leads to pain, injury and sleep-deprivation,
this isn’t easy either.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="mw-mmv-title-paraCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt; text-align: left;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #444444;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial;">Theoretically, you can leave the Legion any time during the
first month but if the Legion itself decides you’re not up to the mark, they’ll
dismiss you instantly without question or explanation, just ‘Non - allez vous!’</span></b></p>
<p class="mw-mmv-title-paraCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #444444;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZv2br3VkDREekuE7_svexR68b4_HaBZ-Es6k4Oxtg8TVuKS4agoGP22L1WXzovBoupEj-Z6tqU4wjYAVapITHyLg-XmzzRK7jFVWG_ZmVpJdIEvYccaT5Oi9DMj-qp55jYXyLY-utbm8m/s1200/1863+mexican+campaign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZv2br3VkDREekuE7_svexR68b4_HaBZ-Es6k4Oxtg8TVuKS4agoGP22L1WXzovBoupEj-Z6tqU4wjYAVapITHyLg-XmzzRK7jFVWG_ZmVpJdIEvYccaT5Oi9DMj-qp55jYXyLY-utbm8m/w274-h410/1863+mexican+campaign.jpg" width="274" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Legionnaire - 1863 Mexican Campaign</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></b></span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="mw-mmv-title-paraCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt; text-align: left;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Recruits who survive what is reputed to be the most arduous
military training in the world both physically and psychologically can expect a
good pay rate and excellent food and lodgings whilst on base (jungle warfare training
may depend on foraging for bugs). </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial;">The diet includes wine from the Legion’s own vineyards in Provence, t</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial;">ended by former legionnaires in the veterans home there.</span></b></p><p class="mw-mmv-title-paraCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt; text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9af5rcY_TtQ6r1I9gabkwWx_3BEe9a0ni0fBgils1hQJkdqNRmpQA7cTnx9dLJUFEkr84OrZo3T_NzGOLUA_8f6jToxHIM_gYKmkQufhhKrnlfiaFeAq8jx1xtAnOqu-6Hl2dg8TcKxl/s620/vineyard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="620" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9af5rcY_TtQ6r1I9gabkwWx_3BEe9a0ni0fBgils1hQJkdqNRmpQA7cTnx9dLJUFEkr84OrZo3T_NzGOLUA_8f6jToxHIM_gYKmkQufhhKrnlfiaFeAq8jx1xtAnOqu-6Hl2dg8TcKxl/w397-h262/vineyard.jpg" width="397" /></b></a></div><p></p><p class="mw-mmv-title-paraCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt; text-align: left;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #202122; font-family: arial;">Women were not permitted to join the Legion until 2000 when Defence
Minister Alain Richard</span><span style="background: white; color: #202122; font-family: arial;"> changed
the rules, saying he’d like to see 20% female recruitment over the next 20
years.</span></b></p>
<p class="mw-mmv-title-paraCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #202122;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_i0EE0QxNpbOCG5TzyVGu8Q2fV-Z2Sh-Vb-0TiupWjrYeAAhFzE6ewFJA_zdppptkhqhAMEgeKDBfkAynXczKYYyDqYwafpjFtHQVBRV8FQTICO8DSG4PmeaDBAYnldz4yPeafhVWeBvm/s1129/susan+travers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1129" data-original-width="800" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_i0EE0QxNpbOCG5TzyVGu8Q2fV-Z2Sh-Vb-0TiupWjrYeAAhFzE6ewFJA_zdppptkhqhAMEgeKDBfkAynXczKYYyDqYwafpjFtHQVBRV8FQTICO8DSG4PmeaDBAYnldz4yPeafhVWeBvm/w290-h410/susan+travers.jpg" width="290" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Susan Travers 1909-2003<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></b></span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="mw-mmv-title-paraCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #202122;">Prior to that, only one woman ever to be a distinguished Legionnaire was an English nurse: Susan Travers</span><span style="background: white; color: #202122;"> who joined
Free French Forces during World War II. <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="mw-mmv-title-paraCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #202122;">Travers,
known as ‘La Miss’ by her comrades, served as nurse and ambulance driver in the
French Red Cross</span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="background: white; color: #0b0080;">, then as a full member of the
Legion</span></span><span style="background: white; color: #202122;"> in Vietnam during the First Indochina War.</span></b></span></p>
<p class="mw-mmv-title-paraCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt; text-align: left;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="background: white; color: #0b0080;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_YO3mE987INf03TMDqa_f21eb2BaPc38TbAc80G9-sU9g7RkeNNZTTmzkjeQfBPddx8IaIEmTyd8PODSoUxgLdxfKOGc3fpHAVK0-Hh5sX5vhN5H1_7yLN6UjU9M3kznS43prS-nGE6LC/s1024/crawl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_YO3mE987INf03TMDqa_f21eb2BaPc38TbAc80G9-sU9g7RkeNNZTTmzkjeQfBPddx8IaIEmTyd8PODSoUxgLdxfKOGc3fpHAVK0-Hh5sX5vhN5H1_7yLN6UjU9M3kznS43prS-nGE6LC/w410-h307/crawl.jpg" width="410" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="mw-mmv-title-paraCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="background: white; color: #0b0080;">Since
its inception, the Legion has served in most theatres of war. </span></span></span></b></p><p class="mw-mmv-title-paraCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background: white; color: #202122;">The 13th Demi Brigade</span><span style="background: white; color: #202122;">, formed for service in Nor way, was in
the UK when the French Armistice was declared in June 1940. </span></span><span style="background: white; color: #202122; font-family: arial;">It was deployed to the British 8th Army in North Africa and
distinguished itself in the Battle of Bir Hakeim in</span><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background: white; color: #0b0080;"> which Susan Travers played a heroic part, afterwards being warded her first Croix de Geurre.</span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #202122;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b></b></span></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxqfOUSu1ARUkCAL-X3f0yZrYNgkHbCciextf7Df1TS5qKsAJ6ik7sTGCvCGuekcE-5z3Arc9n7zObo_C1CMFrCDjsIagvj-RRMuhFQDZ59C3Dypj2fBg1Pc4YplDL-u49EnmE2rNiHrK_/s1006/flag+honour+and+fidelity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1006" data-original-width="800" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxqfOUSu1ARUkCAL-X3f0yZrYNgkHbCciextf7Df1TS5qKsAJ6ik7sTGCvCGuekcE-5z3Arc9n7zObo_C1CMFrCDjsIagvj-RRMuhFQDZ59C3Dypj2fBg1Pc4YplDL-u49EnmE2rNiHrK_/w326-h410/flag+honour+and+fidelity.jpg" width="326" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #202122;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b> The Legion is the only branch of
the French military that does not swear allegiance to France but to the Foreign
Legion itself, although after 3 years service,
a Legionnaire, whatever his nationality, may apply for French citizenship.<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #202122;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Any soldier injured during conflict may
apply immediately for citizenship under "<i>Français par le sang versé</i>"
("French by spilled blood").<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #202122;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Modern day Legionnaires can be Sapeurs, Paratrooper, Commandoes and ever other profession needed by today's armed forces.</b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #202122;"><b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzLzrn6fCvlwNZt7xK59fQh4vvA8f5NFrozBvpowXgxCOFHiULurFodHjwQlyfTYrkh26KsjwHP5iwFJtTCRaug8ipSrr-18NduwJrpGGl_4pEVi4QGOUbs9G-i4m9Xn1xg-M1v4qu4bVz/s2048/soldier+in+truck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzLzrn6fCvlwNZt7xK59fQh4vvA8f5NFrozBvpowXgxCOFHiULurFodHjwQlyfTYrkh26KsjwHP5iwFJtTCRaug8ipSrr-18NduwJrpGGl_4pEVi4QGOUbs9G-i4m9Xn1xg-M1v4qu4bVz/w410-h274/soldier+in+truck.jpg" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Legionnaires in an armoured transport</td></tr></tbody></table></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #202122;"><br /></span></b></p><b>The Legion has its own band but they are quick to point out they are highly trained, super-efficient soldiers first and only then, amateur bandsmen.</b><p></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #202122;"><br /></span><span style="background: white; color: #202122;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpdA8jZZalH9NwCGliFEnCux-YJQhacWcDRZ6KiQGd4WnXj2he5HXSZGP0k0jkOISTkFF12M5hNajeR1TAA1s-Wcgh_-Rzq0OJLqDG65_SRcWHHLBT-rCCC8ibJ1jTbXj2_KQZtpv8EJDw/s1024/military+band.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpdA8jZZalH9NwCGliFEnCux-YJQhacWcDRZ6KiQGd4WnXj2he5HXSZGP0k0jkOISTkFF12M5hNajeR1TAA1s-Wcgh_-Rzq0OJLqDG65_SRcWHHLBT-rCCC8ibJ1jTbXj2_KQZtpv8EJDw/w410-h274/military+band.jpg" width="410" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #202122;"><br /></span></b></p><b>Because traditionally the Legionnaires march at a slower pace than other branches of the French military (a pace known in the Legion at 'the crawl') they are alwasy last in any military parade.</b><p></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #202122;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn7EjAQyBoHrdCHZCJabWFzQdcSRiFEIJpLcmMWP4qWYPKCMo8NhGeRVOT95lAM9_hb0i5SZf0_AihLoyxa4vmnNxIgz5JwMz89SASxfxUneDFutkxY8S4xUSaKqKp-vkzDS44O3LOW4yt/s1200/sapeurs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn7EjAQyBoHrdCHZCJabWFzQdcSRiFEIJpLcmMWP4qWYPKCMo8NhGeRVOT95lAM9_hb0i5SZf0_AihLoyxa4vmnNxIgz5JwMz89SASxfxUneDFutkxY8S4xUSaKqKp-vkzDS44O3LOW4yt/w274-h410/sapeurs.jpg" width="274" /></b></a></div><b><br /><span style="background: white; color: #202122;"><br />Sapeurs- Pioniers wear beards and leather aprons and carry axes (best not to get on their wrong side).</span></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst"><i style="color: #202122; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"><b>"Legionnaire, you are a volunteer
serving France with honour and fidelity.</b></i></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #202122;"><i><b>
</b></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="background: #F8F9FA; color: #202122; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Each legionnaire is your brother in
arms whatever his nationality, his race or his religion might be. You show him
the same close solidarity that links the members of the same family."</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></i></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #202122;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfhI7LAEHxQIocqmnWtN-KnysI1s71S0OZMKIcqvNKejrE0loUBsqiqTLDjMEaIBSg1I0C-sDGaM1OwzdZyVoW2j1WJhkp412RP6CEJ-CuxomaZrscluAp8ibyL2gFCuMOfUXsGHdmqbCo/s1024/grenade+in+falmes.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="1024" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfhI7LAEHxQIocqmnWtN-KnysI1s71S0OZMKIcqvNKejrE0loUBsqiqTLDjMEaIBSg1I0C-sDGaM1OwzdZyVoW2j1WJhkp412RP6CEJ-CuxomaZrscluAp8ibyL2gFCuMOfUXsGHdmqbCo/w328-h250/grenade+in+falmes.png" width="328" /></b></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The Grenade in Flames symbol of the Legion<br /><br /><br /></b></td></tr></tbody></table><b><br />The march down the Champs Elysee, showing 'the crawl'.</b></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;"><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yASlGCLkBSw">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yASlGCLkBSw</a></b></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimZOMU-KxpVZTkbkpKmwzZocT84nkSe-zLDifk6gpn7gIbsaHI4YF0xJAEuN3bHv4NmF_XGfD8ls3g9CnrErLwjiw90Vd2oq0JYYTmBxgiYZzaK0oRI01LbbUtCMbl_z8npxD5jro8wr9c/s1240/2010-Patrol_paratroopers_foreign_legion_paris_notre_dame.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1240" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimZOMU-KxpVZTkbkpKmwzZocT84nkSe-zLDifk6gpn7gIbsaHI4YF0xJAEuN3bHv4NmF_XGfD8ls3g9CnrErLwjiw90Vd2oq0JYYTmBxgiYZzaK0oRI01LbbUtCMbl_z8npxD5jro8wr9c/s640/2010-Patrol_paratroopers_foreign_legion_paris_notre_dame.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Legionnaires on patrol in Paris during civil unrest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b><br /><br /><span style="background: white; color: #202122;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #202122;"><b> <br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #202122;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpLast" style="text-align: left;"><span style="background: white; color: #202122;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="mw-mmv-title-paraCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt; text-align: left;"><span class="mw-mmv-title"><span style="color: #202122;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></span></span></p>
<p class="mw-mmv-title-paraCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 15pt; text-align: left;"><span class="mw-mmv-title"><span style="color: #202122;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></span></span></p></div><p></p>
<p class="mw-mmv-title-paraCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="mw-mmv-title-paraCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 16.5pt; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><o:p></o:p></p>
Zola the Gorgonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07569877587588044249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242348033327117577.post-52839739884529799022020-08-29T14:40:00.006+12:002020-08-30T10:48:21.832+12:0029th August 2020<div class="separator"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>It saddens me a little, that as an English
immigrant, I apparently left behind the heritage of nursery
rhymes.</b></span></div>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>There are many popular songs for children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who can forget or avoid the jolly ‘Wheels on
the Bus’ so beloved of toddlers? <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>But nursery rhymes are part of British history;
they have hidden meanings in many instances and romantic, occasionally dark origins.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYoJoHkbFZqn-ULdVMMuo_7H083c3oDPQTbX-GY7CNBCjZevUDyoTE5jllMkJLHsn1_dJUZ6yq8YyqhZmqzX72Zn2jGfDm-IpFtwN0OVCiMbKU9qzMfBAjcBGcXSbL9-Z3ZRohrrnboO-A/s316/babe+in+tree.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="250" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYoJoHkbFZqn-ULdVMMuo_7H083c3oDPQTbX-GY7CNBCjZevUDyoTE5jllMkJLHsn1_dJUZ6yq8YyqhZmqzX72Zn2jGfDm-IpFtwN0OVCiMbKU9qzMfBAjcBGcXSbL9-Z3ZRohrrnboO-A/w200-h253/babe+in+tree.gif" width="200" /></b></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>‘Rock-a-bye Baby’. This gentle lullaby is designed to
send wee ones peacefully into slumber - <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and providing they don’t know the deeper meaning - and what baby does,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it will.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><i><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Rock-a-by Baby on the tree top<o:p></o:p></b></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><i><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>When the wind blows the cradle will rock<o:p></o:p></b></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><i><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall<o:p></o:p></b></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><i><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Down will come baby, cradle and all<o:p></o:p></b></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Leaving aside the sheer foolishness of placing a crib
in a tree, especially outside during unpredictable weather, I found this rhyme
ideal for soothing my son.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No matter that
ten minutes later,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>as I prepared to
leave his room, make myself a cup of tea <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and do a week’s ironing, he woke, stood up in
his cot and wanted to play. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><o:p> </o:p>Most websites say the poem dates from the 17<sup>th</sup>
century but its roots go back much further, to Greek mythology.</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Rheia was the wife of Kronos who’d been told he
would be overthrown by one of his children. So he killed them as they were
born.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj18Ep5z07roFtAddhIfKd41t-Oh2hU7CecczwJaTuuLf2_tlu_ZlYrxI73b9W9WF44lFYOTGKGEsLEp2dj7P494Nd4h4cou6Ooiv9A-_qzE_0t7FOQ3_rhS6x2WXVSf50VCniVux214JII/s236/rheia+kronos.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="213" data-original-width="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj18Ep5z07roFtAddhIfKd41t-Oh2hU7CecczwJaTuuLf2_tlu_ZlYrxI73b9W9WF44lFYOTGKGEsLEp2dj7P494Nd4h4cou6Ooiv9A-_qzE_0t7FOQ3_rhS6x2WXVSf50VCniVux214JII/s0/rheia+kronos.jpg" /></b></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Rheia handing over child to Kronos</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>When Rheia found she was expecting Zeus, she hid
herself away and then, when the baby was born, ‘placed him in a tree cradle, twixt
earth and sky’ so he couldn’t be found.
As predicted, Zeus grew up to oust his murderous father.</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2XIK3c7787jzS9grum-THbWawZHHCcpOdkdmj8PnAZEbjC7BAL1ndoguU5f2W7o76e7itN1nxIy0yL1muaMlY9glUXN8kB73yaYjqcZ3ircnguj4TneDq1Ox6DNqEKhhZ3p0EFCPtGrCX/s228/cat+fiddle.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="228" data-original-width="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2XIK3c7787jzS9grum-THbWawZHHCcpOdkdmj8PnAZEbjC7BAL1ndoguU5f2W7o76e7itN1nxIy0yL1muaMlY9glUXN8kB73yaYjqcZ3ircnguj4TneDq1Ox6DNqEKhhZ3p0EFCPtGrCX/s0/cat+fiddle.jpg" /></b></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Hey Diddle Diddle was another rhyme my sons loved,
particularly the idea of a cat playing a fiddle. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>This too goes back to Greek mythology but can be
seen depicted in medieval scripts too.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>It’s memorable in our house for my mother’s version,
which so delighted my 5 year old he abandoned the traditional poem completely.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Hey Diddle
diddle, the cat did a widdle, all over the living room floor<o:p></o:p></b></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>The little
dog laughed to see such fun, so the little cat widdled some more. <o:p></o:p></b></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhleSCh5pPiPHFlzA3YsjSx6Z-tALmTQcvLwcf2FPX4g0px4PR0_WB5ZFLkC8quM8JQLpMd2O79AdO-CFpR2dS8zPUHuSykX5CB7niH_K8ufgcAdY3r4XT36Jkz9210VlgZ31JovqIcqze6/s2048/Dumpling+Dust.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="1856" data-original-width="2048" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhleSCh5pPiPHFlzA3YsjSx6Z-tALmTQcvLwcf2FPX4g0px4PR0_WB5ZFLkC8quM8JQLpMd2O79AdO-CFpR2dS8zPUHuSykX5CB7niH_K8ufgcAdY3r4XT36Jkz9210VlgZ31JovqIcqze6/w328-h297/Dumpling+Dust.jpg" width="328" /></b></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>My grand-dad called me 'Dumpling Dust'<br /></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><i><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Diddle, diddle dumpling, my son John<o:p></o:p></b></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><i><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Went to bed with his britches on<o:p></o:p></b></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><i><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>One shoe off and one shoe on<o:p></o:p></b></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><i><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Diddle diddle dumpling my son John.<o:p></o:p></b></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><o:p><i> </i></o:p>In many households, the rhyme is sacrificed to
replace ‘John’ with the child’s name. </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>My sons found it quite scandalous that
the boy went to bed wearing his britches <i>and a shoe</i>!</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>“Diddle dumplings!” was apparently a street
traders cry as they sold dumplings.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfiQo385PqpLYFnfQcsmvstun2RjJ-ZM6erzRIjd7PbtrXz0l-3zZmhfzEERo80H2FDjzJwCzTEXHd-cNcd6TxIFX7U0_aRrzH7nKfEntpIE5cAx_PKDJkT__gm08thEmclgnMUhxhYZfH/s517/baa+baa.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="517" data-original-width="435" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfiQo385PqpLYFnfQcsmvstun2RjJ-ZM6erzRIjd7PbtrXz0l-3zZmhfzEERo80H2FDjzJwCzTEXHd-cNcd6TxIFX7U0_aRrzH7nKfEntpIE5cAx_PKDJkT__gm08thEmclgnMUhxhYZfH/w278-h331/baa+baa.png" width="278" /></b></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>“Baa, baa black sheep, have you any wool?”. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>So much hullabaloo surrounds this rhyme, it’s now almost
impossible for adults to see it as a simple poem about sheep. </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Once the backbone of English trade, wool and meat
production was severely compromised, especially for the subsistence farmer, by the wool tax of 1275 ....but there’s no real evidence this is linked to the rhyme.</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>In modern times, when the politically correctness
bandwagon <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>trundled over it, the whole
thing deteriorated into unprovable racist nonsense. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>A rhyme is what you want it to be.</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVVHenMCtiYGlVbaxDOLzA_8FBQBJS7Zm3SHoyhxaR1Mdk4L_I2vxw81pkSn1P0mWp8N4pNkwjzZfbqAaMO7aTQuU6305YcPivPwZLsWrOX9M9cwnKrxJfNt1dfLlhvPcjV5oU6pGEbUkO/s1280/buns.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1280" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVVHenMCtiYGlVbaxDOLzA_8FBQBJS7Zm3SHoyhxaR1Mdk4L_I2vxw81pkSn1P0mWp8N4pNkwjzZfbqAaMO7aTQuU6305YcPivPwZLsWrOX9M9cwnKrxJfNt1dfLlhvPcjV5oU6pGEbUkO/w410-h273/buns.jpg" width="410" /></b></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span>Goodness knows what the ‘deeper meaning fraternity’
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>could make of ‘Hot </span><span>Cross Buns, hot cross
buns, one a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns. If you have no daughters, give them to your sons.’</span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2AR4Mt08gskmZeWypboVXk36UvXQDbC9Crwo4ClwbbJbiZ0kzDiQrWuSDschdbgsi87bXGDQgTg9CnU-NGIrb17CpTpkTTfELGvaUrr9Ns_n9W3CxjINyQDq_7n1p0paXeuEnC2kIZ3jC/s344/banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="147" data-original-width="344" height="94" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2AR4Mt08gskmZeWypboVXk36UvXQDbC9Crwo4ClwbbJbiZ0kzDiQrWuSDschdbgsi87bXGDQgTg9CnU-NGIrb17CpTpkTTfELGvaUrr9Ns_n9W3CxjINyQDq_7n1p0paXeuEnC2kIZ3jC/w220-h94/banner.jpg" width="220" /></b></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Nursery Rhymes were an important part of my childhood and that of my sons. Neither I nor they knew about any hidden meanings, we simply enjoyed the pleasure of singing together.</b></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span> </span><span>Ride a cock horse, Jack and Jill or Humpty Dumpty, could bring squeals of suprised joy as I pretended to let the baby slip from my knee. </span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq9tIia8pa94Y7rA7YuYfw8tlR2C_YP3K-hQYkyRHw4RbZ802HwBxIwZqh4LK4GVLqEoVvrCKbm9PTemST1fVGHpeX1w8uF3-qs0iV_nVMDe1hLy-BVNbLSow-NKC-sJp-Kcoxk4tNuEUy/s319/horse.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="300" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq9tIia8pa94Y7rA7YuYfw8tlR2C_YP3K-hQYkyRHw4RbZ802HwBxIwZqh4LK4GVLqEoVvrCKbm9PTemST1fVGHpeX1w8uF3-qs0iV_nVMDe1hLy-BVNbLSow-NKC-sJp-Kcoxk4tNuEUy/w240-h255/horse.jpg" width="240" /></b></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span>As th</span>ey got older we danced Round the Mulberry Bush, played Ring-a-ringa Rosie, marched to The Grand Old Duke of York and pretended we were teapots.</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>We didn't see it as bonding, just enjoying being together but that's what it was. </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJk9-5sDjwK3UyfjKtK-o2TEEopMIHkymFiaWj-ue5lxVfhi3wSHDF0OgSxGPnTZFizkPIlF2HmKn_uRYXdyPLkbbxXa2kJiWJ3oCPoclRavmNb8u66vZdwuAmecxFtQf1fJZLVDkqfplB/s944/me+and+Joe+shawns+wedding.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="944" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJk9-5sDjwK3UyfjKtK-o2TEEopMIHkymFiaWj-ue5lxVfhi3wSHDF0OgSxGPnTZFizkPIlF2HmKn_uRYXdyPLkbbxXa2kJiWJ3oCPoclRavmNb8u66vZdwuAmecxFtQf1fJZLVDkqfplB/w328-h243/me+and+Joe+shawns+wedding.jpg" width="328" /></b></a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Not just bonding me to my babies but to a heritage I passed on.</b></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>And it's that bond which is now broken: the one which links <i>their</i> children to English heritage. </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Children's songs now come from television or Disney films and on one website featuring the top 10 most popular songs for children, only Twinkle, twinkle little Star was listed. </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>No.1 was 'Bohemian Rhapsody - Muppet version.'</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>What a shame.</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfrEZE80LjW472MeO3ByixNzz_FgAAQh5vo4PzH1R5NlOc-UhgbL7-SV9p-KVfIBuAPq3xCcwKgmTOM0vcCYVU8cEcsu6iiN4p0jI0lVkCyVytY35sRqrKd7y20Tel9QfKP4t3RMjW-0T1/s640/mother+g.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfrEZE80LjW472MeO3ByixNzz_FgAAQh5vo4PzH1R5NlOc-UhgbL7-SV9p-KVfIBuAPq3xCcwKgmTOM0vcCYVU8cEcsu6iiN4p0jI0lVkCyVytY35sRqrKd7y20Tel9QfKP4t3RMjW-0T1/w307-h410/mother+g.jpg" width="307" /></b></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /> </b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></o:p></p>Zola the Gorgonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07569877587588044249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242348033327117577.post-7511129582811634682020-08-28T13:34:00.002+12:002020-08-28T13:35:30.436+12:0028th August 2020<p><b> </b></p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvw6w77Nrm5H54t-3_3Iyy70kkNFjrhMpawVwBsxPuLcb8xD1TN_iXLnNIcjfKqIj9sH5wqCFa6mL_ve54tmQKoF47ZvXCJCF-0SkER_ak0rOYfjbr3BM6-jl1qUc6EKrXHEizeTS50xJd/s1189/Roman+soldier.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1189" data-original-width="1179" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvw6w77Nrm5H54t-3_3Iyy70kkNFjrhMpawVwBsxPuLcb8xD1TN_iXLnNIcjfKqIj9sH5wqCFa6mL_ve54tmQKoF47ZvXCJCF-0SkER_ak0rOYfjbr3BM6-jl1qUc6EKrXHEizeTS50xJd/w406-h410/Roman+soldier.png" width="406" /></a></div><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">In 1979,
my elder son, then 11, took part in Ilkley’s millennium celebrations.</b><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>In fact
there have been humans living in that area since the Mesolithic period (11,000BC
onwards) but the festival was geared to teaching children about the town's Roman
history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>This
included making armour from silver cardboard, learning what the soldier’s days
were like and eating fairly authentic Roman food. Fortunately they didn’t carry
out the ritual of decimation if anyone was naughty.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p><b> </b></o:p></span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">My son
loved the food and was keen to make it when we got home, although even he drew
the line at roasted Dormouse.</b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>In those
days, Bradford was not, as it is today, known for its adventurous cuisine. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR3_tO0XWLn9DYy1DlhuLVGenJMtRz6o7aEDKmG_YWMh51n5Em2rBjlHkSjBeIKanbwd3J-VBygqAChhwKD7zsXp-0RCEQn_xFDocsufiCvXcSbXnb165xhTyhnG5wgy0qUoOWzv27xNKk/s314/vesta_033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR3_tO0XWLn9DYy1DlhuLVGenJMtRz6o7aEDKmG_YWMh51n5Em2rBjlHkSjBeIKanbwd3J-VBygqAChhwKD7zsXp-0RCEQn_xFDocsufiCvXcSbXnb165xhTyhnG5wgy0qUoOWzv27xNKk/s0/vesta_033.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you wanted a curry (and according to my parents, the only people who
did, were beatniks and dangerous anarchists) you daringly nipped down the Co-op for a
packet of Vesta.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their curries were a
truly revolting mix of Textured Vegetable Protein, curry powder and
raisins.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p><b> </b></o:p></span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">I was no
stranger to food from the hedgerows; my Auntie Minnie taught me how to recognise and use Wild Garlic
(Ramsons), Sorrel, peppery Dandelion leaves and Watercress as well as many
edible flowers and berries. </b></p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">So first
on our Roman table was Nettle Soup.</b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>If you’d
like to try this, I’ve revised it a little because in 1979 I had no blender;
the nettles were pushed through a hair sieve. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBNAmGaOUXB-th-I8gqO49JEFTQIz-NI5D6dh8gv83yOGQFLTeC23HjYDrkUdyC1OB0Vq4a0oWoKGANYHodrim_C_3aBngktYHw6QM9up0Pqg_hyphenhyphenyJ32IOkriM-H6fl6lUunnWWBIgxjsf/s249/nettle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="202" data-original-width="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBNAmGaOUXB-th-I8gqO49JEFTQIz-NI5D6dh8gv83yOGQFLTeC23HjYDrkUdyC1OB0Vq4a0oWoKGANYHodrim_C_3aBngktYHw6QM9up0Pqg_hyphenhyphenyJ32IOkriM-H6fl6lUunnWWBIgxjsf/s0/nettle.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stinging Nettle<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Using gloves
(try Marigolds. Auntie Minnie also taught me how to grasp them so they didn't sting) pick the young
tops of Stinging Nettles from a source which is not visited by dogs or cats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>It’s
like spinach in that the leaves boil down, so even for one helping you need a
lot. Wash it well.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Nettles
are versatile and can be used in a variety of ways.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p><b> </b></o:p></span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Saute a chopped onion in a little butter, add a garlic clove, or if you’re
really keen and would like to gather wild Ramsons, this is what the plant looks
like, though you'll know it by its smell. You can use leaves, stems and
flowers, chopped.</b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p><b> </b></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAxCS2Hxt87PkJK0ru4Ej5Z0gelVB2Y7yZ7SPdHMrYXtQc3v3cgnHvZxmhUuJdX6h-w51tnfQ6gsWnTih6xZSZSBEz-FzjTL01hGteDCebiHSIjBb5iborTBA0TYGSu7Vb9yYbEPqZHPwf/s640/wild+garlic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAxCS2Hxt87PkJK0ru4Ej5Z0gelVB2Y7yZ7SPdHMrYXtQc3v3cgnHvZxmhUuJdX6h-w51tnfQ6gsWnTih6xZSZSBEz-FzjTL01hGteDCebiHSIjBb5iborTBA0TYGSu7Vb9yYbEPqZHPwf/w328-h246/wild+garlic.jpg" width="328" /></a></b></div><b><br /></b><p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Add
enough stock, vegetable or chicken, for the number of people you are serving,
then the chopped nettles, leaves only, stems can be tough, 2 bay leaves, salt &
pepper to taste.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Romans
added barley too, so if you have pearl barley in the pantry, a handful of that will
thicken the soup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>There a
many Nettle Soup recipes and some include beans, chopped mint, honey, black peppercorns and other spices.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b></span></p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>As Romans ate meats, you could certainly
add chicken, lamb, rabbit or beef to the soup. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your choice. Blend until smooth. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p><b> </b></o:p></span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Chopped
young nettle leaves can also be sautéed then added to omelettes or fried in pancakes,
or even blended in smoothies.</b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p><b> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAxkdV9msmN-JGweJ0phrJGN2IC3nJ5QgUzE3Gb1DzI_nnMKGQ0BWX29yekMyacModdZnnmm8AZk4AZme5TQf76LkQItn6RNqVUChD1O34dLGkrZhb9NnUMj7zzxCksdYwSGduR1jYfe3m/s750/soup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAxkdV9msmN-JGweJ0phrJGN2IC3nJ5QgUzE3Gb1DzI_nnMKGQ0BWX29yekMyacModdZnnmm8AZk4AZme5TQf76LkQItn6RNqVUChD1O34dLGkrZhb9NnUMj7zzxCksdYwSGduR1jYfe3m/w328-h219/soup.jpg" width="328" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nettle Soup</td></tr></tbody></table></b></o:p></span></p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Roman
soldiers, frequently afflicted with arthritic joints in Britain’s cold, damp
climate, used to apply Stinging Nettles to painful joints, presumably on the assumption that this intense pain took their minds off the arthritis.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>The sting
contains formic acid (as do ants) and a histamine; this causes the stinging sensation.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dock leaves contain an anti-histamine, which
is why, if you’re stung, they soothe the skin.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn6XsndxSsW7h5o6N9UUROAcT2hK79UqYD-7Nkz9Nyaq_MaaeCGWEHnzOxs8q7RcTFLcaU3l6zEMhD3BhJklN6SNRIZzvoeW8EW0f0hZLBO7cr2jBIZQLvfVmdQ13lWScRBDdqw6L77Rfr/s635/nettle+sting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="171" data-original-width="635" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn6XsndxSsW7h5o6N9UUROAcT2hK79UqYD-7Nkz9Nyaq_MaaeCGWEHnzOxs8q7RcTFLcaU3l6zEMhD3BhJklN6SNRIZzvoeW8EW0f0hZLBO7cr2jBIZQLvfVmdQ13lWScRBDdqw6L77Rfr/w508-h137/nettle+sting.jpg" width="508" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nettle sting</td></tr></tbody></table></span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">You can
make a tea from the leaves to get the same anti-inflammatory benefits but I suspect the soldiers were too macho for this and competed with one another to see how much pain they could stand.</b></p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">'I'm a 6 nettle man, Legate.' </b></p><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </b><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">If you’d
like to make the oldest recipe ever known, thought to be from 6000 BC, try
Nettle Pudding. It is essentially the Nettle Soup recipe but with a lot more
barley or barley flour, simmered (like a risotto) until it’s puddingy and blended. Yum.</b></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5btq3kZkyRRnUAmK0-GMPBg4ZQWwCAWKM6TVIOop0aim8xPAUsDiTqqG_drkjHZ9P14W9gzn3KlVoc3HcrLEbdy6NvCau2rSv8yibgDilIdvq24zSgyQFSRnQVkf2UoyYFnOkXuk0Pgq4/s585/nettle+pud.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="585" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5btq3kZkyRRnUAmK0-GMPBg4ZQWwCAWKM6TVIOop0aim8xPAUsDiTqqG_drkjHZ9P14W9gzn3KlVoc3HcrLEbdy6NvCau2rSv8yibgDilIdvq24zSgyQFSRnQVkf2UoyYFnOkXuk0Pgq4/w468-h384/nettle+pud.jpg" width="468" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Netle Pudding</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Thanks (I
think) to the University of Wales archaeology department who discovered this,
although I wonder if they also tasted it?</b></span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </b></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxnVRSnbCodLOz41rzOmNUSaKbasS1L8Spdid-EYPJkuYrrgbq4awSgPO7QIzf6EcJQXLSvYVCADb2FKrRS3mBW3L7AmHV-L_YwjpoqEMGmmwpXKnpWYu192XzK-g_ljcas-jSYIy1puJv/s1323/nettle+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="935" data-original-width="1323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxnVRSnbCodLOz41rzOmNUSaKbasS1L8Spdid-EYPJkuYrrgbq4awSgPO7QIzf6EcJQXLSvYVCADb2FKrRS3mBW3L7AmHV-L_YwjpoqEMGmmwpXKnpWYu192XzK-g_ljcas-jSYIy1puJv/s640/nettle+poster.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="background: white; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto;"><br /></p>Zola the Gorgonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07569877587588044249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242348033327117577.post-82492298813482165592020-08-27T11:44:00.002+12:002020-08-28T16:16:52.029+12:0027th August 2020<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0fESqtFUWXg3wWHXeMHuDqE7kjqZohR_Cg9Y-12w5Goisxg-OazeFOPJQX8FgjNpoyx9zT5cg0eBNo-dLOYSCXJo0sDP_vs0JW4o0hp5kYFA6nN-F8XV_7U-Z5vraMMUHedQC63V6ybL/s350/mozart.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="350" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0fESqtFUWXg3wWHXeMHuDqE7kjqZohR_Cg9Y-12w5Goisxg-OazeFOPJQX8FgjNpoyx9zT5cg0eBNo-dLOYSCXJo0sDP_vs0JW4o0hp5kYFA6nN-F8XV_7U-Z5vraMMUHedQC63V6ybL/w179-h179/mozart.jpg" width="179" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Mozart</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="" style="font-size: medium; mso-ansi-language: #0481;">They say
we’re only six degrees of separation away from anyone in the world. This is a
scary prospect indeed when you think who’s in the White House.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="" style="mso-ansi-language: #0481;">We’re about
to go on just such a journey (possibly with a few more characters in the
chain<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>than six), which will take us from
Mozart to the </span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> <b>AH-64 Apache, </b> the most advanced multi-role
combat helicopter in the world</span><span lang="" style="mso-ansi-language: #0481;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Impossible for Mozart to be
linked with a state-of-the-art helicopter?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="" style="font-size: medium; mso-ansi-language: #0481;">Fasten your safety belts, we’re about to take off.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="" style="mso-ansi-language: #0481;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span lang="">It’s 1756
and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, actually </span><span style="background: white; color: #202122;">baptised <b>Johannes Chrysostomus
Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, </b></span><span lang=""> the musical genius, is born in
Salzburg. Playing the piano at 3 and
composing by the age of 5, his father naturally wanted his son’s talents to make a lot of money. Hello
Europe!</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="" style="mso-ansi-language: #0481;">Mozart’s <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘The Marriage of Figaro’ was premiered in
Vienna but based on a play by </span><b><span style="background: white; color: #202122; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais</span></b><span lang="" style="mso-ansi-language: #0481;">, coincidentally called </span><span style="background: white; color: #202122; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Marriage_of_Figaro_(play)" title="The Marriage of Figaro (play)"><span style="color: #0b0080;">Le Mariage de
Figaro</span></a>. Perhaps plagiarism hadn't been invented.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidvCeGrZsxPUcvig7-fh_qadpbguBxpxkXmCt2WVF5i6BcahGG-OM_0MmBTjLWnDBltOCfhrfBbnA0EWHttqZXUFR9uWgDPMoX7kuuQ0P_Yp0jnRmvhtHCsMzLh1N20wKckYVg7elwtPbd/s571/pierre+august+beaumarche.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="571" data-original-width="442" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidvCeGrZsxPUcvig7-fh_qadpbguBxpxkXmCt2WVF5i6BcahGG-OM_0MmBTjLWnDBltOCfhrfBbnA0EWHttqZXUFR9uWgDPMoX7kuuQ0P_Yp0jnRmvhtHCsMzLh1N20wKckYVg7elwtPbd/w226-h293/pierre+august+beaumarche.jpg" width="226" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Beaumarchais</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">Beaumarchais</span><i style="color: #202122;"> </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">was many
things: writer inventor, watchmaker, horticulturalist…. and spy.</span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #202122; font-size: medium; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">During the American War of
Independence, Beaumarchais<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>persuaded the
French to cough up beaucoup de francs with which to buy arms which
would deal to the Brits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beaumarchais,
the tart, also later bought rifles to aid the French Revolutionaries<i>.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #202122; font-size: medium; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Thomas Jefferson had reason to be
grateful to the French for their support which helped free his country. His
countrymen had reason to be grateful to him when he repealed the Whisky
Tax.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: white; color: #202122;">He was a liberal and much
influenced by a book called ‘On Crimes and Punishments’ by Italian, </span><span style="background: white; color: #202122;">Cesare di Beccaria, which contained shocking truths about the treatment
of criminals. This was a universal but unaddressed problem, after all, </span><span style="background: white; color: #202122;"> who cared about criminals?</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNaX1qg1bSSd79e52ytH8FmWL4LMFC-cMtVoNYTxGvKJWGmJ7GUlquSqsA8BnLVcq0naevzgsm_np9q9gHmjtvMg6oASrUxTVCsDl_-aiC5gmPwbygAZZdWhXUAO5bMqH8kcxJ1JSnAyjz/s332/tom.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="332" data-original-width="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNaX1qg1bSSd79e52ytH8FmWL4LMFC-cMtVoNYTxGvKJWGmJ7GUlquSqsA8BnLVcq0naevzgsm_np9q9gHmjtvMg6oASrUxTVCsDl_-aiC5gmPwbygAZZdWhXUAO5bMqH8kcxJ1JSnAyjz/s0/tom.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Thomas Jefferson</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">Actually, quite a few people:
social reformers in the same mould as Thomas Jeffferson who tried to get
capital punishment removed from the statue books. </span><span style="color: #202122;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">Sadly he was not as successful with this as he
had been with the whisky.</span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="" style="font-size: medium; mso-ansi-language: #0481;">Two other
reformers, Austrians, Franz Gall and Johann Spurzheim also felt they had the
answer to the rehabilitation of wrong-doers - their invention Phrenology. Their
theory ,that the bumps on a person’s skull could indicate their tendencies, was
widely accepted. If you could catch potential criminals early enoug you could turn
them to the straight and narrow.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="" style="font-size: medium; mso-ansi-language: #0481;">Spurzheim
took this very popular idea to American but in 1832, he died.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The eulogy at his funeral was read by Harvard
academic and devoted followe Karl Follen.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="" style="font-size: medium; mso-ansi-language: #0481;">Follen,
whom every university student can thank for varsity gyms, had been a political
activist in Germany, was hauled into court and tried by Judge E.T.A Hoffman who
was also a writer of macabre fantasay stories featuring ghosts and the
undead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bedtime reading for the nervous
it was not.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Edgar Allen Poe</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">One of his
stories, was the inspiration for the po-faced Edgar Allen Poe’s, ‘The Murders in the Rue
Morgue.’ </span><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO1TG3QWMNwJfjGuYfIKbklnGXs5kebJ5gmZtulw6DVNnRp8Yc7txPHz3Pb3y2tSknFZIxWbktxDRsSEcNv4hsWagHQNzoKpexp5RRRqgloW4iWc8c5TjN3NRT7f8IXkd7r5LAmsKycB0I/s1490/poe.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1490" data-original-width="1190" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO1TG3QWMNwJfjGuYfIKbklnGXs5kebJ5gmZtulw6DVNnRp8Yc7txPHz3Pb3y2tSknFZIxWbktxDRsSEcNv4hsWagHQNzoKpexp5RRRqgloW4iWc8c5TjN3NRT7f8IXkd7r5LAmsKycB0I/w210-h262/poe.jpg" width="210" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Edgar Allen Poe</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">He also wrote ‘The Bells’ which
became the basis for Rachmaninov’s symphony of the same name.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="" style="font-size: medium; mso-ansi-language: #0481;">Rachmaninov
fled Russia after the revolution and at a party in Long Island, heard about a
fellow Rusian emigre <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>who was looking for a backer for his inventions. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="" style="font-size: medium; mso-ansi-language: #0481;">Rachmaninov
visits him, is very impressed by the machine and agrees to loan him the modern
equivaletn of $200,000.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="" style="font-size: medium; mso-ansi-language: #0481;">He is well
rewarded because by 1937, this invention,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>a 4-engine flying boat, is being used by PanAm to transport people to Europe. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="" style="font-size: medium; mso-ansi-language: #0481;">The next
invention, the dream machine he’d been working on since he was a boy back in
Russia, is destined to become even more of a hit and Igor Sikorky goes down in
history as the inventor of the helicopter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="" style="font-size: medium; mso-ansi-language: #0481;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkWYNaKzQIQU35Mp7VSEgXoiv98zN0-mFki_sPNOJZ6diEhrJC5mreqXgi8JFkkm1Qw7q-DtQKS1Lwmb36bjawhg20idWWO1ftM6mXqP7m_plkcdoLGlJstW1Jq-jrdj5ser3opCnKL2J8/s1280/igor+heli.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkWYNaKzQIQU35Mp7VSEgXoiv98zN0-mFki_sPNOJZ6diEhrJC5mreqXgi8JFkkm1Qw7q-DtQKS1Lwmb36bjawhg20idWWO1ftM6mXqP7m_plkcdoLGlJstW1Jq-jrdj5ser3opCnKL2J8/w262-h147/igor+heli.jpg" width="262" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="" style="font-size: medium; mso-ansi-language: #0481;">Over the years, helicopters are improved and today, the AH-64D Apache is the direct descendant of Sikorksy's original.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="" style="font-size: medium; mso-ansi-language: #0481;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg16esRCz6SVUqq9Av59QxUuz3lz2h4NW7IwiyzKsqzN7WdyzYVhXigH5kGzvvYMJz-yleXenFDuGQ4yCybRGxCBPKH-bYUwGJmaMZfN58gCM1f3hdLO2DzPfIDDZbUe4z_Lj03fvR2J93N/s1024/apache.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="754" data-original-width="1024" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg16esRCz6SVUqq9Av59QxUuz3lz2h4NW7IwiyzKsqzN7WdyzYVhXigH5kGzvvYMJz-yleXenFDuGQ4yCybRGxCBPKH-bYUwGJmaMZfN58gCM1f3hdLO2DzPfIDDZbUe4z_Lj03fvR2J93N/w328-h243/apache.jpg" width="328" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /> So there we
are, from Mozart to helicopters and I am indebted to James Burke, whose
Knowledge Web inspired me to sit up until 2am researching all this fascinating
information.</span><p></p>Zola the Gorgonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07569877587588044249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242348033327117577.post-38150912770432697562020-08-25T15:01:00.008+12:002020-08-25T20:29:06.512+12:0025th August 2020<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Let's talk about Covid-19 - even if it <i>does</i> look like the wooly hat your Auntie Edith used to wear.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwPn_qe8cKEJB5WJ6rUJae0m6-yHGDx84YO4MbkM1JjjuFJxgJ898X9cDkBNyf2wcCrzWl46LNaPANERD1s6CQshZiIZJO2EuhJGY8VGQOQ6cyAqSDosaCGbnnw9gOIGPggKbNPkBKIv6M/s803/corona+wooly+hat.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="800" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwPn_qe8cKEJB5WJ6rUJae0m6-yHGDx84YO4MbkM1JjjuFJxgJ898X9cDkBNyf2wcCrzWl46LNaPANERD1s6CQshZiIZJO2EuhJGY8VGQOQ6cyAqSDosaCGbnnw9gOIGPggKbNPkBKIv6M/w209-h210/corona+wooly+hat.png" width="209" /></a></div> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">How did it all begin?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome -Coronavirus 2</i>, or SARS-CoV-2
was the origin of the outbreak in 2019
and was thus named Covid-19, or C-19 for short.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY7luaoibjr0BSrnYNw9fdWawhxVrqntOz4RcfdiTTwZveHqszEaM8Gcb5Qo5acrKTiwLCeeJisSdOjcRTk6LhLGeMDsh6qZeSrR8KYxzInnMPG-8yUP47Ij-iEfDCWScvE2mitg9s9d9E/s1024/SARS+vcovid+virion.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="786" data-original-width="1024" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY7luaoibjr0BSrnYNw9fdWawhxVrqntOz4RcfdiTTwZveHqszEaM8Gcb5Qo5acrKTiwLCeeJisSdOjcRTk6LhLGeMDsh6qZeSrR8KYxzInnMPG-8yUP47Ij-iEfDCWScvE2mitg9s9d9E/w168-h129/SARS+vcovid+virion.png" width="168" /></a>SARS viridion</div><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">It is thought to have come from animals, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>possibly bats because they are one of the main
hosts of SARS-related viruses. This has been known for decades but the
jump from animals to humans is comparatively recent.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-2teWzjGHa875lPTmSRVK6EXUIRSWuqALBjhNpUNVftUocmfNn1YQMXDueynlN1jvAY6SZkHVLOdFB8J0Xwlnss1FdjwITC-NqFmUTXoNNvwppXwRKStuFBCgmutM-WqAo-rgxeVmdSwU/s820/bat.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="486" data-original-width="820" height="79" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-2teWzjGHa875lPTmSRVK6EXUIRSWuqALBjhNpUNVftUocmfNn1YQMXDueynlN1jvAY6SZkHVLOdFB8J0Xwlnss1FdjwITC-NqFmUTXoNNvwppXwRKStuFBCgmutM-WqAo-rgxeVmdSwU/w134-h79/bat.jpg" width="134" /></span></a></b></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">What do we know about
C-19? <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The original virus mutated<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>to make itself more effective, it did this by improving the spike which
allows it entry into human cells. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>C-19 does not have a
mind of its own; it has no evil intent but like everything else on earth, its
main concern is to replicate itself. To do this, it needed to be more efficient.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi__0S9dNQsaNqOjKA3wjCz10K7gV3ueJ2yywLgSco1ZIvI-ZauXpAAZcB-2aWjwGS1bDiOBd7wInAp8vgC7kNmxctj35LEGhAErEvphMwR7LIC39OLu868AYnZVI7W9fRTdFX5aPrMQ02H/s1600/charlie.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1289" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi__0S9dNQsaNqOjKA3wjCz10K7gV3ueJ2yywLgSco1ZIvI-ZauXpAAZcB-2aWjwGS1bDiOBd7wInAp8vgC7kNmxctj35LEGhAErEvphMwR7LIC39OLu868AYnZVI7W9fRTdFX5aPrMQ02H/w135-h168/charlie.jpg" width="135" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>Imagine C-19 is a burglar - Charlie.</b> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">He inherits some tools of the trade from his old
Dad who was a housebreaker some 30 years ago.
He finds they are not quite up to the job because home security is better these days.
So he has to change (mutate) to make entry more effective. He acquires new
tools.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The virus has spikes, the things which make it look like a
crown (thus ‘corona’ a crown) but in the original virus, they often broke. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So it mutated into a form with better spikes.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFgTSRPqCoIHOwurgcxiC8ivyODcoEq1Vy9EineypbbHEJPX0tnWCyBBupeFlb0iXUA049CaNroRwxJFeB2otsnCVqRsSbSFK5aeG7TfW8x3rwoU9YUEZ5JbRPjrOTMqLpKF9cunT7IIxT/s720/SARS+Covid+2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="720" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFgTSRPqCoIHOwurgcxiC8ivyODcoEq1Vy9EineypbbHEJPX0tnWCyBBupeFlb0iXUA049CaNroRwxJFeB2otsnCVqRsSbSFK5aeG7TfW8x3rwoU9YUEZ5JbRPjrOTMqLpKF9cunT7IIxT/w210-h131/SARS+Covid+2.jpg" width="210" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Viruses mutate <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or evolve, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to make themselves more <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>effective, just as Darwin discovered most
things do. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Humans have an enzyme called ACE2, attached to the cell membranes in
the lungs, arteries, heart, kidney, and intestines. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also lowers blood pressure. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">ACE2 is the entry point C-19 looks for, just as Charlie looks
for the weak spot in home security.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once
C-19 and ACE2 meet up - the door swings open - in our case, for infection to
enter. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmoqJZe17LmeC7CURImhn5M8FukRLNRki1DjIvnkB5wdm4gHehVRDLaub6nSqbLbSGLmXZ6gSIIJa6LXDJ2DAuEssD2Jqr3COMxGZIQYcs_jLty0GGLhHnBe8_8aFeC75D3nUMThnobTrn/s720/eight_col_142952317_l.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="720" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmoqJZe17LmeC7CURImhn5M8FukRLNRki1DjIvnkB5wdm4gHehVRDLaub6nSqbLbSGLmXZ6gSIIJa6LXDJ2DAuEssD2Jqr3COMxGZIQYcs_jLty0GGLhHnBe8_8aFeC75D3nUMThnobTrn/w210-h131/eight_col_142952317_l.jpg" width="210" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">What’s being done to
stop it?</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">We all know that to avoid infection, any infection, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it’s better not to come into contact with it.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> As this virus can be in the air and on surfaces, this isn’t easy. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We may inadvertently touch something with C-19
germs on it - as is suspected in this latest New Zealand outbreak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Or come round a corner or through a doorway,
oblivious to the fact someone sneezed or coughed into the air just <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>before we did.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">It’s little comfort to know that other illnesses kill more
people each year, or that most patients recover from C-19.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>We don’t want it thank you very much</i>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Scientists all over the world are working on remedies,
sometimes vaccines, sometime giving transfusions of plasma and antibodies from
people who have recovered. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This latter</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> seemed very promising until a 33 year old man in Hong Kong who
had recovered, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>went to Spain - and was
re-infected. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His immunity had lasted just 3 months. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">However, virologist
will be able to tell if the virus strain he had at home is different from the one he
acquired in Spain. If it’s a mutation, they have more ammunition against it.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><o:p> </o:p><img border="0" data-original-height="698" data-original-width="1240" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWECoJtqBglQ0SKpVezuiris6grnoLliJjBRNBwcLk27Jurn_GT4d8oqJOkc7RhmcJihEnf55jOcHexyWcVbygPXbN94O-VLSau6Y3r2-vX98od5iV0CTjjwDueyj1rSlE1GLy-JEBsEu/w262-h147/Peter+Tyler.jpg" width="262" /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">A New Zealand scientist, Professor Peter Tyler, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>has created the compound which is now a front
runner as a treatment option for Covid-19.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Prof. Tyler won the 2017 MacDiarmid Award for his work discovering new
drugs and this one, now called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Galidesivir</i>
is being trialled in Brazil. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The race is on but when one reporter asked a
scientist who would win - the USA, China, UK or NZ, he said. “There’s a huge
amount of collaboration. It’s not a race between all the developers; it’s
actually a race against the virus.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Just as we’ve known all along - teamwork and doing our part,
however onerous it may be to stay at home day after week after month, it’s
already reduced the effectiveness of the viral infections and saved millions of
lives.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Keep that home scurity system turned on - Charlie’s still out there. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBnGG61_QZWJlYQnxiIKoqg_ywc8ANAKyK0Ivo1087B16ueX9AdJv0bGoirTAKqQGlNOAQcomEqTWIohR4YBnfc0Nh2duUiJB4xthF_R_gMu-Nv68Gqd4Sqz2J5iMJHczS_VItSc8hAONQ/s1240/genomes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="697" data-original-width="1240" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBnGG61_QZWJlYQnxiIKoqg_ywc8ANAKyK0Ivo1087B16ueX9AdJv0bGoirTAKqQGlNOAQcomEqTWIohR4YBnfc0Nh2duUiJB4xthF_R_gMu-Nv68Gqd4Sqz2J5iMJHczS_VItSc8hAONQ/w262-h147/genomes.jpg" width="262" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Zola the Gorgonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07569877587588044249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242348033327117577.post-7490798014841144062020-08-24T19:11:00.003+12:002020-08-28T09:30:21.246+12:0024th August 2020<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3GBxCOxGEZOLkUww38a1QCnQOaTD8ffVMO-1TQTZBvbU2TmudDkwyS7vOtkBZ1e69fC1Cftv829ag25YdiqtPXN1HyCZpuDQm2LK2500I0SVcaHIkUZV6qGPUYw5R4rSXpqJcBCWhe8TQ/s344/banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="147" data-original-width="344" height="94" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3GBxCOxGEZOLkUww38a1QCnQOaTD8ffVMO-1TQTZBvbU2TmudDkwyS7vOtkBZ1e69fC1Cftv829ag25YdiqtPXN1HyCZpuDQm2LK2500I0SVcaHIkUZV6qGPUYw5R4rSXpqJcBCWhe8TQ/w220-h94/banner.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I’m not good
at puzzles but as my brain gets older and more wobbly and now needs to walk
with a stick, I feel it needs exercise occasionally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Numbers don’t add up for me, so I
go to Rebus and other mind puzzles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">My 11 year
old grandson can beat me hollow at these but don’t tell anyone I said so.<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The answers
will be at the end.<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b><o:p> </o:p></b><b style="text-indent: -18pt;">1.<span face="" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></b><b style="text-indent: -18pt;">What word comes to mind?</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A donkey is
walking behind another donkey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I'm
behind that second donkey but there is the population from a whole country
behind me.</b></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst"><b></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVxKUi3udLBRU-OKcgLsGy_eUqXu1ZgvU30ismhNTZMfHndIYGYbjdyJ7hAD5uQpLKaoZV71sYJqwxfs3sscsmnAp38fjyxhHbS8VCBAVZSQ2I3ZdoyVofheEIweYFrwiSjLQit-lfvNch/s267/ferdie.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="189" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVxKUi3udLBRU-OKcgLsGy_eUqXu1ZgvU30ismhNTZMfHndIYGYbjdyJ7hAD5uQpLKaoZV71sYJqwxfs3sscsmnAp38fjyxhHbS8VCBAVZSQ2I3ZdoyVofheEIweYFrwiSjLQit-lfvNch/w151-h214/ferdie.jpg" width="151" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add caption<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b> Clue - Archduke Ferdinand</b></div><b>____________________________________________________________</b><p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> 2. A poor man is sitting in a café wishing
he could afford a coffee when a man comes to sit at the next table, pulls out a wad
of notes and begins to count.<br />
At this extravagant show of wealth, the poor man says,<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘Are you a betting man?’<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">‘Sure am,’
says the other,’ that’s how I won this.’<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The poor
man smiles, ‘Want a little wager with me?’<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">‘Sure.’<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">‘I bet you
I can sing a genuine popular song containing any girl’s name.’<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The rich
man roars with laughter.<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">‘You mean like ‘<i>Delilah</i>’ or ‘<i>Eleanor Rigby</i>’ ? That’s not so
difficult.’<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">‘Ah,’ says
the poor man, ‘but <u>you</u> can choose any name at all, in any language’.<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sure of a
win now, the gambler says, ‘OK, my daughter’s name is Agapanthus Hecate Andromeda.
Sing a song with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i> in it buddy - <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>if you can.’<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></b><b>The rich
man went home very much poorer and the poor man had enough money to feed himself
well for a month. </b></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b>What song did he sing?</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">______________________________________________________________<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpLast"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">3. The man who invented it doesn't want it.
The man who bought it doesn't need it. The man who needs it doesn't know it.
What is it?<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">__________________________________________________________<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpLast"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">4. What do you call a fish without an eye? </b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwxr7q1x9qKheyZE3EH2dfoeigwWgOKpvteXJTgQ9CJ0LsxukAx1NmEdZQr2q4jBq52IbCHWUeZlmlybbD2tzf3an-eLHxWtCiqA7imKeWY9LGWT6kUeN1huT9IoZ0D4wlhIwOeoJi8oMA/s200/funny-fish.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="200" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwxr7q1x9qKheyZE3EH2dfoeigwWgOKpvteXJTgQ9CJ0LsxukAx1NmEdZQr2q4jBq52IbCHWUeZlmlybbD2tzf3an-eLHxWtCiqA7imKeWY9LGWT6kUeN1huT9IoZ0D4wlhIwOeoJi8oMA/w128-h96/funny-fish.png" width="128" /></a></b></div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7pt "times new roman";"> </span></span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">_______________________________________________________ <o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><b> This next puzzle is, apparently over 1,000 years old (I know how it feels).</b></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -18pt;"><b> </b><b style="text-indent: -18pt;"> A man with a chicken, some cabbages and a dog, comes to a river. The market is on the other side and the small boat moored at the bank will carry only him and one other thing. If he takes the dog across first, the chicken will eat his cabbages. If he takes the cabbages, the dog will attack the chicken. So how does he get everything across safely and in perfect condition to sell at the market? </b></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -18pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS4qcOe5qWNjIQMhpsI7nD1NkbeyKY_1Z5M5oGfKrJ8f3tH-owqHQb-L9jlJzr-Sv7beD05VHXxP51-xFHrXfFXufGhj7FK2-GL71YhGOGS_TVoD5NPtid2iDuAfBeaYgHZiSztwlr38uO/s512/fox%252Cwolf+cabbages.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="512" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS4qcOe5qWNjIQMhpsI7nD1NkbeyKY_1Z5M5oGfKrJ8f3tH-owqHQb-L9jlJzr-Sv7beD05VHXxP51-xFHrXfFXufGhj7FK2-GL71YhGOGS_TVoD5NPtid2iDuAfBeaYgHZiSztwlr38uO/w328-h288/fox%252Cwolf+cabbages.jpg" width="328" /></a></div><b style="text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">And now for something
a little different. These are Rebus puzzles.</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Put on your thinking caps….. Each picture represents a well-known phase or word.<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjMMUL8s7JMmb16re-PftmRPE_XnnRvwX1skDwJIp7bK-OSrqDbVVbs8byqYj1H2KUUEcA5CjGJ_5iHS8329Ns5sa4mWMebBqBeL9O5CUncJ6s5R92OUSZkLPM2rNFnCIYv0vkbwqqTX-9/s180/breakfast.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="120" data-original-width="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjMMUL8s7JMmb16re-PftmRPE_XnnRvwX1skDwJIp7bK-OSrqDbVVbs8byqYj1H2KUUEcA5CjGJ_5iHS8329Ns5sa4mWMebBqBeL9O5CUncJ6s5R92OUSZkLPM2rNFnCIYv0vkbwqqTX-9/s0/breakfast.gif" /></a></div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">___________________________________________________________________</b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7efG80xcKdAWCmRD0Y1Hm5zECqEeC6ptKo6bfPNddFKKpmGAZDUaudXaDgQEEhUOc_7CgwaINi-H2_x-WbJbpb7mEzd1KrRWy8J1fPLXtNLcvus0vpuMVbg0h5PHe7MYrW3DBrbaKfWmn/s180/ist+aid.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="120" data-original-width="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7efG80xcKdAWCmRD0Y1Hm5zECqEeC6ptKo6bfPNddFKKpmGAZDUaudXaDgQEEhUOc_7CgwaINi-H2_x-WbJbpb7mEzd1KrRWy8J1fPLXtNLcvus0vpuMVbg0h5PHe7MYrW3DBrbaKfWmn/s0/ist+aid.gif" /></a></div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">_____________________________________________________________________</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOlQjhImMepL7cUL6htBIin_xYrNEll9clXuxEimadHl96eszVYM2PHGvgIHpW6GcsziTqBeKU8utgnTdeblns4oOKsNiTIVViWlgDMt0cy4EnOcPb-76m6x5mrEH6-4qCyiYNTznoMgMZ/s180/summary.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="120" data-original-width="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOlQjhImMepL7cUL6htBIin_xYrNEll9clXuxEimadHl96eszVYM2PHGvgIHpW6GcsziTqBeKU8utgnTdeblns4oOKsNiTIVViWlgDMt0cy4EnOcPb-76m6x5mrEH6-4qCyiYNTznoMgMZ/s0/summary.gif" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">_______________________________________________________________</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_8RrThmLg713jd5Zob3ej6M7-9UdSw3Ubag2qAuzw1daqI82Tb6DZbyJlrMynrf6C37M4Y0xKGXmeIXIXysMKavgOKNKTUg-5RmAC_5BU9YbImfFybF4iowmM2fcAKIolcvTfsiBp_PI/s250/thunderstorm.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="250" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_8RrThmLg713jd5Zob3ej6M7-9UdSw3Ubag2qAuzw1daqI82Tb6DZbyJlrMynrf6C37M4Y0xKGXmeIXIXysMKavgOKNKTUg-5RmAC_5BU9YbImfFybF4iowmM2fcAKIolcvTfsiBp_PI/w160-h160/thunderstorm.png" width="160" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">_____________________________________________________________</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXivlzDhMkIPk48ozvTgQxA60FIyODIzFDjeqOGrWQVKm2xVmzM4x2xL5utvk_lOHGOxZZP2jN6AJ_JGh-jhHiQYvDC5bs_rwbYvX41QjQ56Uinl_4nSXbqPCA_D9YtTzrbOHDCWoFH8Fu/s200/top+secret.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="135" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXivlzDhMkIPk48ozvTgQxA60FIyODIzFDjeqOGrWQVKm2xVmzM4x2xL5utvk_lOHGOxZZP2jN6AJ_JGh-jhHiQYvDC5bs_rwbYvX41QjQ56Uinl_4nSXbqPCA_D9YtTzrbOHDCWoFH8Fu/s0/top+secret.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">________________________________________________________</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyMsKiqLjHcbw5Ffydbf0vR7MBlDp7m2u47nJSuYkehx61Gjvgb8U4mobLjp_trhhd1t49-nrIYoRlWORdI6Ng4Ic1jluSQ6t-XxzQ_fpgWl08GyGOuObDWEtOia_LzSyr9vQuYafthW2c/s300/canuseeiuluvyou.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="176" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyMsKiqLjHcbw5Ffydbf0vR7MBlDp7m2u47nJSuYkehx61Gjvgb8U4mobLjp_trhhd1t49-nrIYoRlWORdI6Ng4Ic1jluSQ6t-XxzQ_fpgWl08GyGOuObDWEtOia_LzSyr9vQuYafthW2c/s0/canuseeiuluvyou.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL2RwgXhdnwn_Af-hFpfEhl-qbXT2vUEKmQJKCF96hkaTuv3ydrJnZhPGi_5gP7afrt3laIS5BCr9a7un3zDpR3lqw-gDs1p81i6g6_N2d9q7-qOm6YoDG4bf90Yh7Ti1Thh6h4mLqOlih/s344/banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="147" data-original-width="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL2RwgXhdnwn_Af-hFpfEhl-qbXT2vUEKmQJKCF96hkaTuv3ydrJnZhPGi_5gP7afrt3laIS5BCr9a7un3zDpR3lqw-gDs1p81i6g6_N2d9q7-qOm6YoDG4bf90Yh7Ti1Thh6h4mLqOlih/s0/banner.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And here are your answers, should you need them</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIiZeFBwcLPCb8F2VY-ptK5WO5jwQw1Q3kk9sqWDBYrNNciUl-nlUnV7-ESHJcGxj2XOVxcsHUIFf9X7AFsXkBeBHcqEqUNk8HLKiWmrbGz2qP7Ew_YQ8MT8Y5-wCl070ugIuK4ifSkhRP/s344/banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="147" data-original-width="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIiZeFBwcLPCb8F2VY-ptK5WO5jwQw1Q3kk9sqWDBYrNNciUl-nlUnV7-ESHJcGxj2XOVxcsHUIFf9X7AFsXkBeBHcqEqUNk8HLKiWmrbGz2qP7Ew_YQ8MT8Y5-wCl070ugIuK4ifSkhRP/s0/banner.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><b>1.<span face="" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1. ass as i nation; 2. </b><b style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;"><span face="" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></b><b style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">Happy Birthday to you; </b><b style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">3.<span face="" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></b><b style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">Coffin; </b><b style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">4.<span face="" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></b><b style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">Fsh. </b></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><b style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"> The Rebus puzzles:</span></b></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><b style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Breakfast; First Aid; Summary; Th under storm; Top Secret and 'Can you see I love you?' </span></b></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><b style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Please note: it does NOT say 'Can you heart I love you'. </span></b></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><b style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><b style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"> The man on his way to market took the chicken across first. Then, returned for the cabbages. Leaving the cabbage on the further bank, he returned with the chicken. Left it there and took the dog, then went back for the chicken.</span></b></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><b style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><b style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;"></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYOF7SyDgK4g-3__NOVLe_sCGrPcoF5vs1RYAPTnQDg_k2Qlf6clPGE9swChz-dCXA3t6ZEnFERl23Wn-Ee5lYXtHV8P3sZV2J1yIPcvjvvelyPHpfiNkHSs0kyvuJy6whhfNw2nN_OpdR/s344/banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="147" data-original-width="344" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYOF7SyDgK4g-3__NOVLe_sCGrPcoF5vs1RYAPTnQDg_k2Qlf6clPGE9swChz-dCXA3t6ZEnFERl23Wn-Ee5lYXtHV8P3sZV2J1yIPcvjvvelyPHpfiNkHSs0kyvuJy6whhfNw2nN_OpdR/w275-h118/banner.jpg" width="275" /></a></b></div><b style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></b><p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><b style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></b></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><b style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;">B</b><b style="text-align: center;"> </b></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></b></p>Zola the Gorgonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07569877587588044249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242348033327117577.post-56721994162336348742020-08-23T20:02:00.002+12:002020-08-23T20:05:10.520+12:0023rd August 2020<p> It’s commonly believed that 1,000 years ago,
medicine in Europe consisted of hanging toads around the neck and muttering
incantations. 'Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble...'</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEg667YSWnk5UKRx8oBLVekuh-9KtNAAGO4Mi9m8nK92tCxA2pvNoR9V03MyZ9-OGo7l4rBDU8c8ZmQVACYDNiGJcg7dEEJTYwSJr8Ap69GS99O733tYzuhXvtDGQqhrxbMu8fo1jQi7zj/s1280/witches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEg667YSWnk5UKRx8oBLVekuh-9KtNAAGO4Mi9m8nK92tCxA2pvNoR9V03MyZ9-OGo7l4rBDU8c8ZmQVACYDNiGJcg7dEEJTYwSJr8Ap69GS99O733tYzuhXvtDGQqhrxbMu8fo1jQi7zj/w410-h230/witches.jpg" width="410" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">In fact, Anglo-Saxon healers were recommending that women shouldn’t
eat salty foods, take vigorous exercise,
or drink alcohol during pregnancy. Just as we do today.</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">And that a man, wounded in the stomach during battle
should be sewn up with silk, as that dissolves in time, as do modern sutures. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p>Bald’s Laege Book also known as Bald’s Leech Book was
written in Anglo-Saxon, possibly in the time of King Alfred the Great. In this case, ‘Leech’ is from the Danish ‘Laege’
or healer, physician. </p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy1GN08f2mdDcqxKhaWB2G7SIaBm6zhr_2P9Szy3s1RWtxa_19xh-GqAilImsZy4l0IT1e6QA-Bwg2cIacMyZHeS-_xmLiq9wnIHg_yxgFLFpOd2-A4PkgSkdUm6WpMDWO-8BId74UDb26/s1100/balds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="792" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy1GN08f2mdDcqxKhaWB2G7SIaBm6zhr_2P9Szy3s1RWtxa_19xh-GqAilImsZy4l0IT1e6QA-Bwg2cIacMyZHeS-_xmLiq9wnIHg_yxgFLFpOd2-A4PkgSkdUm6WpMDWO-8BId74UDb26/w236-h328/balds.jpg" width="236" /></a> From a facsimile of Bald's book.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">In 2015, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>academics
at Nottingham University decided to duplicate some of Bald’s remedies and see
if they were as effective as claimed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">They chose one for a stye, a bacterial infection
of the eyelid, making up the medicine as faithfully as possible, bearing in
mind that today’s herbs and vegetable differ substantially from those grown in
890.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2byKSWNNJ9b2-6rjDE0bs0rJGbyqnppcVXROzi40nWoNXu02NYqZlzEEIhO8UB7nsC2-Di84cEC1kybr2yWFRyp4pkMRsia0socuBbTu7BQOnf7r5-GyMOm5onndESi2KqC3GWmNqokzd/s581/garlic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="581" data-original-width="400" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2byKSWNNJ9b2-6rjDE0bs0rJGbyqnppcVXROzi40nWoNXu02NYqZlzEEIhO8UB7nsC2-Di84cEC1kybr2yWFRyp4pkMRsia0socuBbTu7BQOnf7r5-GyMOm5onndESi2KqC3GWmNqokzd/w205-h298/garlic.jpg" width="205" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">They gathered garlic, crop leek, bull’s gall and
wine and followed the instructions, which included leaving the potion in a copper
pot for 9 days.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>When the medieval potion was completed, the
academics did laboratory tests and discovered it was such a powerful
anti-bacterial that it killed <span style="background: white; color: #4d5156;">Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus
Aureus</span> (MRSA) every bit as effectively as the pharmaceutical sold
for that purpose.</b></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p>There are notes In Bald’s Laege Book which indicate plastic surgery was tried for a
cleft-palate.</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">The word ‘plastic’ in this context is nothing to
do with the ubiquitous polymer the world is currently demonising but from the
Greek <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">plastikos</i> - to mould or form. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p>They also tried knee and hip surgery back in the
woefully mis-named Dark Ages, as archaeologist have been able to show.</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0V71DH1RcVRlv6upBuVcDk9aDZFI8nnQuzScllHPyCUAJEaJZgILF2pxKE8tOgfc_FtOpgIaIcDMZBISfcX9IzGEyNbaUXxTwPSJaa9rK7c6LgibXk8XGsy5droxQtVnMpGmEsiBjybsU/s1101/800px-Hastings_book_of_the_hours.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1101" data-original-width="800" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0V71DH1RcVRlv6upBuVcDk9aDZFI8nnQuzScllHPyCUAJEaJZgILF2pxKE8tOgfc_FtOpgIaIcDMZBISfcX9IzGEyNbaUXxTwPSJaa9rK7c6LgibXk8XGsy5droxQtVnMpGmEsiBjybsU/w238-h328/800px-Hastings_book_of_the_hours.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Other remedies in Bald’s include <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a daily goblet of wine into which a red hot iron
spike has been plunged, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> as a</span> cure for an
enlarged spleen. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As this ailment can be
due to iron deficiency, adding iron to the wine was wise. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p> As was
using Buck’s liver, rich in Vitamin A, for, ‘<i>those who cannot see well beyond sunset and
until the sun once more rises</i>’ - we call it ‘night blindness’, which can be cause by a lack of that vitamin.</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p>Even the incantations may not be as off the wall
as they seem. In a world with no clocks, how else might you time how long a
poultice had to be left on the skin?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkdMVD58tCepYIPhF4f-KPWEr8mWsV258-bCb5CxXDzfFWnrjzvgUMzpnbFk9QztyVr9OpS3fnpnO-dZN7Vptdhct5U9IwureymIoys6ir87JlhyNanBMD-ccwR688M7nBx-n6Md6Uz4qH/s600/Matins+from+book+of+hours.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="600" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkdMVD58tCepYIPhF4f-KPWEr8mWsV258-bCb5CxXDzfFWnrjzvgUMzpnbFk9QztyVr9OpS3fnpnO-dZN7Vptdhct5U9IwureymIoys6ir87JlhyNanBMD-ccwR688M7nBx-n6Md6Uz4qH/w384-h294/Matins+from+book+of+hours.jpg" width="384" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">If something had to be taken three times a day,
listen for the church bells ringing for Lauds, early morning, then again for
Prime as the sun rose and Vespers in the evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">What better way to remember when to take your
medicine along with the appropriate prayers? Prayers which were believed
to help the remedy work through God’s grace. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p>We are still timing things today. Apparently, if you play Simon and Garfunkle’s
‘Bridge Over Troubled Waters’ it is exactly long enough to boil
an egg..... and how many of us have sung Happy Birthday as we washed our hands?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirqoh4fHdW33fmdJyDQdGoPZeSakYTo5-Xv-ayWADKpy-S3Gku6kvm_xI0XqP5w7a5uUl__hTbI1N6xvHhPs-83DI7pB5jXuvsVBH3eFBCVEkfm3EZRFR-a4GiVzGjX5EPQEkj71y_151L/s960/haans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="960" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirqoh4fHdW33fmdJyDQdGoPZeSakYTo5-Xv-ayWADKpy-S3Gku6kvm_xI0XqP5w7a5uUl__hTbI1N6xvHhPs-83DI7pB5jXuvsVBH3eFBCVEkfm3EZRFR-a4GiVzGjX5EPQEkj71y_151L/w328-h141/haans.jpg" width="328" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">That’s not much different from saying the
Paternoster whilst holding a cold compress to the bruised eye of an Anglo-Saxon
lad who’s been fighting with his friends.</p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji60XNVQ4a3bDq76uQy4htGOySdyvT4MxIA3IMU_w4lxOCVJtCJ2hlQFNC_Fe-7NpDHOaZPaAaqlvJWx80Dfb4GBuo2CRjIWCtVI-OXmS3S5E477Tkp7yioPpc1zpqeHFLsTEqvjouZa8R/s784/boy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="784" data-original-width="612" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji60XNVQ4a3bDq76uQy4htGOySdyvT4MxIA3IMU_w4lxOCVJtCJ2hlQFNC_Fe-7NpDHOaZPaAaqlvJWx80Dfb4GBuo2CRjIWCtVI-OXmS3S5E477Tkp7yioPpc1zpqeHFLsTEqvjouZa8R/w164-h210/boy.jpg" width="164" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>Zola the Gorgonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07569877587588044249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242348033327117577.post-15753430800938506832020-08-22T18:34:00.003+12:002020-08-22T18:34:46.237+12:0022nd August 2020<p> My eyesight is not too good. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRuFNizuEb4tgfuQD83KfCnjgUCSXVvc5H0ACn-6vqSrf2GuWvxhZaHiqVGY7XTDeAlMrY5SeDvknqwW0F2pso1tZQ-mY4PW-61q6aYhWsffe8AjPFwwWz3AOHIVIueR_-WDqtg-AlUzI/s1300/blind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="1225" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRuFNizuEb4tgfuQD83KfCnjgUCSXVvc5H0ACn-6vqSrf2GuWvxhZaHiqVGY7XTDeAlMrY5SeDvknqwW0F2pso1tZQ-mY4PW-61q6aYhWsffe8AjPFwwWz3AOHIVIueR_-WDqtg-AlUzI/w126-h134/blind.jpg" width="126" /></a></div><p>and....</p><p>Auckland Libraries has to watch its pennies (even moreso now the city admin is likely to cut the budget even further as a result of what Covid has cost them)</p><p>So more and more I'm finding the books I'd love to read are not, as was formerly the case, on audio CD but issued only as eBooks.</p><p>The cost of an audio book on CD is anything from $30 to $120 and e-books are a fraction of that, so no surprise that the Acquisitions Team prefer the latter option.</p><p>I once looked at an eReader and found my eyes were not up to coping with that sort of technology, so until today, I really did believe eBooks were out of my sight, so to speak.</p><p>Then a veritable angel of patience (aka a librarian) rang and assured me she could step by step me through the quite complicated process of joining OverDrive which would allow me to download and listen to books on my computer. </p><p><img border="0" data-original-height="930" data-original-width="860" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYMP2sTFD5HMjGTzXMGkTUmN0lrwyNeuyWN3bCdv_y5yY_1101m7jWfJ0AuIjuMHP4r4w1WQV8Jq_kWb_XaExX21-N1xBIxFIrTtewBo6MAqsef1-S5WitpZzOBVFQR5uRPP8SjCWws0y0/w155-h168/angel.png" width="155" /></p><p>This was not the easiest of tasks, even for someone with good sight and I seemed to be going in circles: being asked to put in my 14 digit library card number no less than 6 times! </p><p>But finally and with a huge sense of relief and gratitude to the Angel, we made it and I now have many more options than just audio CDs.</p><p>Fifteen years ago, we didn't have this technology and astonishingly it came to popularity just as I began losing my sight. </p><p>Maybe the Techno Gods realised I and others with failing eyes, needed their help?</p><p>My first download was Cabin Pressure, the award-winning comedy series by John Finnemore about a struggling airline and its unusual (to say the least) crew.</p><p> So a good day, of achievement and laughter, thanks to the wonderful help from one of Auckland's magnificent librarians.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi41QbHwH3OVuK3bYnCH_4hDk01anzXbvyB3iHOjKIZHQ19AwsbivHOMiAJLPcpqZpo9g8614keALAA1ExSedzHBY1VojgsSFJaZQkFvnzdjgiizpiRplWekjzQYAZEUbjt4xLIeOp5o7JY/s316/cabin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi41QbHwH3OVuK3bYnCH_4hDk01anzXbvyB3iHOjKIZHQ19AwsbivHOMiAJLPcpqZpo9g8614keALAA1ExSedzHBY1VojgsSFJaZQkFvnzdjgiizpiRplWekjzQYAZEUbjt4xLIeOp5o7JY/s0/cabin.jpg" /></a></div> <p></p><p> Yes, that's Benedict Cumberbach along with John Finnemore, Stephanie Cole and the man with all the best lines: Roger Allam.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Zola the Gorgonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07569877587588044249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242348033327117577.post-38546238626339185032020-08-20T13:20:00.006+12:002020-08-28T09:06:24.287+12:0019th August, 2020 Back again<p> <b>Here we go again.</b></p><p><b>After 102 days of no Corona virus rearing its ugly head in Aotearoa New Zealand, we were all going about our business, relative free but cautious.</b></p><p><b>The borders were closed, no one was going overseas, testing was ongoing and we began to feel pretty safe. </b></p><p><b>Then suddenly, shockingly, it was in our midst again, starting with one unfortunate Auckland family, none of whom had been overseas or in contact with anyone who had. </b></p><p><b>All previous cases had been of this nature so this was a grim puzzle - to say the least. Where had it come from?</b></p><p><b>We still don't know for sure but Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who has surely assured herself a heroic place in world history, once more ventured where lesser politicians fear to tread and locked Auckland</b><b> down.</b></p><p><b>Not just putting the city back to Level 3 and declaring isolation for the vulnerable but closing all roads in and out of the city: sealed and patrolled. </b></p><p><b>This is not unprecedented. </b></p><p><b>In the Derbyshire Dales, a tailor </b><b>named Alexander Hadfield </b><b>in the Anglo-Saxon village of Eyam, took delivery of a bundle of clothing from London. </b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7YM4HFFFsIpYstYsj12U-mAQvJZOCG3OBoFTeLuSXykAzSNyvxQdDaRC2A63LT1ges5mxi9RxTsjWpjHE9LiDIbC3Vb40o-IlI5AMMGpoBjYEnWvGinEZylF9tzjfQWMsJTfXfr69-iwp/s640/cross.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7YM4HFFFsIpYstYsj12U-mAQvJZOCG3OBoFTeLuSXykAzSNyvxQdDaRC2A63LT1ges5mxi9RxTsjWpjHE9LiDIbC3Vb40o-IlI5AMMGpoBjYEnWvGinEZylF9tzjfQWMsJTfXfr69-iwp/w246-h328/cross.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><b><br /></b><p></p><p><b>Within a few days, people began dying and despite self-isolation of families, the death toll rose to 260. It was then that Community leaders decided to quarantine the whole village. No one in. No one out.</b></p><p><b>That was May 1666.</b></p><p><b>The deaths didn't stop immediately but the Great Plague was not spread by the many itinerant workers and salepeople whose livelihood depended on moving from village to village with goods.</b></p><p><b>The disease was as puzzling then as Corona is today. </b></p><p><b>Elizabeth Hancock buried her 6 children and husband but did not herself catch the illness. </b></p><p><b>The official grave digger Marshall Howe also survived despite burying many of Eyam's families. </b></p><p><b>Only 83 person of the original 360 souls living in Eyam at the time, survived the Black Death.</b></p><p><b>At the bounary of the village and many others towns and hamlets, Plague Stones were sited. They had hollows gouged out which were filled with vinegar; the only form of santisation they knew.</b></p><p><b> Farmers in outlying areas could come to place produce near the stone and retrieve the money from the vinega pool. </b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFsgKgRY5TJ6T8sAqCN42oWjSJUTZQci9na_AGY4lETNGQO-itZ7rSBzIVuN8Ec7ZnSswSEhuRNGW0DeYy605gf-sAdxgj0tJOYWakYAHwr1xCVnRDhd8vuwDIgeAbyy3RhUw8SRaguqSf/s1600/stone2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1248" data-original-width="1600" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFsgKgRY5TJ6T8sAqCN42oWjSJUTZQci9na_AGY4lETNGQO-itZ7rSBzIVuN8Ec7ZnSswSEhuRNGW0DeYy605gf-sAdxgj0tJOYWakYAHwr1xCVnRDhd8vuwDIgeAbyy3RhUw8SRaguqSf/w328-h255/stone2.JPG" width="328" /></a></div><b><br /></b><p></p><p><b>Eventually of course, the Plague ran its course but it killed an estimated 25 million people.</b></p><p><b>On the last day of August 2020, Eyam will celebrate its annual Plague Day by giving thanks - but they will be tempered by the very real and very frightening situation that somewhere out there, is another evil called Covid-19.</b></p>Zola the Gorgonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07569877587588044249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242348033327117577.post-81715585390887526912020-06-03T15:56:00.003+12:002020-06-24T19:39:01.747+12:00Day Sixty Two<br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Day Sixty Two</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYbfmIaw15qxQF9OjUaKJ5ZpdmcpL7mRHWtuIJUSIMB2h3Uj8s13BSomG0NNnQI7zw9MGp2voabKl_0ZomLNmfN5GjAIthyMCsmgpoVlWpi8m7gJTNKTc8ntUhHHRPeiFAxZ4vlkvJCJT-/s1600/flag.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1280" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYbfmIaw15qxQF9OjUaKJ5ZpdmcpL7mRHWtuIJUSIMB2h3Uj8s13BSomG0NNnQI7zw9MGp2voabKl_0ZomLNmfN5GjAIthyMCsmgpoVlWpi8m7gJTNKTc8ntUhHHRPeiFAxZ4vlkvJCJT-/s200/flag.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">This will be the last blog entry, unless
someone comes up with a very convincing argument as to why it should continue
(offers over $1,000 please 😃</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">It was begun as a means of lightening my life and
that of anyone who wanted to read it, during the dark first days of total
isolation in mid-March 2020.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWy_BG6rUUr813MZE8EZxpSNzNcKKapIHNwEPMMHprglCWbZvCcxx5BrhfJNeMRbRTXdZfZl1pfN0taH3brlxmjnvP8iI7OGgt4kjjgBxx1uHnq4-PzUAzPgSmqnnov0oTfkWhqqthLyZ/s1600/bay4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="960" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWy_BG6rUUr813MZE8EZxpSNzNcKKapIHNwEPMMHprglCWbZvCcxx5BrhfJNeMRbRTXdZfZl1pfN0taH3brlxmjnvP8iI7OGgt4kjjgBxx1uHnq4-PzUAzPgSmqnnov0oTfkWhqqthLyZ/s320/bay4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s covered many subjects and seems to have
reached all over the world, something I didn't anticipate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, in <b>New Zealand </b>at least, Lockdown is more or less
over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> My t</span></span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">hanks to all who read and, I hope, enjoyed
the ramblings. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV969Cu5LnhGvicMKtRwIQyf52GM6637GsZO1PVthtZczititIjcfFk-FO46jb8-U_Aou2CnFTzZ7El0D1BnwJMNdIHKRGApAiTXecx0fW1zwNbrkn0D7bCDQ747LUQ9e3b_k0BxQD4yJE/s1600/autumn+colours+arrowtown.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="900" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV969Cu5LnhGvicMKtRwIQyf52GM6637GsZO1PVthtZczititIjcfFk-FO46jb8-U_Aou2CnFTzZ7El0D1BnwJMNdIHKRGApAiTXecx0fW1zwNbrkn0D7bCDQ747LUQ9e3b_k0BxQD4yJE/s320/autumn+colours+arrowtown.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Autumnal colour in Arrowtown, South Island.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Today's entry is a little longer than usual. </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">So gird up yer loins for the last leg and arm of
the journey across the country, which in my opinion, is the best in the world.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7l8eOiW9rzQ_eW7fAmvyDW-0lEsGiPQj14S6E5DbXpDnYDZvDVIbQ_wWa5-Qm8qXvPHmrBt54fxMKR1NjKiDyaFDV0kYjLUG1SJV_hhsvH8zU4SiMNbsggILcZHdMQSG8czQ6kESg4JX/s1600/richard.gif" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7l8eOiW9rzQ_eW7fAmvyDW-0lEsGiPQj14S6E5DbXpDnYDZvDVIbQ_wWa5-Qm8qXvPHmrBt54fxMKR1NjKiDyaFDV0kYjLUG1SJV_hhsvH8zU4SiMNbsggILcZHdMQSG8czQ6kESg4JX/s1600/richard.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Richard Pearse</td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">But before we leave <b>Auckland</b>, let’s meet <b>Richard
William Pearse 1877–1953</b>, poor farmer and inventor from <b>Temuka, South Island</b>
but whose aeroplane (or a copy thereof) flies in <b>Auckland’s Museum of Transport
and Technology (MOTAT).</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The world believes the </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Wright Brothers</b><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> were the
first to a</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">chieve sustained flight, that’s not quite true.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Richard flew several times, with locals and family
watching, before and on <b>31<sup>st</sup> March 1902</b>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
trouble is, those witnesses weren’t “officials”, just local farmers whose word
has since been unjustly questioned. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRPNJVrg56A3QX017jJR6HFpXlWrB1uaVlsXIUmlimHmT4ULWIBKxEO05MKWyaSsqVtFieySQSD2_G-8dY25WFjciC_8phg8iQF0mpVWcpRkjhVeg0LraX7nH4Sv0lZZFdyhzALB1HjlUd/s1600/Pearse-Monument+Waitohi.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRPNJVrg56A3QX017jJR6HFpXlWrB1uaVlsXIUmlimHmT4ULWIBKxEO05MKWyaSsqVtFieySQSD2_G-8dY25WFjciC_8phg8iQF0mpVWcpRkjhVeg0LraX7nH4Sv0lZZFdyhzALB1HjlUd/s200/Pearse-Monument+Waitohi.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pearse Memorial in Waitohi</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Pearse</b> (who
was humble and never claimed any right to fame) flew again in 1903, had been working on powered
flight since <b>1899</b> but where the <b>Wright Brothers</b> had access to funds and an
engineering workshop, <b>Pearse</b> had neither. He worked his farm alone and in his
spare time, spent whatever he could afford on his inventions.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTusA2tQv48VWmUK6NFePmojnQsERrzeHAwXxstlA1AaRDUwsk_x61nx4dSj_FWsjPvT0068KQin8wByV3eNCJSfcxw45DGjnxV2ymRV7SnZrGzV3fU8oKDmflhgKae_tY-C_4CrUxsoth/s1600/Pearse+water+cooled+engine.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTusA2tQv48VWmUK6NFePmojnQsERrzeHAwXxstlA1AaRDUwsk_x61nx4dSj_FWsjPvT0068KQin8wByV3eNCJSfcxw45DGjnxV2ymRV7SnZrGzV3fU8oKDmflhgKae_tY-C_4CrUxsoth/s200/Pearse+water+cooled+engine.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pearse's water-cooled engine</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Richard’s</b> plane<span style="color: #333333;"> included several pioneering concepts: a monoplane
configuration, wing flaps and rear elevator, steerable nose wheel and a
propeller with variable-pitch blades driven by a unique double-acting
horizontally opposed petrol engine. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">A replica
of Pearse’s aircraft hangs in the <b>Timaru Museum</b> as well as in MOTAT.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He may not
be world famous but <b>Richard Pearse</b> was a great man with a brilliant brain. He’s
honoured in <b>New Zealand</b> and deserves the accolades.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBVoZDH0G0OgEvVViR1HEx8vGko7m872FQCG4yBku0ohU16VaRnolo79ZDjFrTA0iFJL4xZ3SFHIVDqFoagxaFUxJZA7c7nKJSvmNnfA4vSg6KEwSI11tWC4J-a7yKxIbufwpC89oK8S1/s1600/artist+pearsee.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="618" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBVoZDH0G0OgEvVViR1HEx8vGko7m872FQCG4yBku0ohU16VaRnolo79ZDjFrTA0iFJL4xZ3SFHIVDqFoagxaFUxJZA7c7nKJSvmNnfA4vSg6KEwSI11tWC4J-a7yKxIbufwpC89oK8S1/s320/artist+pearsee.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artists impression of Richard flying</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">As we travel north from <b>Auckland</b>, we might pop over
to see the Gannet colony at <b>Muriwai</b> and the adjacent surfing beach at <b>Maori
Bay</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJm4deAiv7kZvuJO4QEKqVtCgt0LjPhzAl2DtuHpl2AvFsFEv9-fjmbkij1-Jx8WWxMpvk-N0zCIfxBOlgXjDk_YPEyFCqMN48Uhvp1Q5YbOs1-rmlSAb5vwq8rR3_EPC3v8eDbXDhC1Y8/s1600/Muriwai.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJm4deAiv7kZvuJO4QEKqVtCgt0LjPhzAl2DtuHpl2AvFsFEv9-fjmbkij1-Jx8WWxMpvk-N0zCIfxBOlgXjDk_YPEyFCqMN48Uhvp1Q5YbOs1-rmlSAb5vwq8rR3_EPC3v8eDbXDhC1Y8/s320/Muriwai.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The sand on the west coast includes
iron oxide, which makes it black, a heritage of our volcanic past - and
present. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ZGG98A0_8OlNxxaJe2ZZpJwaZHdo7nNpYFd8epAy_D-KVl8_cJthZJJ_4hMPHaAB3WNFIREEzbl1QQzOW7bPMftBN8AJYT1LwGo4KLW7Y-PDSjKH7JCpSkr2FXmkVilJw2iS3tcV1Gqt/s1600/whakari+white+island.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1131" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ZGG98A0_8OlNxxaJe2ZZpJwaZHdo7nNpYFd8epAy_D-KVl8_cJthZJJ_4hMPHaAB3WNFIREEzbl1QQzOW7bPMftBN8AJYT1LwGo4KLW7Y-PDSjKH7JCpSkr2FXmkVilJw2iS3tcV1Gqt/s320/whakari+white+island.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Island</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">In <b>December 2019, Whakari-White Island</b> 48km off the east coast, near
<b>Tauranga</b> and <b>Whakatane</b>, erupted, killing 21 people and injuring many more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Look west to the <b>Kaipara Harbour,</b> a popular place
for gathering seafood, especially oysters.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOhaQ1xb_A4OSlmsQVOr8JzJ-NHcdGyDElBjbYtsUxqRG_kWxukP7TlieXnIrbwesDoilJ7EYOVI_jlM9ZKs8_yPxn4jf7cQSb5L2hmBEInK4S0jFGcH8YcJUZuQTF45jcwqyfhB4XTC2u/s1600/kaipara.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="680" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOhaQ1xb_A4OSlmsQVOr8JzJ-NHcdGyDElBjbYtsUxqRG_kWxukP7TlieXnIrbwesDoilJ7EYOVI_jlM9ZKs8_yPxn4jf7cQSb5L2hmBEInK4S0jFGcH8YcJUZuQTF45jcwqyfhB4XTC2u/s320/kaipara.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kaipara Harbour</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> I once told a friend I’d never
tasted an oyster and the next day, he appeared with a bucket full of <b>Kaipara</b>
oysters. Heaven.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">We pass
through the seaside-retirement town of <b>Orewa</b> on the <b>Hibiscus Coast</b>, having
briefly traversed the <b>Whangaparaoa Penisula</b>, a gorgeous place to have a bayside
retreat. It's the site of many baches (holiday homes) and retirement villages.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6z8v3RQfSDfXvgKjKQCsOEr7SKRH9EnX1wMS3_gCnFCwRw6LhESUZFQUf6wrDyxwq0o-Mr0jFrIfG3WqvUOcR3l4blQht_icletMFnMmQGpHlhumd3v-4SA4bRcFqUpE87Ra6niV86Htp/s1600/whangaparaoa+Pen.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6z8v3RQfSDfXvgKjKQCsOEr7SKRH9EnX1wMS3_gCnFCwRw6LhESUZFQUf6wrDyxwq0o-Mr0jFrIfG3WqvUOcR3l4blQht_icletMFnMmQGpHlhumd3v-4SA4bRcFqUpE87Ra6niV86Htp/s320/whangaparaoa+Pen.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whangaparaoa Peninsula</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Ocean east we might just see <b>Great Barrier</b> and
<b>Little Barrier Islands</b>. Crystal clear water and a laid-back lifestyle, attracts many vacationers.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFIiwf8NxJ-fjot5jzjcU2hmReqAc0YL7N9m6_DIw-BNupMHzXpILeWCZFUNpQRCevxBUjI8RRGD66MobqIo5b60Eh-Q1j9RdqYOm4kMciqp10iV9S49Wc1gs0y1kPQMCWu7j7MRpKr1TY/s1600/great+barier.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="940" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFIiwf8NxJ-fjot5jzjcU2hmReqAc0YL7N9m6_DIw-BNupMHzXpILeWCZFUNpQRCevxBUjI8RRGD66MobqIo5b60Eh-Q1j9RdqYOm4kMciqp10iV9S49Wc1gs0y1kPQMCWu7j7MRpKr1TY/s640/great+barier.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Barrier Island</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Then on through <b>Wellsford (Whakapirau)</b> and past
the <b>Honey Centre</b> where you can see working bees behind glass and taste the many
kinds of honey produced.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Warkworth
(Mahurangi)</b>, is next. An attractive town with the <b>River</b> <b>Mahurangi</b> running
through it and many attractions for tourists and locals alike.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNiK1lJd3QPM5yDgJc5qxoSxkom5sA0Y1S5P1RXxiGu-AVU5LEczi1xqKFN5ws4c2JjwBXyhinC2SscerT0eGXwzO7hIxA3r9CYgqZcaeRfAUiEehwhkT2g_I4UaP9Wn4K_7GSFX8Ca7TK/s1600/warkworth.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="501" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNiK1lJd3QPM5yDgJc5qxoSxkom5sA0Y1S5P1RXxiGu-AVU5LEczi1xqKFN5ws4c2JjwBXyhinC2SscerT0eGXwzO7hIxA3r9CYgqZcaeRfAUiEehwhkT2g_I4UaP9Wn4K_7GSFX8Ca7TK/s400/warkworth.jpg" width="336" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warkworth</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> It’s the gateway to another splendid area the </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Tawharanui Peninsula and Regional Park.</b></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">During </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">WW2,</b><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">
Warkworth was host to </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">25 US Army</b><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> military camps where soldiers trained prior to
being</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">sent to </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Pacific</b><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> theatres of war.
They were well received by the townsfolk who respected their commitment as allies.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Afk5V8Cgg-YCKfG_JHuUWjtms01YNrJDZCjjHTxCVdiwRQenU1JKwk8W4E-xQ4IeYMEL_YfzbxelHai9MzRDl92cvG4jhx6HyFPwpBHuNVBEqeNZw01I-HMG_k91qo7c7vm6Lpggw_DU/s1600/americans.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="1000" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Afk5V8Cgg-YCKfG_JHuUWjtms01YNrJDZCjjHTxCVdiwRQenU1JKwk8W4E-xQ4IeYMEL_YfzbxelHai9MzRDl92cvG4jhx6HyFPwpBHuNVBEqeNZw01I-HMG_k91qo7c7vm6Lpggw_DU/s320/americans.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American Troops assemble in Auckland prior to leaving to serve in the Pacific</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">To get to our next place, we have to traverse the
winding and sometimes dangerous road up the Brynderwyn Hills.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnPGG3EKQCO6HCgCb8UXLVvwfq80P9yO_-kyZ6aVnlBGTBq-HSbx4CEJRxBCIFEJMLwxNotfkVKQp_XOAW0XvLHD88GFoH8kynotYSBeAnIPOD9lB9qSJDxyEBTHPypm8dkvSWXBA0v7di/s1600/bryn+road.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="710" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnPGG3EKQCO6HCgCb8UXLVvwfq80P9yO_-kyZ6aVnlBGTBq-HSbx4CEJRxBCIFEJMLwxNotfkVKQp_XOAW0XvLHD88GFoH8kynotYSBeAnIPOD9lB9qSJDxyEBTHPypm8dkvSWXBA0v7di/s320/bryn+road.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">In 2017, the <b>New Zealand Herald</b> wrote about this road: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "source sans pro light", helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">"Every time a motorist enjoys the view from the top, they have survived one of Northland's worst twisting, challenging and dangerous roads."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>It’s hard
to impress, with just a photograph, what impact that view from the top had on me
in those far off days. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I knew and loved the
<b>Yorkshire Dales,</b> the <b>Lake District</b> and the glories of beautiful <b>Cornwall</b> but
never had I driven up a long, dark and occasionally claustrophobic road to be
confronted so unexpectedly with a landscape which seemed to open out the world and stretch for hundreds of
miles. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTJ-XoQIoHRfuUV9TEf5EzaPpnny6IGJsmLSP9XOSMHzFHXi3A9N7xc9riaIXrcZumUFX9Zmje4ZSkTdJHRnGNieYy3UXfe5fl8TMMak0FJ45vClll2WUHNu9qcWnI9W8-kXhYomoyFdT3/s1600/view+from+bryn.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="328" data-original-width="500" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTJ-XoQIoHRfuUV9TEf5EzaPpnny6IGJsmLSP9XOSMHzFHXi3A9N7xc9riaIXrcZumUFX9Zmje4ZSkTdJHRnGNieYy3UXfe5fl8TMMak0FJ45vClll2WUHNu9qcWnI9W8-kXhYomoyFdT3/s640/view+from+bryn.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A small portion of the view from Brynderwyn</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">At that time, there was no safe place to stop
and marvel but that’s exactly what I wanted to do. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQgkMHsgPCHtVqoNfHDCij2wgn8hh0tiNVC4XgIwFZ6dvNcexiFjnK9SN0Y68qb7kih6TozE0nnYmlGxe-AWadeMpkMrTmEQ3YWJQMCn3fTmqErLgm1YUL1oX6vLeZK1K3tkUvhUFhKsjA/s1600/top+bryn.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQgkMHsgPCHtVqoNfHDCij2wgn8hh0tiNVC4XgIwFZ6dvNcexiFjnK9SN0Y68qb7kih6TozE0nnYmlGxe-AWadeMpkMrTmEQ3YWJQMCn3fTmqErLgm1YUL1oX6vLeZK1K3tkUvhUFhKsjA/s640/top+bryn.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Top of the World cafe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">When people say something is
‘stunning’, they rarely mean it literally but this view, stretching from distant horizon East to West, stunned my senses.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">At the first opportunity I pulled the car in to the side and simply sat there, absorbing
the amazing</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">panorama, only part of which you see in these photos.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The next time, I knew better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> <b>The Top of the World Café</b> offered not just the view to enjoy at
leisure but fine breakfasts too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Whangarei </b>is a pleasant town with a famous <b>Clock
Museum, Quarry Gardens and Craft Centre</b>, a <b>Town Basin</b> which is a lovely meeting
place on a sunny day with its cafés, gallery and a walkway - Huarahi te Whai.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlttxsbStYjY0nqoZcEMNgNtAvPp8FgnYhZsesAy-t2YBDm2w8CXsopfIgX-1AFhgUQL2fWBBliiGxnOSKLFKu0NqbPLWNPYMb3nQe53JOBOHER7g9GKik1C-IoF_MU9iuXcniT3mInfdf/s1600/town+bais.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="246" data-original-width="500" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlttxsbStYjY0nqoZcEMNgNtAvPp8FgnYhZsesAy-t2YBDm2w8CXsopfIgX-1AFhgUQL2fWBBliiGxnOSKLFKu0NqbPLWNPYMb3nQe53JOBOHER7g9GKik1C-IoF_MU9iuXcniT3mInfdf/s400/town+bais.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Town Basin Whangarei</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve spent many a happy hour here but not
today when we have miles to go before we sleep…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Although it’s 36km from SH1 to <b>Matapouri Bay</b>, it’s
well worth the detour as it’s one of those peaceful and so-far, unspoiled
beaches where the sea is gentle, the sand warm and the locals as friendly as
can be.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_HjAN-ZAlK9kPKJcdTVZpgmwyLQT5j1BOlkE8Mx0HetN0KbnUooJ9u6pzSsr0XKrkh-hew6B7GrcHhh_5BZwi5GPuG5P9jYsS0lJwfVCvJH1rLFFIpA5lQMJaivA1G_501thrE2xGfYF/s1600/Matapouri.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="933" data-original-width="1600" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_HjAN-ZAlK9kPKJcdTVZpgmwyLQT5j1BOlkE8Mx0HetN0KbnUooJ9u6pzSsr0XKrkh-hew6B7GrcHhh_5BZwi5GPuG5P9jYsS0lJwfVCvJH1rLFFIpA5lQMJaivA1G_501thrE2xGfYF/s320/Matapouri.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matapouri Bay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">If I could live here, I would. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">But onward and upwards because we’ve got to get to
a loo!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The one I’ve chosen was designed by <b>Friedrich
Stowasser (1928-2000)</b>, an <b>Austrian Kiwi</b> who preferred to be called <b>Friedensreich
Regentag Dunkelbunt Hunderwasser</b>. </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Eccentric? </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Amxz-CINCR_8SUAH1GrQAL73ggBJWi3lktUz88IJZz1oHQ-4YjHZM0Mz5J3nAxcahzv_n04HCZ8_P-lEgUfsT76mHW5A1QPnV6jh3knmN-A1h_uBUKekef4V7V5hqWb3rDmfcMAy-px9/s1600/kawa+loo.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="475" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Amxz-CINCR_8SUAH1GrQAL73ggBJWi3lktUz88IJZz1oHQ-4YjHZM0Mz5J3nAxcahzv_n04HCZ8_P-lEgUfsT76mHW5A1QPnV6jh3knmN-A1h_uBUKekef4V7V5hqWb3rDmfcMAy-px9/s400/kawa+loo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe but a brilliant artist and
designer.</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">His public toilets in <b>Kawakawa</b>
bring people from all over the world and they don’t just want to spend a penny.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-BfifGv8YZcNqCyt44YLTWWkqzs5A9zK5NpthewlpnZPaEplXyH0MK4JAIORnFyfuFSlWFbrd5svGInRlxJgfb9TVqwCxavEKRLPSlIruM7nU4ul996gpiN7P8yiXNW12jxms6GYZWhUw/s1600/kawaloo2.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="367" data-original-width="550" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-BfifGv8YZcNqCyt44YLTWWkqzs5A9zK5NpthewlpnZPaEplXyH0MK4JAIORnFyfuFSlWFbrd5svGInRlxJgfb9TVqwCxavEKRLPSlIruM7nU4ul996gpiN7P8yiXNW12jxms6GYZWhUw/s320/kawaloo2.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Made<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>largely from recycled materials, it was the last project completed by the reclusie <b>Hunderwasser</b> before he died.</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkHuhaGTxDAmMv1pwcSEMSYALHSk6k_vY6PCNpiLop6St2Sili3PgVmfMq3yUdNb0NvvMgMKims7qiVpNgDo52Y3DuWNuMr50puLVJMQVBE6mLWdfdkBgvu9KFpjAlKAK0EVsJK6NxjTmd/s1600/kawaloo3.jpg" style="clear: right; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="856" data-original-width="1300" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkHuhaGTxDAmMv1pwcSEMSYALHSk6k_vY6PCNpiLop6St2Sili3PgVmfMq3yUdNb0NvvMgMKims7qiVpNgDo52Y3DuWNuMr50puLVJMQVBE6mLWdfdkBgvu9KFpjAlKAK0EVsJK6NxjTmd/s320/kawaloo3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His full
name means: <b>‘Rainy-day, Dark- colourful, rich Friedrich Hundred waters’. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">An appropriate name for the designer of such a
fantastic toilet.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Until <b>Hunderwasser’s</b> loo was built, Kawakawa was
mainly known for the train which shares space with cars along the main street;
not the only place in New Zealand where car and train get along together.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREtbHjXV9TX6O8HiUkJe20ojD3EwKoihFOE88lSLklReq6_rDpA_TUrfN2cRGuFGfoM84LsqMmXq6m4N4eUN9tllId9HTiepXBO8_J8vROmZLP_0kjgS-du1PfudTIeTVJFeEGquIKCoG/s1600/kawatrain.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="185" data-original-width="400" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREtbHjXV9TX6O8HiUkJe20ojD3EwKoihFOE88lSLklReq6_rDpA_TUrfN2cRGuFGfoM84LsqMmXq6m4N4eUN9tllId9HTiepXBO8_J8vROmZLP_0kjgS-du1PfudTIeTVJFeEGquIKCoG/s400/kawatrain.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">We’ll
hang a right and look at <b>Russell (Kororareka)</b>,</span><span style="background: white; color: #202122; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> New Zealand’s first
capital.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgocWZtvsaMaz5ct-PBckuLmPQ6WsKu9Jxuj9nIlxomrwUrtXKo_Pcqm2SfiK5NgFpJQx2dv0nU58JqywEf6ObiOEC6i1U64bJm_JomPqarZNYZpih3C63jN7l1nIWpilD36qw8ev0SGv8A/s1600/Russell+Duke+Marlboro+hotel.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="732" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgocWZtvsaMaz5ct-PBckuLmPQ6WsKu9Jxuj9nIlxomrwUrtXKo_Pcqm2SfiK5NgFpJQx2dv0nU58JqywEf6ObiOEC6i1U64bJm_JomPqarZNYZpih3C63jN7l1nIWpilD36qw8ev0SGv8A/s320/Russell+Duke+Marlboro+hotel.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Duke Marlborough Hotel, Russell</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">A pretty
place, full of history and tourists but it was not always the lovely place it
is today. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top: 12pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Before
Europeans arrived, Maori lived there, mostly peacefully and appreciative of
its climate, good soil and abundant fish stocks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top: 12pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Kororareka</b>
was a port, where British
and American sailors and whalers landed with goods to trade and a view to womanising
and grog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">So appalling was their
behaviour that it became known as <b>The Hell Hole of the Pacific</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3AmohLHcTLyeVypnCkqyblJvsdYW9dTAtmcwtH5L4X8w9y5hRy2rYNetJuG2FUzu_WbLFNEKc4XOFxI6Npbl0m8K9on4AWWbYDClfoX7SqijypFTAbnUKz00w8PMG9do9uOiVpGR8EJo/s1600/hell+hole.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="187" data-original-width="361" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3AmohLHcTLyeVypnCkqyblJvsdYW9dTAtmcwtH5L4X8w9y5hRy2rYNetJuG2FUzu_WbLFNEKc4XOFxI6Npbl0m8K9on4AWWbYDClfoX7SqijypFTAbnUKz00w8PMG9do9uOiVpGR8EJo/s320/hell+hole.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">When <b>Captain William Hobson</b> who became New
Zealand’s first Governor, needed to set up a capital in 1840, </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Kororareka</b> was deemed thoroughly unsuitable.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top: 12pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">He purchased
land 5 km away, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>called it <b>Russell</b> and
declared it the capital. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">However,
in 1841, <b>Ngati Whatua</b>, an Auckland-area <b>Maori</b> tribe, gifted land to Hobson and</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Auckland</b> became the capital. </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">It wasn’t until 1865 that Wellington assumed
this role.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRqnlXNjVIyUcdSpqP5sDAxSBMPvmj7rSo6bk40H8oj1Wbb_Wxf0c2RkTipzGXThzjZd1Xz2TeYiCOEFr8TUin_RoNHEANZoRbT3jvM5DtC3Mgcrrb3t6iulVTUL-zTUteis6FHrwGE_4j/s1600/Hobson.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="382" data-original-width="471" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRqnlXNjVIyUcdSpqP5sDAxSBMPvmj7rSo6bk40H8oj1Wbb_Wxf0c2RkTipzGXThzjZd1Xz2TeYiCOEFr8TUin_RoNHEANZoRbT3jvM5DtC3Mgcrrb3t6iulVTUL-zTUteis6FHrwGE_4j/s200/Hobson.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Captain William Hobson</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">In 1840, after short negotiations because it was
rumoured <b>French</b> ships were on their way to claim the country, a Treaty between
the <b>British crown</b> and <b>Maori chiefs</b> was signed at <b>Waitangi. </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">This gave Maori protection by British troops and
guaranteed rights to their lands and off-shore areas. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRX4uwKc61zSfdd_LflAbWNr-T2E1uMr8xZtABPvYNLN8Bq8pUwYfV00Ede7eGUPCSL5S_J_kHVCwkW3f-lNDdBbWn0vyo1Xq3r0ERf77FHRJgozE4NgY0ctIUtSJUQMSDk2S5blBTgHGt/s1600/Tirit+tweaked.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1498" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRX4uwKc61zSfdd_LflAbWNr-T2E1uMr8xZtABPvYNLN8Bq8pUwYfV00Ede7eGUPCSL5S_J_kHVCwkW3f-lNDdBbWn0vyo1Xq3r0ERf77FHRJgozE4NgY0ctIUtSJUQMSDk2S5blBTgHGt/s200/Tirit+tweaked.jpg" width="106" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Remnants of the original<br />
Treaty</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">There has been controversy ever since over the
motives and interpretations of the <b>Treaty of Waitangi</b> and in <b>March 1845,<span style="color: #1c1e21;"> </span>Hone Heke</b> a <b>Nga Puhi</b>, Maori chief was so sure the
British (who did not have a great reputation for sticking to Treaty promises) were
reneging on the deal that he chopped down the pole flying the <b>Union Flag,</b> in
protest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHVpEXjkWwjz4EOtdG_AaGtuwysb4TtcF_1GScr8FuxXHzkBwKXNULA00Cznfr74zy7gnXIHPBnWkPVPdPNJGtvk0MIrKzz7mgym0bGrOqo9dkkrneEagKZJBlvWRh1xDbQPXlMkv7MNhn/s1600/flagstaff+1858.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="938" data-original-width="1600" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHVpEXjkWwjz4EOtdG_AaGtuwysb4TtcF_1GScr8FuxXHzkBwKXNULA00Cznfr74zy7gnXIHPBnWkPVPdPNJGtvk0MIrKzz7mgym0bGrOqo9dkkrneEagKZJBlvWRh1xDbQPXlMkv7MNhn/s400/flagstaff+1858.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kotahitanga being erected</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Thirteen years later, in <b>January 1858</b> a new
flagpole was erected as a gift from <b>Maihi Kawhiti</b>. It was hauled by 500
warriors to the top of <b>Maiki Hill</b> and optimistically named, ‘<b>Te Kotahitanga’ </b></span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">(togetherness).</b></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIJj0i6Oe1M53aPWXiFvjfTsyxGgaSRDmvaPlXzGoZOq1C-paDAydgqwheR6I2nMFWwGZu-8rVj3HfamxJQSON3pIpUZV5KmE7QOfm31m5xMqkL0MZpUj9TPwrQqdFsYq1ajWcBeAWJi9X/s1600/treaty+house.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIJj0i6Oe1M53aPWXiFvjfTsyxGgaSRDmvaPlXzGoZOq1C-paDAydgqwheR6I2nMFWwGZu-8rVj3HfamxJQSON3pIpUZV5KmE7QOfm31m5xMqkL0MZpUj9TPwrQqdFsYq1ajWcBeAWJi9X/s320/treaty+house.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Treaty House at Waitangi</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And so to <b>Paihia</b>, where before the government ban, I swam with the dolphins, an amazing experience. Pahia is one of the many jewels in the crown of <b>The Bay of Islands.</b></span></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3h3XmS8ErVxyo4hu-Qzvq-0UNTX-GwkzW7YIA-Hxg_JDazA4E4H6CBJQTHgQilzGIOMGVfYIRUv61-nUWJWZl-aiyTPKCQeUwOgJGaPygV9nZrqbBXlfcWp1mgAnnR-PnKtJvgn6wPJzq/s1600/bay+of+islands.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="930" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3h3XmS8ErVxyo4hu-Qzvq-0UNTX-GwkzW7YIA-Hxg_JDazA4E4H6CBJQTHgQilzGIOMGVfYIRUv61-nUWJWZl-aiyTPKCQeUwOgJGaPygV9nZrqbBXlfcWp1mgAnnR-PnKtJvgn6wPJzq/s640/bay+of+islands.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Paihia</b> is the major tourist town of <b>Northland</b> and, of course, there are many things to do on sea and land. </span></o:p><br />
<o:p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Cruises around the islands are popular, expecially the historic <b>Cream Trip</b>. </span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">This began in 1927, when <b>Albert Fuller</b>, started a collection and delivery route around the many inhabited islands. </span></o:p><br />
<o:p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="color: #212121; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I took this trip some years ago and where there's nowhere for the boat to moor, the residents have breeches buoys and other contraptions to haul their mail and produce to and from the vessel.</span></span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Take <b>Tall Ship</b> cruise or watch the dolphins.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6eQ4tnO_MFd14kWZAaOjZ002mdCpoDXXJaJrErf-rQ32Gj8WzwyEjYtyNGDTMs5KE5R_3UGN_rc2Dyk55EIrEMpfft7aE2umdGSr7w-FAI-klMpfSbZUwSf6ngvlqPzkfR3jP7UKZ9sq7/s1600/tall+ship.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="193" data-original-width="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6eQ4tnO_MFd14kWZAaOjZ002mdCpoDXXJaJrErf-rQ32Gj8WzwyEjYtyNGDTMs5KE5R_3UGN_rc2Dyk55EIrEMpfft7aE2umdGSr7w-FAI-klMpfSbZUwSf6ngvlqPzkfR3jP7UKZ9sq7/s1600/tall+ship.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb-iJDU7__2iVW8hyphenhyphenF_I_ZpcYFgecbGAjJke_ernBXxpWKsoc_2r5fgGFnAgQD9AU2gzzL07jW6768Wzie95Hnn6KQWv4myJVykffdqqANpfPGLZJarax1GsxatvV6Tx3_Zu_X6YM_vs4s/s1600/dolpjind.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="290" data-original-width="616" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb-iJDU7__2iVW8hyphenhyphenF_I_ZpcYFgecbGAjJke_ernBXxpWKsoc_2r5fgGFnAgQD9AU2gzzL07jW6768Wzie95Hnn6KQWv4myJVykffdqqANpfPGLZJarax1GsxatvV6Tx3_Zu_X6YM_vs4s/s320/dolpjind.jpg" width="320" /></a><o:p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">We’ll pick up a few juicy oranges from one of the
many orchards in <b>Kerikeri</b> and acknowledge New Zealand’s first market gardener
and commercial dairy farmer: </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Rawiri Taiwhanga.</b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkJ4SQZWu9vbyhP-N_xMY_iXEqRrBFWtclPlLls_QHYxONzAzUALYC9KgQ7jP3YYBIsBiayvQJjYjWgdZNz6kk-KlvFMHIlLdKT0Rd0_lGdXGxeSYiXtcujkRaVRHNncbcggmej-Z2U-dj/s1600/rawiri.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="348" data-original-width="423" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkJ4SQZWu9vbyhP-N_xMY_iXEqRrBFWtclPlLls_QHYxONzAzUALYC9KgQ7jP3YYBIsBiayvQJjYjWgdZNz6kk-KlvFMHIlLdKT0Rd0_lGdXGxeSYiXtcujkRaVRHNncbcggmej-Z2U-dj/s200/rawiri.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rawiri Taiwhanga</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">In </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">1826</b><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">,
after learning agricultural and horticultural skills, his garden was abundant
with potatoes, corn, cucumbers, pumpkins, melons, onions, shallots peas and parsnips,
peaches and vines as well as an acre of wheat. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Db_BW1GtYYJDatquihOj3mZVIG0Cj7PIiK20Flqqhk4UYdHbSk7lgiZYvL0XL8vqlOdlR-NbIhCMc4NCMtg85En9MZZ4Jkmwk635i1jSYy1xhyphenhyphenIFHITc8smq5H2pTNII6PEd9J581esc/s1600/kerkeri+citrus.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="640" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Db_BW1GtYYJDatquihOj3mZVIG0Cj7PIiK20Flqqhk4UYdHbSk7lgiZYvL0XL8vqlOdlR-NbIhCMc4NCMtg85En9MZZ4Jkmwk635i1jSYy1xhyphenhyphenIFHITc8smq5H2pTNII6PEd9J581esc/s400/kerkeri+citrus.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">When his raupo hut burned down in 1829, he and
his wife <b>Mata</b>, built a substantial house, here seen sadly derelict.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm8OAqXYr7EQxYNMiQg2QFD5nSgQfPIYr71lq-SqfXVbD544p012M7vGEJgL2ShBNxYs1Wsvau-2mej983TmWclpLlobZFZWIRk0JVvk4Cp1s24xAuKlE1WwTz4mMF8hxmqTQ36CA4En7G/s1600/House.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="464" data-original-width="664" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm8OAqXYr7EQxYNMiQg2QFD5nSgQfPIYr71lq-SqfXVbD544p012M7vGEJgL2ShBNxYs1Wsvau-2mej983TmWclpLlobZFZWIRk0JVvk4Cp1s24xAuKlE1WwTz4mMF8hxmqTQ36CA4En7G/s320/House.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">From <b>1835, Rawiri</b>, who had become a Christian lay preacher and
believed strongly in education, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ran a
school near <b>Kaikohe</b> but also a dairy farm, selling butter and milk in
substantial quantities, thus establishing himself as New Zealand first commercial
dairy farmer too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> He was the pioneer who led <b>Northland</b> towards the flourishing international reputation as growers and exporters of fine fruits it is today. </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Here we are at <b>Matauri Bay.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSC4VtOGXAeLJRtvIOgwq4yzlzc4wpag5lMQh3y1sgsPnzwK355gRc33WC6VcDIkY4vJgnJKJgnUKimuPA4OrUiH3S9brFflIEoUlOoduaAFFYWNea8nKRx1PCW3q5Znj1c3oLED4SzD_v/s1600/Matauri-Bay-View_705x176.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="176" data-original-width="705" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSC4VtOGXAeLJRtvIOgwq4yzlzc4wpag5lMQh3y1sgsPnzwK355gRc33WC6VcDIkY4vJgnJKJgnUKimuPA4OrUiH3S9brFflIEoUlOoduaAFFYWNea8nKRx1PCW3q5Znj1c3oLED4SzD_v/s640/Matauri-Bay-View_705x176.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">On <b>10<sup>th</sup> July, 1985</b>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">une action totalement ignoble </i>took place
in <b>Auckland Harbour, </b>in the heart of the Central Business District.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Rainbow Warrior,</b> owned by <b>Greenpeace</b> was
bombed in the accurately named <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Operation
Satanique.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Photographer <b>Fernando
Pereira</b>, on board at the time, was killed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWK9qjql62RfxBvfoZpD_tHZr8OOo4IyUyeA4nGqBdaDCQTswW2KSy-jAa123Zg2F-jywBwn3AJrVpo3K3S4o_GZnX0C4KX8K6CjoOrbG6xkhxxPX-LB7gQ0bjl9PpuHkK5aUTs5POtoFX/s1600/Fernando_Pereira_by_David_Robie.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="220" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWK9qjql62RfxBvfoZpD_tHZr8OOo4IyUyeA4nGqBdaDCQTswW2KSy-jAa123Zg2F-jywBwn3AJrVpo3K3S4o_GZnX0C4KX8K6CjoOrbG6xkhxxPX-LB7gQ0bjl9PpuHkK5aUTs5POtoFX/s320/Fernando_Pereira_by_David_Robie.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; text-align: start;">Fernando Pereira</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The <b>French Intelligence Service</b>, who initially denied involvement wanted
the <b>Warrior</b> sunk before it could sail in peaceful protest against France’s continued
nuclear testing at<b> Mururoa Atoll</b>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">There followed a huge scandal and many more
betrayals. The perpetrators escaped justice as a result of France threatening
(blackmailing) to boycott </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">New Zealand</b><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> goods to the </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">European Economic Community</b><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6XZaR1N_ppBn3snj30Facj15ppe9aGdeUjPgJte23xMW-ZQWLjpSHsLGetZ4KSjkWNNoNKKkJ-_pqhTt5UNBmb_I9IcT_1Qc0HPkdF_pmVFNK_FA-aA4Kj4CdSDBJYQ6s8XE4cEvr_TuS/s1600/RainbowWarrior-1985b.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="758" data-original-width="1024" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6XZaR1N_ppBn3snj30Facj15ppe9aGdeUjPgJte23xMW-ZQWLjpSHsLGetZ4KSjkWNNoNKKkJ-_pqhTt5UNBmb_I9IcT_1Qc0HPkdF_pmVFNK_FA-aA4Kj4CdSDBJYQ6s8XE4cEvr_TuS/s320/RainbowWarrior-1985b.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rainbow Warrior, 1985</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Although the <b>Rainbow Warrior</b> could not sail to <b>Mururoa</b>, hundreds of private crafts owned by New<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Zealanders, did so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWmSBkqEFogveSlC7WG09O1MfRAA7YEEQN_gqCgn8wyTexqSOQTvQG2tcolEP2_Bhyphenhyphenj296UovxhqHbPNF7trGyp5cOBgEoIEPoDOloqvtHLda4gyyxF5s-k0S9stsa1qidYWGtXw9yLw8/s1600/Matauri_Bay_Rainbow_Warrior_memorial4.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWmSBkqEFogveSlC7WG09O1MfRAA7YEEQN_gqCgn8wyTexqSOQTvQG2tcolEP2_Bhyphenhyphenj296UovxhqHbPNF7trGyp5cOBgEoIEPoDOloqvtHLda4gyyxF5s-k0S9stsa1qidYWGtXw9yLw8/s320/Matauri_Bay_Rainbow_Warrior_memorial4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rainbow Warrior Memorial </td></tr>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">On <b>13<sup>th</sup> December 1987</b>, the wreck of the valiant <b>Rainbow Warrior</b> was laid to rest at <b>Matauri Bay</b> to become a dive site and
marine sanctuary.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieaeuZhf938LkXVzRBzyXjk5lBK_E_bz1-7ABf66pySF_AJg361dq_imKhIiL38451Ldi6qRF9DjMFOOb34nXe-W9ohyWX1yrDTz-Ugr3jbZJGdPA4uraDllvni_m2VjJEkRdLZvO09fgW/s1600/NASA+shot.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="758" data-original-width="1024" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieaeuZhf938LkXVzRBzyXjk5lBK_E_bz1-7ABf66pySF_AJg361dq_imKhIiL38451Ldi6qRF9DjMFOOb34nXe-W9ohyWX1yrDTz-Ugr3jbZJGdPA4uraDllvni_m2VjJEkRdLZvO09fgW/s320/NASA+shot.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NASA shot of Aupouri Peninsula</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">We move east now and make our way to the base of
the <b>Aupouri Peninsula</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here, the North
Island narrows from 60km wide to a mere 10km and we arrive at <b>90 Mile Beach,</b>
which isn’t actually 90 miles long at all -<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but who cares?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-90smbM8nREGwLYwcOdLs0oySpP6YI84JrRB09qRQ1HD27dDDb491yr1r3MS6KRG6RwxHzsAK2kurRs9lYzYL41-fJV-Gr10At3P7eOpKVgMMAZX3V4waW6KzXVIKHCxpjhJ7J9n4O96B/s1600/bus+on+bech.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="550" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-90smbM8nREGwLYwcOdLs0oySpP6YI84JrRB09qRQ1HD27dDDb491yr1r3MS6KRG6RwxHzsAK2kurRs9lYzYL41-fJV-Gr10At3P7eOpKVgMMAZX3V4waW6KzXVIKHCxpjhJ7J9n4O96B/s320/bus+on+bech.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s a fun place to be and you can body-board, run (or in my case, tumble) down the dunes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seafoam around rocks at 90 Mile Beach</td></tr>
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<b>North Island</b>, although not the northernmost point, which is the <b>Surville
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Kapowairua </b>or<b> Piwhane, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Spirits Bay)</b>, is a most sacred place, where Maori
souls gather, round the old <b>Pohutukawa Tree</b> before leaping onwards to <b>Hawaiki</b> the
spiritual homeland.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kapowairua from the air</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Today's visitors can walk to the lighthouse at <b>Cape Reinga</b> where, if their eyesight is good enough, they can see the next major landfall - <b>Evgenkinot, Russia.</b> </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pohutukawa tree at Kapowairua</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9fRBUSFq3VhL2SR0jaAOfwEPIf_aZzWCrtKKyVQ_it9ine5NJOEbXVH4O8PRqCtEekwyOkcxRqVlEvoZWPQHRKCVUswisMUOV94nfAEMRxADl1ZKmQLEBPO2MqOhLdB4jAF82UPqitTcH/s1600/Cape+with+light.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="900" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9fRBUSFq3VhL2SR0jaAOfwEPIf_aZzWCrtKKyVQ_it9ine5NJOEbXVH4O8PRqCtEekwyOkcxRqVlEvoZWPQHRKCVUswisMUOV94nfAEMRxADl1ZKmQLEBPO2MqOhLdB4jAF82UPqitTcH/s320/Cape+with+light.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cape Reinga</td></tr>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">And we are at the end of our journey too. In reality, there is much, much more to see of <b>New Zealand</b> than appears in this blog. I hope you'll come and explore for yourself one day. It's well worth it and by and large, we're friendly😁.</span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I dedicate this blog entry to my dear friend <b>Micki</b>, who came to the end of her 90+ year journey as I was writing this.</span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Go with God, dear friend. Haere, haere, haere, hoki atu koe ki te Atua.</span></o:p><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rainbow Falls Kerikeri</td></tr>
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<br />Zola the Gorgonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07569877587588044249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242348033327117577.post-69279895395052900452020-06-01T19:23:00.004+12:002020-06-24T19:37:50.045+12:00Day Sixty One<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Day Sixty One</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">We've left</span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> Wellington </b><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">behind but </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Auckland</b><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> is still 624 km away up State Highway 1 = SH1 (or what the GPS
calls “Shush One”) so we’ll take a detour to </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Napier</b><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> first.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Napier</b>’s Maori name is <b>Ahuriri</b> and in 1931 it suffered a
devastating earthquake but as with many disasters, time waved a magic wand and
the city was rebuilt in Art Deco style.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">There’s a beautiful but sad Maori legend of <b>Pania</b>, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a ‘sea nymph’ who fell in love with <b>Karitoki</b> a
handsome Maori human. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They lived happily
together but it troubled him that his lovely wife went back to the ocean each
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">He was advised to give her cooked
food as this would hold her on land.</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Karitoki tried this secretly as she slept but a Ruru (Morepork owl)
screeched a warning, Pania awoke and ran off back to </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">sea, never to return.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">To the west, Mt Taranaki rises magestically, snow covered
and a favourite of Japanese tourists, reminded of Mt. Fuji.</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLbg8EIhFIeYHnJr6OeN7tN2oBtTSsgXVU2ujk8lP0aVpV0MtlTQ3UQemOZqQ7bql_izO3IbuDgoj0wm8qPtJWKcgjnU692EEKFJLe8X3n-SxMRM5KrXAC7fz5wXetK4YuDAw437XftYAy/s1600/taranaki.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="535" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLbg8EIhFIeYHnJr6OeN7tN2oBtTSsgXVU2ujk8lP0aVpV0MtlTQ3UQemOZqQ7bql_izO3IbuDgoj0wm8qPtJWKcgjnU692EEKFJLe8X3n-SxMRM5KrXAC7fz5wXetK4YuDAw437XftYAy/s320/taranaki.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">New Zealanders get their milk from </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Bulls</b><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWWMBbuCQdJDGbQ4KzdErMCjrxzRkVuGOJr6TgnP_6z3RFktzT5tWFNWV4SjD25C02PPtqOkPKQ1op6JNNkD-dyMiHox6X70qTd0ZW-_csSblj_n6F7o2mK1Fc-FJTZ9kn-ugSExO7ln5d/s1600/bull+signs.webp" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="649" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWWMBbuCQdJDGbQ4KzdErMCjrxzRkVuGOJr6TgnP_6z3RFktzT5tWFNWV4SjD25C02PPtqOkPKQ1op6JNNkD-dyMiHox6X70qTd0ZW-_csSblj_n6F7o2mK1Fc-FJTZ9kn-ugSExO7ln5d/s320/bull+signs.webp" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Incredi -bull signs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> It’s an old joke
and one the people of <b>Bulls</b>, near <b>Palmerston North</b>, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>have milked to their advantage.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1oK_LQGfxqbBmkweiSeOMynRoweNEQwy0GpQUdSh4bfua1wHNzXDGF3ig_jvhYIKE4twmSJXRmMSbo5dT_WNSfiWnLZPseH4pe-QNc8Fm6-EdAgxThVb40z31867pnuCpinWiTMVrVJh7/s1600/Bull+at+Bulls.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="486" data-original-width="648" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1oK_LQGfxqbBmkweiSeOMynRoweNEQwy0GpQUdSh4bfua1wHNzXDGF3ig_jvhYIKE4twmSJXRmMSbo5dT_WNSfiWnLZPseH4pe-QNc8Fm6-EdAgxThVb40z31867pnuCpinWiTMVrVJh7/s200/Bull+at+Bulls.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giant bull in Bulls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">If it rains, you might need your gumboots. <b>Taihape</b> has an
annual Gumboot Day. <b>Fred Dagg</b> even sings a gumboot song and of course, <b>Taihape</b>
has its muddy gumboot icon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://folksong.org.nz/gumboot">http://folksong.org.nz/gumboot</a> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiam9gCVBwnuRpqwaBnbwAcyVn1qVOclMcybZswdo2b1aXNJjZ09T8Z3HEsCQm-4_XUAXlpIi7FuZDvA3g8cdlGXKzlSV3SimrG44iqEIBQkPnVZhmw1XU0fYOMwJFYSD5EadEofOFtTyEp/s1600/GUMBOOT+TAIHAPE.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="367" data-original-width="550" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiam9gCVBwnuRpqwaBnbwAcyVn1qVOclMcybZswdo2b1aXNJjZ09T8Z3HEsCQm-4_XUAXlpIi7FuZDvA3g8cdlGXKzlSV3SimrG44iqEIBQkPnVZhmw1XU0fYOMwJFYSD5EadEofOFtTyEp/s320/GUMBOOT+TAIHAPE.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Gumboot in Taihape</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Long ago, seven volcanic mountains: <b>Tongariro, Taranaki,
Ruapehu, Ngaruahoe, Tarawera, Tauhara, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Patauaki </b>and<b> Pihanga</b> played and promised
always to be together. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmTkWGOyuHXhRlOCKgqTe43Wz4FrXp78j1xOBdYYXvedMMK2jdm4Frve2zhG0QKc8JSr6Gc5t76a282JJ-QO4RutwXFJ8YeLd_O8TV8-V67CrBVmFDH_Z10_HowVY2k0dRezZI4kJmJxUR/s1600/ngaruahoe.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="1200" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmTkWGOyuHXhRlOCKgqTe43Wz4FrXp78j1xOBdYYXvedMMK2jdm4Frve2zhG0QKc8JSr6Gc5t76a282JJ-QO4RutwXFJ8YeLd_O8TV8-V67CrBVmFDH_Z10_HowVY2k0dRezZI4kJmJxUR/s640/ngaruahoe.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">n time they grew and each fell in love with <b>Pihanga</b>, whose
mossy form, covered by a cloak of green fern was enchanting. </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Pihanga</b> could not choose one for her husband as
she loved them all, so as warriors do and despite her protests, they fought.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tongariro</b> was the eventual victor and <b>Taranaki</b>,
grief-stricken, moved away <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYr2M6XJcXkHTZdVSeeO-D-S7bQiUJx_YE8zao25PKqrDtd9FBVecAQTAxMC9BLtTyyWnMn8nSXVeKRdQVM7it0urPDrJDbfMgez0BZ7fB18znyCChN_4q-nIX2estrGT2F0x3rapRXW7/s1600/Emerald+Lake+atop+Tongariro.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="900" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYr2M6XJcXkHTZdVSeeO-D-S7bQiUJx_YE8zao25PKqrDtd9FBVecAQTAxMC9BLtTyyWnMn8nSXVeKRdQVM7it0urPDrJDbfMgez0BZ7fB18znyCChN_4q-nIX2estrGT2F0x3rapRXW7/s320/Emerald+Lake+atop+Tongariro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emerald Lake at the top of Mt.Tongariro</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">From the sublime to the ridiculous....but amusing.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4dYDztDKaw4D505MfHE8dOHUw4A4pDTNg0yBaSgCtR2IbqKLUd8amHXGOvh04z-vH80Qmpvb4SOiI73FRZNuBavQTJxpUaQ0XdG0sixU_d31ALmocc0QCTS6HAZigK3i4x0zmqwkUFsZx/s1600/OHAKUNE+CARROT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4dYDztDKaw4D505MfHE8dOHUw4A4pDTNg0yBaSgCtR2IbqKLUd8amHXGOvh04z-vH80Qmpvb4SOiI73FRZNuBavQTJxpUaQ0XdG0sixU_d31ALmocc0QCTS6HAZigK3i4x0zmqwkUFsZx/s320/OHAKUNE+CARROT.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b>Ohakune</b> is the Carrot
Capital of New Zealand and here’s the <i>Daucus carota sativus gigantica</i> to prove
it. Carrots also come in fetching shades of purple, black, red, yellow and
white.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">At <b>Te Kuiti</b>, in the heart of rural <b>North Island</b>, you can
find the biggest shearer in the world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8CZ4Ti1OxS3U3UBjXicO433zOCEM3jE9cBqxznm5m1EAQ46J-I1LVda9eQ3InP9Z8THhi4qLTyhZsjtGEb3Y3DeCQTg0UkkNktAXYwB08t9aEQRtzA_iNcfaRvLXx-dKhYe82LrjNGPPU/s1600/SHEARER.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="550" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8CZ4Ti1OxS3U3UBjXicO433zOCEM3jE9cBqxznm5m1EAQ46J-I1LVda9eQ3InP9Z8THhi4qLTyhZsjtGEb3Y3DeCQTg0UkkNktAXYwB08t9aEQRtzA_iNcfaRvLXx-dKhYe82LrjNGPPU/s320/SHEARER.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Otorahanga</b> has a Kiwi House where, behind protective glass,
you can watch Kiwi fossicking in their temperature-controlled habitat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">This one, made of corrugated iron, is slightly larger.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaE2qms0TCDBssJLIpGtm4trYzmFeEdyZMcOWEF_g5cAXTJLpvuxU4LpVPti-asauZaTX0Trr0hg1d-VyCxi7_o3jwEUKxaVLOdtwY8YBH28Pmb2KgZ-h-AN8SWRdxoezHput-GNxgU4QV/s1600/Kiwi.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="165" data-original-width="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaE2qms0TCDBssJLIpGtm4trYzmFeEdyZMcOWEF_g5cAXTJLpvuxU4LpVPti-asauZaTX0Trr0hg1d-VyCxi7_o3jwEUKxaVLOdtwY8YBH28Pmb2KgZ-h-AN8SWRdxoezHput-GNxgU4QV/s1600/Kiwi.jpg" /></a></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> <b>Otorohanga</b> is not too far away from the fabulous <b>Waitomo Caves</b> where visitors can go underground and see glow-worms, stalactites and stalacmites. </span></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvapKX6isSHxaOPz0vNVeNWQAXrll2h0gP0HNiGH2opk1ea2GVjTmtacuJ49tuVDXtlL4bLB63uh8INye7NqwGW4SxIrilDdo0Eia9_3W9SNVegG-_x57YdlWkhpX6SsYONjtZIIzx-w4O/s1600/cave.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="674" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvapKX6isSHxaOPz0vNVeNWQAXrll2h0gP0HNiGH2opk1ea2GVjTmtacuJ49tuVDXtlL4bLB63uh8INye7NqwGW4SxIrilDdo0Eia9_3W9SNVegG-_x57YdlWkhpX6SsYONjtZIIzx-w4O/s320/cave.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Lake Taupo</b> is in the caldera (hollow) of a volcano. At 186
metres deep it’s home to many freshwater fish, including trout, which attract
anglers from all over the world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The sale of trout (except for wild trout) is allowed in <b>New
Zealand</b>. However, wild trout is unavailable and there is no way to obtain any other
trout to sell. Importing trout is prevented by legislation. <b>Catch 22</b>. </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">But you’ll have to eat them all yourself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Fancy a few prawns with that?</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheitkKPaQ8lqmuoL86tO_lAyCneygVt12hFQP8QXeCIzBtieleI6or8VEUYi-XT7Z48pwp2PP9IpMOSZouOLbi_PPyHehb9CuNLGyzJPUUqovUs8rWObhKYZpio-JwKqGjizrvYRNBLPp1/s1600/shawn+the+prawn.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="650" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheitkKPaQ8lqmuoL86tO_lAyCneygVt12hFQP8QXeCIzBtieleI6or8VEUYi-XT7Z48pwp2PP9IpMOSZouOLbi_PPyHehb9CuNLGyzJPUUqovUs8rWObhKYZpio-JwKqGjizrvYRNBLPp1/s320/shawn+the+prawn.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Huka Prawn Farm</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">South of </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Rotorua</b><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> is </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Whakarewarewa</b><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">. If you find that hard to
say, it’s lucky you’re not required to pronounce the full version: </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Te
Whakarewarewatanga o Te Ope Taua a Wahiao</b><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">. Roughly translated this means ‘The
place where the war party of Wahiao chanted, just before battle.’ </span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZbL_9RyRno4BuAtEh1ZhZbI9C-aMO-jsnmbMuHWa6VXHzgdDRCUpffMh7Be34lr8tzdj4qFIuQmmIOGGM0jdhuIZOzVfpjZDXBM1xruCL9v0yPwH7Mx2apFrLTFNN8gmFDiL_Y_l6QVUG/s1600/boiling+mid.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="699" data-original-width="1240" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZbL_9RyRno4BuAtEh1ZhZbI9C-aMO-jsnmbMuHWa6VXHzgdDRCUpffMh7Be34lr8tzdj4qFIuQmmIOGGM0jdhuIZOzVfpjZDXBM1xruCL9v0yPwH7Mx2apFrLTFNN8gmFDiL_Y_l6QVUG/s320/boiling+mid.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mud pools Whakarewarewa</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9GjCYwv_kD_FysTfonoLSqLvcU7GWNCyGwBd0j63pS9NIFiFuCvKZd7Zv5f9k0SDxn6Fu0HCvkqZteZgUfUw9i7MTkbOmp-rXi1I_AcZbfJOQmrEpOyQ4FL9fqd6NnKHDC1ncFwD_81Wx/s1600/blue+stream+whakarewarewa+forest.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="699" data-original-width="1240" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9GjCYwv_kD_FysTfonoLSqLvcU7GWNCyGwBd0j63pS9NIFiFuCvKZd7Zv5f9k0SDxn6Fu0HCvkqZteZgUfUw9i7MTkbOmp-rXi1I_AcZbfJOQmrEpOyQ4FL9fqd6NnKHDC1ncFwD_81Wx/s400/blue+stream+whakarewarewa+forest.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Blue stream</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Here you’ll not only see all the geothermal activity you could
ever wish for but watch Maori artists and crafts people at work in the NZ Schoo of Maori Art and Craft. </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Whaka</b> is a working village with residents who
use the hot springs for cooking and heating their homes, as do many in Rotorua.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">There’s a distinctive sulphur smell as mud pools bubble up
from the earth, geysers shoot high in the air and steam hangs over all like a
veil<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Te Rotorua-nui-a-Kahumatamomoe</b> to give its full, Maori
name commemorates <b>Kahu</b>, a great explorer. The name means, “The second great
lake of <b>Kahu-mata-momoe</b>". <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkHR4AIJFFfcPAPBNd_eyEXrmVuy_WaQtX-iE178Pa7MMlr9WayL48V7b1jWq8tN-B70zz83BMdVJp96X-MpmUzDlGUvwAorJ5Su2w-k4IAFvpwNhZ9WJB9aDZoWCaibP-oP0aq4l8P-te/s1600/Champagne-Pool-13+wai+o+tapu.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="800" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkHR4AIJFFfcPAPBNd_eyEXrmVuy_WaQtX-iE178Pa7MMlr9WayL48V7b1jWq8tN-B70zz83BMdVJp96X-MpmUzDlGUvwAorJ5Su2w-k4IAFvpwNhZ9WJB9aDZoWCaibP-oP0aq4l8P-te/s320/Champagne-Pool-13+wai+o+tapu.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Champage Pool</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">If you’re weary from the long trek up the <b>North Island</b>, or trying to get your tongue round <b>Maori</b> place names, relax<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in one of the many thermal pools. Have a
calming massage and apply <b>Rotorua</b> mud to your face. I can personally testify
that it’s the best thing ever for giving your skin a glowing bloom. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPhaBzZwiHplB2Zs706eYmbAxDuguSEfMukoaqVGk-cIcpQGgDcqSGuZc_oIjBqsVF0soj0ptzHTssX8Rs2Ko3hi3ML1hmTkxMOUcWEgRq_dSyeX7RoV4W3kJyS4svx0fEhRwcCVN8E0v_/s1600/geyser.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="188" data-original-width="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPhaBzZwiHplB2Zs706eYmbAxDuguSEfMukoaqVGk-cIcpQGgDcqSGuZc_oIjBqsVF0soj0ptzHTssX8Rs2Ko3hi3ML1hmTkxMOUcWEgRq_dSyeX7RoV4W3kJyS4svx0fEhRwcCVN8E0v_/s1600/geyser.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Take a final lungful of hydrogen sulphide and we’ll continue
on our way north.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">We shall miss The Coromandel Peninsula because that's a tour in itself and a spectacular place to live or take a holiday.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJF4dfqMo73RLKsXU6n6dXXpvEF0A-bROnS2548xaak76r6x2qp_ydiyNAM6yRKoI5tVo7MCtizEnKELlNBE0KQzc3LqUEAWnQtrhtjEPHPyR9Bzt8IFigTFJ2F9rb6ySOmX17S4Xtb2dy/s1600/kauri.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJF4dfqMo73RLKsXU6n6dXXpvEF0A-bROnS2548xaak76r6x2qp_ydiyNAM6yRKoI5tVo7MCtizEnKELlNBE0KQzc3LqUEAWnQtrhtjEPHPyR9Bzt8IFigTFJ2F9rb6ySOmX17S4Xtb2dy/s320/kauri.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Majestic kauri</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">O</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">ne of the enterprises I support is Kauri 2000 based there. They are pledged to plant thousands of kauri saplings and for a mere $20 NZ you can buy one and get a certificate. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Great gifts for grandchildren, wedding, birthdays or anniversaries - and a bastion against the deadly disease 'kauri die back'. </span><br />
<a href="https://www.kauri2000.co.nz/">https://www.kauri2000.co.nz</a><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tirau </b>was once a place people simply drove through until <b>Steve
Clothier</b> opened an antique shop and began erecting corrugated iron building in the 90’s. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Tirau now has corrugated toilets </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">and Information Centre….</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG_2cHccEizEd-DAdy6g9RMUTAG01Ec_ljXJQ2v2loDIL63Iv55lxvCNYx0uffo_YI5cRTAy4EabtJ6uuGpJHXL2BRxW3HNas0s-Y8OebrGD3ftQMfjYiGVSBTs42eJ2JkDVlvTp9wkZ5J/s1600/dog+and+sheep.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="699" data-original-width="1240" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG_2cHccEizEd-DAdy6g9RMUTAG01Ec_ljXJQ2v2loDIL63Iv55lxvCNYx0uffo_YI5cRTAy4EabtJ6uuGpJHXL2BRxW3HNas0s-Y8OebrGD3ftQMfjYiGVSBTs42eJ2JkDVlvTp9wkZ5J/s320/dog+and+sheep.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzcT5MHm73ohF9lf9QQd32S8Q9vUP5kIaGC3on2kf2XxY7_KR9o5zbivmbcbM3zIDGknDKjxz1cxpO0gisaD3ErvqKeh3UqGepx05cvP9O9c7u1q_zOYv_9Fq2QDk4AiKMc-WF2y_kEUc5/s1600/corrugated+poppy.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="761" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzcT5MHm73ohF9lf9QQd32S8Q9vUP5kIaGC3on2kf2XxY7_KR9o5zbivmbcbM3zIDGknDKjxz1cxpO0gisaD3ErvqKeh3UqGepx05cvP9O9c7u1q_zOYv_9Fq2QDk4AiKMc-WF2y_kEUc5/s200/corrugated+poppy.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL7bs6cALp8Uh3jUvoBcA2KqrsZms3n3KHmgG2IJiX4fHJY5gcrmzpz2u209KzBngsxboF3sKORbGXx0HfHF_068-JC5SBSMhZ-aHghyehbK900WFAjjMEmQhvkuSfsMrGanE3CRkCspPo/s1600/pukeko+in+pearls.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL7bs6cALp8Uh3jUvoBcA2KqrsZms3n3KHmgG2IJiX4fHJY5gcrmzpz2u209KzBngsxboF3sKORbGXx0HfHF_068-JC5SBSMhZ-aHghyehbK900WFAjjMEmQhvkuSfsMrGanE3CRkCspPo/s320/pukeko+in+pearls.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and a whole farm full
of iron birds, animals and flowers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">High on the hill is <b>Castle Pamela</b>, built by <b>Kevin Baker</b> as a
gift for his wife.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> Once </span><span style="background: white; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">New Zealand’s largest doll, toy and train
collection</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">, it is now, as far as I know, closed and for sale.</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5xh0NdPpiNiucB2E4AQCUbkTpU1R2wafjxcnBBnVWymrg_9NeYNDvoERWL-oaUYX2A3gnPhWY-voGL1wDLQ1OavQt8HSLwP-4ltJ4ArGTk3h_-0qc7KJjWZq57tkBMqHhXCFT3IZs0I9d/s1600/castle.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="1000" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5xh0NdPpiNiucB2E4AQCUbkTpU1R2wafjxcnBBnVWymrg_9NeYNDvoERWL-oaUYX2A3gnPhWY-voGL1wDLQ1OavQt8HSLwP-4ltJ4ArGTk3h_-0qc7KJjWZq57tkBMqHhXCFT3IZs0I9d/s320/castle.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Castle Pamela</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">At <b>Morrinsville</b> we’ll have a quick look at a mad cow which represents dairy farming in that area:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMKOr67nSiVLAomXLNLl2pfV2D9pkh7SaXNUK4rB_E1WJhzBLpmfdZnTjWDj0I-8Pjb103ojYtRjNI7ao_TSaoDTWs6aCT3msHBY_p2v3btJrbNUqk-TM5l7zv0tV_80kUM5-rflIceJlh/s1600/800px-Big_Cow_at_Morrinsville.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="810" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMKOr67nSiVLAomXLNLl2pfV2D9pkh7SaXNUK4rB_E1WJhzBLpmfdZnTjWDj0I-8Pjb103ojYtRjNI7ao_TSaoDTWs6aCT3msHBY_p2v3btJrbNUqk-TM5l7zv0tV_80kUM5-rflIceJlh/s320/800px-Big_Cow_at_Morrinsville.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">A detour to <b>Paeroa</b> will show us a local icon, ruined as so
much is these days by corporate greed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi91Txb2jY12Yil09BEQKe5tA_qz-pBbCnCaNRXG-GgXfaBN-gVvFvWsn031Tj8krKY7NHDU413bRPv9Red8SSwHQe_IjRtP32U07e5HTP115HkQThqJNXtodwrj73lt32BDl6H2SEDOOi_/s1600/l%2526P.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="511" data-original-width="810" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi91Txb2jY12Yil09BEQKe5tA_qz-pBbCnCaNRXG-GgXfaBN-gVvFvWsn031Tj8krKY7NHDU413bRPv9Red8SSwHQe_IjRtP32U07e5HTP115HkQThqJNXtodwrj73lt32BDl6H2SEDOOi_/s320/l%2526P.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Lemon and Paeroa</b> was, for generations manufactured in the town
from the mineral spring water at <b>Paeroa </b>and was one of<b> New Zealand's </b>favourite drinks. <br /><b>Coca-colonisation</b> put paid to that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The original L&P had a distinctive and unique fizziness which
lay slightly cold on the tongue giving it such a wonderful tang that it won the
<b>British Bottlers Institute Diploma of Excellence award in 1969,</b> the only entry
from overseas ever to do so.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Coca-Cola stopped using the mineral water (it’s now unavailable
even to local people) and L&P became the soulless chemical drink we
associate with soulless, giant corporations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLkpDAsprzH4skPYYXPWbUOZCfEEkyWXPSDlMyrz2AqbxcvgV4z2sWiPnozl3mMP_9Vyy8Vbu1Z5AutFvGx30F8JEa178ogqVzcu0JVS3bWQUimGPVWbq5KyeYQVQtVksB6hkRqjBxuu79/s1600/Giant-Kiwifruit-Te-Puke.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="810" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLkpDAsprzH4skPYYXPWbUOZCfEEkyWXPSDlMyrz2AqbxcvgV4z2sWiPnozl3mMP_9Vyy8Vbu1Z5AutFvGx30F8JEa178ogqVzcu0JVS3bWQUimGPVWbq5KyeYQVQtVksB6hkRqjBxuu79/s320/Giant-Kiwifruit-Te-Puke.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Re-branded as 'Zespri' everyone still calls it Kiwifruit.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Just before we hit the <b>Auckland</b> outer suburbs, a mention of
<b>Te Puke</b>,</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">where grows the succulent Kiwifruit
and it’s giant representative.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiJOdTgacy-BwaLZ1HRMwi_VSQq9sH1rWIhwHDgiCtiEyhKwp8Wr1Ij-nbrXeVZ1CPgkG8l9KgG5xI4kX6fVuaeWh55b31IoLe7RDDVfswp0YNtvQTEOc7o2g7c12O0838p6eZDV2ceSvL/s1600/oystercatcher.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="797" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiJOdTgacy-BwaLZ1HRMwi_VSQq9sH1rWIhwHDgiCtiEyhKwp8Wr1Ij-nbrXeVZ1CPgkG8l9KgG5xI4kX6fVuaeWh55b31IoLe7RDDVfswp0YNtvQTEOc7o2g7c12O0838p6eZDV2ceSvL/s320/oystercatcher.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oystercatcher - we're fond of our big birds</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">And <b> Pukorokoro Miranda Shorebird Centre</b>, dedicated to
preserving and enhancing the habitat for the many billions of birds which visit
and prepare for breeding there. In 2007 a female <b>Bar-tailed Godwit</b> made a
remarkable 30,000 km journey to Alaska then returned in one, non-stop flight on
11,680km. </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-iNQAZYKfOSkr9BBSjZBt12PquI1G2a8doCi3I7gMnb8floUZebMm5BDJf202YCtPtO96gTFwWXIPnTISQPaWt9HnL6jIaVwiIcWriWOkgJ-kypT0rn7e4f-WqnjZh0HVwW7xyHvlQZ4G/s1600/Auckland.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="243" data-original-width="1600" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-iNQAZYKfOSkr9BBSjZBt12PquI1G2a8doCi3I7gMnb8floUZebMm5BDJf202YCtPtO96gTFwWXIPnTISQPaWt9HnL6jIaVwiIcWriWOkgJ-kypT0rn7e4f-WqnjZh0HVwW7xyHvlQZ4G/s640/Auckland.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Auckland</b>, population just under 2 million, has a rich ethnic
mix of cultures who have brought their celebrations and traditions. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Divali,
Holi, Chinese, Korean and Thai New Year, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lantern Festival; <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Waitangi Day, Pride Festival, Folk Music, Pasifika,
Maori,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Comedy<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and Film Festivals; Writers, Fashion and Arts
Festivals, Food, Wine and Seafood festivals and an annual Multi-cultural Day
where everyone comes together to show their pride in their traditions and
cuisine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKCfxiIxFPYBTJm0y8sSIYXz4Bw17bgXxFqubpVxLPkumyzH2nAHNTS03x1rdcPYySb3tEgSNh8xkyCGEU1PKfBVI2jdOwf96O_SrKDmO4uBvtFsqYGQr1Us3ypv61MbKSs0F8-xJI8pp/s1600/parasols.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKCfxiIxFPYBTJm0y8sSIYXz4Bw17bgXxFqubpVxLPkumyzH2nAHNTS03x1rdcPYySb3tEgSNh8xkyCGEU1PKfBVI2jdOwf96O_SrKDmO4uBvtFsqYGQr1Us3ypv61MbKSs0F8-xJI8pp/s200/parasols.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Surrounded by the <b>Manukau</b> and <b>Waitemata Harbours</b>, with the
<b>Tasman Sea </b>to the west and the <b>Hauraki Gulf</b> to the East, it’s no surprised it’s
nicknamed The City of Sails.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMkt96aJiJaovTCrfzFwb_zqX7rrAM8CIyZ4v6MEefYVJ0qbiP30WhRvilfrJgA2z0ji5Hz1jsO63n2xQy2GRQvQEOhDpufgSa1Dh194Nh-pm9Qz8Jm9fUQ1-4zV4GRSuvvrLrkMPx-CV/s1600/sails.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="448" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMkt96aJiJaovTCrfzFwb_zqX7rrAM8CIyZ4v6MEefYVJ0qbiP30WhRvilfrJgA2z0ji5Hz1jsO63n2xQy2GRQvQEOhDpufgSa1Dh194Nh-pm9Qz8Jm9fUQ1-4zV4GRSuvvrLrkMPx-CV/s320/sails.webp" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Tourism is the major industry here so every taste is catered
for, whether it be bush walks or extreme sports; history at the Museum and
Art Gallery or enjoying one of the many beautiful beaches.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">But we can also indulge in a bit of silliness:<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAg_oWG_NzdExDgDJnkExJj4ZpnKGVqONSlq6dO-OEOSWk_WqSk1nInANrdth84na6yiOFek71cprIV-SRBTeBCJDOkp2rTOR4K_yY1ka42F3amQOHAB2AJTeaheUoHG9ue2eJ3J61jgw7/s1600/sharkbus.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="551" data-original-width="516" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAg_oWG_NzdExDgDJnkExJj4ZpnKGVqONSlq6dO-OEOSWk_WqSk1nInANrdth84na6yiOFek71cprIV-SRBTeBCJDOkp2rTOR4K_yY1ka42F3amQOHAB2AJTeaheUoHG9ue2eJ3J61jgw7/s200/sharkbus.jpg" width="186" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bus to Kelly Tarleton's Sealife Aquariums</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsrtnHsYk1CUpD4G_QsRQvh4F4eMPc7sVxGsNWssKpzsIU_4naajp8bKImpfA-Xrv-i5f9ZMdfaNUZPzR8d47WV8fE1RXHIuBnP5ocPHjDtsYrajISLDeFQZcA8kQqtgkv660ELi9w1SGy/s1600/burger.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="774" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsrtnHsYk1CUpD4G_QsRQvh4F4eMPc7sVxGsNWssKpzsIU_4naajp8bKImpfA-Xrv-i5f9ZMdfaNUZPzR8d47WV8fE1RXHIuBnP5ocPHjDtsYrajISLDeFQZcA8kQqtgkv660ELi9w1SGy/s200/burger.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Advertising Uber Eats. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">We could stay here for years - and I have - but tomorrow I’m dragging
you away from the bright lights to one of the most beautiful places on
earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">But rest first, I've booked you into a bach (holiday home) at <b>Whatipu</b> so you can watch the sunset.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4S0u0qBdWf2FQQkFGAYMCj5Lg5BGEYB-hp9yGniqcxMQSIu9KfwJKEQ9v4MV22ijUkAnZ8UYqggW8nzLwGR3YK1KhNv14p9_zYtjytnSHhP-FVpu1ehEeoJRlkrmGltX7cU9VX4jceClo/s1600/whatipu.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="1280" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4S0u0qBdWf2FQQkFGAYMCj5Lg5BGEYB-hp9yGniqcxMQSIu9KfwJKEQ9v4MV22ijUkAnZ8UYqggW8nzLwGR3YK1KhNv14p9_zYtjytnSHhP-FVpu1ehEeoJRlkrmGltX7cU9VX4jceClo/s640/whatipu.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Zola the Gorgonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07569877587588044249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242348033327117577.post-32633547285161771652020-05-31T19:18:00.003+12:002020-06-25T17:56:10.503+12:00Day Sixty<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Day Sixty</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of the many things
I love about New Zealand is our willingness and ability to be crazily eccentric.
<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, as we are between
islands, so to speak, let’s look back on some of the things you might find in the South Island and which I hope will amuse you.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7OxYzdXnUfY2M7tf1pGpw7HjdJqmG8MEkCRbbtprZaxbEVy6iLlj2dr8rWfCwgathwZadzfyEK29Xb60Urjvd_3BCFrSZCXhVofGI1MAjgDcyveLAsbGmOdYM3D8Ne2UFrim1rBh_apH/s1600/surferstatue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="810" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7OxYzdXnUfY2M7tf1pGpw7HjdJqmG8MEkCRbbtprZaxbEVy6iLlj2dr8rWfCwgathwZadzfyEK29Xb60Urjvd_3BCFrSZCXhVofGI1MAjgDcyveLAsbGmOdYM3D8Ne2UFrim1rBh_apH/s320/surferstatue.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colac Bay surfer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">West of Invercargill,
is Colac Bay where a surfer statue stands outside the tavern. There was some concern that children climbing
on it might hurt themselves so Southland Council put up a ‘Do Not Climb’ sign.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That’ll work for sure.</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Should you be motoring
through Tuatapere, 36km away, don’t drive off the road when you see this:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguMJ-6Qj_29UntVbQR4IU_R-GZq6xnlQMmudcwjE61u66yu2Zt3KJSt_KD9Td7sdtQQcmPj8KgnukrykkRHPcjBzolqJqjHsZxnkpyo3wUntvja4FLGuX_tcF0zxVLQVWfNdVEI89jsBNt/s1600/Sausage2+totapere.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="810" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguMJ-6Qj_29UntVbQR4IU_R-GZq6xnlQMmudcwjE61u66yu2Zt3KJSt_KD9Td7sdtQQcmPj8KgnukrykkRHPcjBzolqJqjHsZxnkpyo3wUntvja4FLGuX_tcF0zxVLQVWfNdVEI89jsBNt/s320/Sausage2+totapere.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tuatapere is the ‘Sausage Capital of the World’ and won a sizzling competition run
by ZM Radio who subsequently erected this delicious banger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now all they need is a pile of mash to go with
it.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Te Anau in
Fijordland National Park has spectacular scenery.</span></b></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJ96dBMeZfdKGkNOf5tteGt_D9aUwdQ7ICeaOCiij1MlxzD-eh43qhqm9X1tWT_AlLNBWyJuD3jUp7eHVQnGcs4cd3JIX6NbOtRpq80R9V_PdhASrTt8HmsupBmYlqYOQ8aZMhIp73Tgt/s1600/Te+Anau.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="500" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJ96dBMeZfdKGkNOf5tteGt_D9aUwdQ7ICeaOCiij1MlxzD-eh43qhqm9X1tWT_AlLNBWyJuD3jUp7eHVQnGcs4cd3JIX6NbOtRpq80R9V_PdhASrTt8HmsupBmYlqYOQ8aZMhIp73Tgt/s200/Te+Anau.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Te Anau</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But also boasts a giant
Takahe standing, unsurprisingly, outside the Bird Sanctuary.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This flightless Rail was thought to be extinct until located in 1948. </span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It has
special cultural significance to Ngai Tahu, the local Maori tribe who are its kaitiaki (guardians).<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSRBJMwIMF8J_GOhq8xQXZJl7Y7JM5f60Pwc0u_6U2wQsLLaGpd318OgW6R0WAEip3YMTMRV7DvoJbw6Ae5RX-0gfG8uxmk6Ol80knjJlk20AQ_5s849Fquz41klNI8Pp0RfxeNSCTrLj5/s1600/takahe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="722" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSRBJMwIMF8J_GOhq8xQXZJl7Y7JM5f60Pwc0u_6U2wQsLLaGpd318OgW6R0WAEip3YMTMRV7DvoJbw6Ae5RX-0gfG8uxmk6Ol80knjJlk20AQ_5s849Fquz41klNI8Pp0RfxeNSCTrLj5/s320/takahe.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In Central Otago gold
country, all you need to do if you want to know the time is look to the hills - and there's a working and accurate clock.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF50CKnbuLI1qFKOKxBD_bQs2Gaprvjuwf7UWEyWS7hUrLHp_2Y_-1SmwwZn-gx3dX9u-1iu8LI-5QSblMBI4csAaGk7pEcKVEmgC3933qjTXhxFhxVrBkRAYIjpR17YZ_B5M93-x2_hNi/s1600/Alex+Clock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="668" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF50CKnbuLI1qFKOKxBD_bQs2Gaprvjuwf7UWEyWS7hUrLHp_2Y_-1SmwwZn-gx3dX9u-1iu8LI-5QSblMBI4csAaGk7pEcKVEmgC3933qjTXhxFhxVrBkRAYIjpR17YZ_B5M93-x2_hNi/s320/Alex+Clock.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cromwell is where New
Zealand gets its succulent soft fruits and in Springtime, the blossom trees attract
tourists, especially from Asia. </span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All year round though, you can see these tasty
fruits displayed as you enter town. Mmmm, mouth-wateringly fruity!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZ6rP6KJ_KklJUm4ujSEpLnYuxV6ytsm2FiY_ESf7Rk5NOfDg0YgZn8UdPqVq8z8dCwzXWnjmWw3qc_d1eVxUgCehcxOpY8E5gEufXBpIkA4z2XP7UPXY8bofdsvkNObw-35zp3fg9pzP/s1600/giant+fruit+cromwell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="511" data-original-width="810" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZ6rP6KJ_KklJUm4ujSEpLnYuxV6ytsm2FiY_ESf7Rk5NOfDg0YgZn8UdPqVq8z8dCwzXWnjmWw3qc_d1eVxUgCehcxOpY8E5gEufXBpIkA4z2XP7UPXY8bofdsvkNObw-35zp3fg9pzP/s320/giant+fruit+cromwell.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Feeling peckish as
you hit Springfield? Homer Simpson would be in his element here.</span></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmfsSNE6GrBr26agq15QJY1SQdymfg_M1s2D9KUJYyiG64cV9iHc1RNZXGCz83NTw7upTc8H-BII1DQHPPsrBrpzsNdHWdeODtqhkczj5uF0nOE7TQGU3nMIU9hFPouWzsMrTtzFjX8JBy/s1600/donut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmfsSNE6GrBr26agq15QJY1SQdymfg_M1s2D9KUJYyiG64cV9iHc1RNZXGCz83NTw7upTc8H-BII1DQHPPsrBrpzsNdHWdeODtqhkczj5uF0nOE7TQGU3nMIU9hFPouWzsMrTtzFjX8JBy/s320/donut.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Springfield Doughut</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rakaia on the
Canterbury Plains boasts the braided Rakaia River and the longest road and rail
bridges in Aotearoa at 1,750 metres (1.084 miles) long. The river is popular
with anglers for its Salmon, hence this leaping fish.</span></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDoTVse-yfaCpSsY7NfWgfO_cMilJ8s5fxBdvnGpfy-PISzGkDBc9XqsBsfM3mMb7O4_JwZtntdwTFPkIHxXYcUvgS753gC9aYJ-kZEgZ_MuVk2VH1HcdWdzkV9O1vI8s9BwFZqil4B23d/s1600/big+fish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="544" data-original-width="810" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDoTVse-yfaCpSsY7NfWgfO_cMilJ8s5fxBdvnGpfy-PISzGkDBc9XqsBsfM3mMb7O4_JwZtntdwTFPkIHxXYcUvgS753gC9aYJ-kZEgZ_MuVk2VH1HcdWdzkV9O1vI8s9BwFZqil4B23d/s320/big+fish.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That salmon doesn't look to sure about the welcome</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">New Zealand loves its odd erections and there are more to come as we move up the North Island. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's a fundamental part of the Kiwi characte, that we are proud of our local industries and enterprises but don't get too precious about them. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We're always up for a laugh, especially at ourselves.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">**************************************************************************************</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkCu4cYws2sKC_0OJy6tpQVYlaZvgZglRKpG2oOFJN-JhFSERqOmgsM40pOSgp2cPcK-iR9oTS1bIXe4q0Lu8Qx05-fk7u8lRZ9kMee4qW9nydM97No3AUSKrCSNJR5bOXTm8ZVicqbENi/s1600/800px-Beehive%252C_Wellington_-_view_from_above.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="859" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkCu4cYws2sKC_0OJy6tpQVYlaZvgZglRKpG2oOFJN-JhFSERqOmgsM40pOSgp2cPcK-iR9oTS1bIXe4q0Lu8Qx05-fk7u8lRZ9kMee4qW9nydM97No3AUSKrCSNJR5bOXTm8ZVicqbENi/s320/800px-Beehive%252C_Wellington_-_view_from_above.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parliament Building nicknamed The Beehive</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We've arrived in </span></b><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">well-named Windy Wellington and although this
city, like Nelson, is also a centre for the arts, it has a more avant-garde feel.</b></div>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Here in the capital, you’ll<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>find Te Papa Tongarewa, the Museum of New Zealand, filled with precious
things which speak about our history, our present and our future.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg88GAvYxpI-OM9Cy0sXVmorVEhphlHtZpIBPgzKu0DG73uRZHLCcDCP7lhLFyINFbY5204z6ge6GgMW8DYt0jEvzyjfL9dWsGUIVbCpay3f0D-etx2M3yaL8xtJ0fgXkiblFRymr0zT6pT/s1600/kava.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="253" data-original-width="420" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg88GAvYxpI-OM9Cy0sXVmorVEhphlHtZpIBPgzKu0DG73uRZHLCcDCP7lhLFyINFbY5204z6ge6GgMW8DYt0jEvzyjfL9dWsGUIVbCpay3f0D-etx2M3yaL8xtJ0fgXkiblFRymr0zT6pT/s200/kava.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Collections include items as diverse as a <span style="background: white; color: #120e10;">Tanoa
fai`ava (kava bowl) from Samoa to the paintings of Sir Cedric Morris. </span></b></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsSPdn4nh3PVrKz3XNJS6mRR9yaYqnJcMLHQjzY_Uj1TtG7bqfHtAKokBS-zbafJVtaTNoUJiNxXFBwr55chddZVkHf1LmJgbLXRe-Q0CtHDesOuaFXuV60xOtYyXzzglkdIA7B8uJz2y_/s1600/Spring-flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="825" data-original-width="1000" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsSPdn4nh3PVrKz3XNJS6mRR9yaYqnJcMLHQjzY_Uj1TtG7bqfHtAKokBS-zbafJVtaTNoUJiNxXFBwr55chddZVkHf1LmJgbLXRe-Q0CtHDesOuaFXuV60xOtYyXzzglkdIA7B8uJz2y_/s200/Spring-flowers.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Springtime 1923</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bohemian and fascinating, Cuba Street’s a stage for
performers of all kinds, sculpture included. The Bucket Fountain has been used for
protests; is enhanced with foaming dishwashing liquid on Friday nights and on hot
summer days, part of the whole Cuba
Street experienced is to be splashed by the buckets.</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhslmqSOIDEHBVUx_ymNkHWVhFgP_bxBl7KcJ8PbOWtFPewL-1idP1iIM8hYeRxZE-H1uU_uI17yNqsyEquvMSk1WJXEx0noBUyhLQv5K9UF11cyNUFmmK0YCHT2V4AMzQ9v7cZTlg-k3d-/s1600/buckets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhslmqSOIDEHBVUx_ymNkHWVhFgP_bxBl7KcJ8PbOWtFPewL-1idP1iIM8hYeRxZE-H1uU_uI17yNqsyEquvMSk1WJXEx0noBUyhLQv5K9UF11cyNUFmmK0YCHT2V4AMzQ9v7cZTlg-k3d-/s320/buckets.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Wellington<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is also
home to theatre, on and off street and that generates many wonderful
characters, my favourite being the outrageous Constance Craving. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBd5KHsOVNxZ0O1b5t3LG7IVUnZhzB-4_Xk_yRxaHUqth_RSIYc682bKzH3J3gRNRO5A9SjnkeycEM5tY8Te9BW1PVIhHhxLkz2UjhmhcpWtVYgDG-cjPHGQmYpnxt4JA2t9GzL32AGrs2/s1600/constance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="732" data-original-width="732" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBd5KHsOVNxZ0O1b5t3LG7IVUnZhzB-4_Xk_yRxaHUqth_RSIYc682bKzH3J3gRNRO5A9SjnkeycEM5tY8Te9BW1PVIhHhxLkz2UjhmhcpWtVYgDG-cjPHGQmYpnxt4JA2t9GzL32AGrs2/s200/constance.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Constance Craving aka the beautiful <br />
Maryanne Cathro</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You’ll find her performing in
various venues here and overseas. “Fabulous darling!”</b></div>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One last look at the city from the historic Cable Car which will haul us from
bustling Lambton Quay, 612m to Kelburn, where a splendid view of the
city, harbour and surrounding ocean can be marvelled at. </b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdPDUHWpeaKK2hdXeIPWACc9Txh7_dHHhjdel_xO5wH7MD9Bkp4kmEavJW4VLPLMG7-p5EECEW-nt2pcIFSYo5wQuJWxXFRUcNy7w1iFBJTyHULEKMqlIU-N_i3q3rhC8n0C8rn97FPULe/s1600/1523160873148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="699" data-original-width="1240" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdPDUHWpeaKK2hdXeIPWACc9Txh7_dHHhjdel_xO5wH7MD9Bkp4kmEavJW4VLPLMG7-p5EECEW-nt2pcIFSYo5wQuJWxXFRUcNy7w1iFBJTyHULEKMqlIU-N_i3q3rhC8n0C8rn97FPULe/s320/1523160873148.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Historic Wellington Cable Car</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After reachign the top, you can walk back down through
the beautiful Botanic Gardens but don’t forget to visit Space Place the
Planetarium first.</b></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiFvJNhh-gxI1zLnxWwdzVHwj3aLLXo7KYkLWX9phnIuiMwQYgBTbZeaDv57HVnAkYE4s4g-9nNRdBuOMOjss5KUWcLT0TFaBbp68KOvuNUh1_sWERGjuFn7sj5VDeqvvBPDd63wcxpBI3/s1600/space+place.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="713" data-original-width="1354" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiFvJNhh-gxI1zLnxWwdzVHwj3aLLXo7KYkLWX9phnIuiMwQYgBTbZeaDv57HVnAkYE4s4g-9nNRdBuOMOjss5KUWcLT0TFaBbp68KOvuNUh1_sWERGjuFn7sj5VDeqvvBPDd63wcxpBI3/s320/space+place.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You could spend weeks in Wellington and still not see everything. It's a constantly changing city full of creative people, all living life to the full and never wasting a moment.</b></div>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></b></div>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And we'll follow their example and set off North - we've still a long way to go before we hit Cape Reinga, just over 1,000km away. </b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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Zola the Gorgonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07569877587588044249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242348033327117577.post-88155454825440082522020-05-29T19:27:00.000+12:002020-05-30T13:00:50.010+12:00<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Day Fifty Nine</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I can only give you a very small taste of each place but a Google search of any key word will tell you all you need to know.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcVGwXQ9IpdIkQTZKVRgLvJXFUyHag4QxXokwTKuFU1CSNrgPiGX8BjdzFXZTuTV9Ihrt1ijyFvUmTwYlmLBwgRXGIyDJ5N9oKlgH7ASm7mjY-IXO9oFXBsXzub3p5mstNnRXu1tmBnDn5/s1600/Christchurch_City.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcVGwXQ9IpdIkQTZKVRgLvJXFUyHag4QxXokwTKuFU1CSNrgPiGX8BjdzFXZTuTV9Ihrt1ijyFvUmTwYlmLBwgRXGIyDJ5N9oKlgH7ASm7mjY-IXO9oFXBsXzub3p5mstNnRXu1tmBnDn5/s200/Christchurch_City.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christchurch City with the Southern Alps in the background</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here we are in the beautiful city of <b>Christchurch</b>,
spread out along the <b>Canterbury Plain</b> with the <b>Cashmere Hills</b> rising beyond.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> The Avon River flows through the Botanical Gardens
and visitors can enjoy trips </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> by punt to the heart of the city</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRvyftzlLtei1QWK534jHTUrdCMmnQoYx4Y_EWsL2V8bkMV-EqIyMuEgK3bJG-j-g-tnwTPRWb-nATuPoNSrYDYSLlrF6UZpi2gBai4HSL7Er3s2LC_JZQ0zOwTTsXnZl7WV6_CypoCMwB/s1600/punting.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="1000" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRvyftzlLtei1QWK534jHTUrdCMmnQoYx4Y_EWsL2V8bkMV-EqIyMuEgK3bJG-j-g-tnwTPRWb-nATuPoNSrYDYSLlrF6UZpi2gBai4HSL7Er3s2LC_JZQ0zOwTTsXnZl7WV6_CypoCMwB/s320/punting.webp" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Christchurch</b> has seen more than its fair
share of tragedy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijmaSYbytcC1C9L8UgGMlPz4iXOjk935vaMk3yFE2Yxm8gHiIVCCxGts-d75wA4LZgVFJYOF5Y4CdPgHj1k4LYXXil62LsEsjg4xl72SDh-wjvdh5EE-hRyW40aYY-rkaFE6omte7ZGkPd/s1600/cathedal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="375" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijmaSYbytcC1C9L8UgGMlPz4iXOjk935vaMk3yFE2Yxm8gHiIVCCxGts-d75wA4LZgVFJYOF5Y4CdPgHj1k4LYXXil62LsEsjg4xl72SDh-wjvdh5EE-hRyW40aYY-rkaFE6omte7ZGkPd/s320/cathedal.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christchrch Cathedral before the quake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On <b>Saturday 4</b></span><sup style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>th</b></sup><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b> Sept 2010</b>, an
earthquake measuring 7.1 struck the area, causing widespread damage but with no loss of
life.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Six month later
Ruamoko, god of volcanoes and earthquakes, kicked off again, this time closer
to the city’s centre.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNCbBeHLq7A5pQclrz8lGhk9vMiYodkCk5OiSqPRhys3ZapJtEi9tWfO0rDxpe_n5hwUZc6ofCQ5zJwivNbzRl6kt4f2_zBezteA7vBpNEmfGHdpYVvcJkbfTMKbQTmbB-dPqxZS-9NEri/s1600/chchruin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="317" data-original-width="564" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNCbBeHLq7A5pQclrz8lGhk9vMiYodkCk5OiSqPRhys3ZapJtEi9tWfO0rDxpe_n5hwUZc6ofCQ5zJwivNbzRl6kt4f2_zBezteA7vBpNEmfGHdpYVvcJkbfTMKbQTmbB-dPqxZS-9NEri/s320/chchruin.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and after</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This was the strongest earthquake ever recorded in
an urban area and it killed 185 people from more than 20 countries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Aftershocks continued and although many fled
from the city, most decided to stay on and defiantly rebuild.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgodHyq1yprOooFvWzw2m_JEeE5uAWURzExv7JyCM5JWGhY3YBFpemcMo3BMWnnZvVOdK9q-ifAUjQch1TsfvHOIle3lprTjouX2ERA7biVriIkntb7_9ZgNwzK04JylfMu7owLQjFxYy4q/s1600/container.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="564" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgodHyq1yprOooFvWzw2m_JEeE5uAWURzExv7JyCM5JWGhY3YBFpemcMo3BMWnnZvVOdK9q-ifAUjQch1TsfvHOIle3lprTjouX2ERA7biVriIkntb7_9ZgNwzK04JylfMu7owLQjFxYy4q/s320/container.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Within weeks a vibrant container city was open for
business with banks, shops, restaurants, cafés and clubs, all housed in
repurposed containers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo-h5o8vBEPmu_AMf58mZvYLONGuTVVkcOUvPgObreB3RGq8e9V-FmXCGCoqpyEPx7XIjXaFuKLhl2R_Zb2o99AIwd9r4zXx93zf3oZd66wiyrnfsahjwnZ46ZADKMwrr4Sfm2oG4o1iUK/s1600/cont3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="728" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo-h5o8vBEPmu_AMf58mZvYLONGuTVVkcOUvPgObreB3RGq8e9V-FmXCGCoqpyEPx7XIjXaFuKLhl2R_Zb2o99AIwd9r4zXx93zf3oZd66wiyrnfsahjwnZ46ZADKMwrr4Sfm2oG4o1iUK/s320/cont3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Although I am not, in general a city person, this
place just hummed with life and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>cheeky
enthusiasm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Everyone seemed upbeat and optimistic, cocking a snook at the
destructive gods.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkUdpfyzFHxL2-TJCSwdmMYEjh3hcSaZIogddGnpmA3vcc7a0W7I9JK7qorXx6-seQBPuVA3Qe7ezr2FaUxrUrTJzd4JS7EidRA2j6TinjSA7ux8QpqQjNhDuUBQCZfm4aD3YRlFc0BbZP/s1600/cont5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1023" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkUdpfyzFHxL2-TJCSwdmMYEjh3hcSaZIogddGnpmA3vcc7a0W7I9JK7qorXx6-seQBPuVA3Qe7ezr2FaUxrUrTJzd4JS7EidRA2j6TinjSA7ux8QpqQjNhDuUBQCZfm4aD3YRlFc0BbZP/s320/cont5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Church
authorities commissioned <b>Sigeru Ban</b> to design and build </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Cardboard Cathedral</b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, to replace the historic stone building, adjudged beyond repair (at least
for many years)</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUCvneLlZHcYuQJ5CKz_Wapm2yJG3fd4xnEDjQakp1AVnnm-85vyVxsxl-RAzTX2NFWMP7lOzRlb6Ilh8SR1oA_4M9tWYafKsjJU4kMtxwgNoP-qTmWsk32jwUJP_wntsRceW2-2aaLvPP/s1600/cadboar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="911" data-original-width="1300" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUCvneLlZHcYuQJ5CKz_Wapm2yJG3fd4xnEDjQakp1AVnnm-85vyVxsxl-RAzTX2NFWMP7lOzRlb6Ilh8SR1oA_4M9tWYafKsjJU4kMtxwgNoP-qTmWsk32jwUJP_wntsRceW2-2aaLvPP/s320/cadboar.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cardboard Cathedral</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then on <b>13<sup>th</sup> February</b>, 2017<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>two bush fires began in the <b>Port Hills</b>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eleven houses were destroyed and 1,000+ residents
evacuated but no lives were lost.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBfvO5EYVdmS2Q2mQOnY9kjh0RsH6viIgffkCcz0CJXXAoAO8zPTkQAr9xBIE2Rr6ABCKiDaw3AAf-UfkbOA6GwIsUpulfqbNsL0OUeGj-5YpbR1DPLImb3sQjeu_j5GZevWGR-GyIgxL6/s1600/1024px-Christchurch_Mosque%252C_New_Zealand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="829" data-original-width="1024" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBfvO5EYVdmS2Q2mQOnY9kjh0RsH6viIgffkCcz0CJXXAoAO8zPTkQAr9xBIE2Rr6ABCKiDaw3AAf-UfkbOA6GwIsUpulfqbNsL0OUeGj-5YpbR1DPLImb3sQjeu_j5GZevWGR-GyIgxL6/s320/1024px-Christchurch_Mosque%252C_New_Zealand.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Al Noor Mosque</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sadly, two years later, an insane and armed<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Australian nationalist killed fifty one
people, including little children, injuring many more in a hate attack on two <b>Islamic</b> centres whilst people were at prayer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern</b> said it was the darkest day in <b>New
Zealand</b> history but it led to something quite remarkable. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thousands of non-Muslims, even gang members, volunteered to form human chains around every mosque so worshippers could pray in safety.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Literally millions of people came out onto the
streets to lay huge banks of flowers at every mosque and Islamic centre in the
country. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_p8DWdrmpAtJa9q89o5s55Y4D-CDfzK2Id2U3X8eTRQ6E1rNpAznu-edp-obpdrvLpzimZ2xGMT9e7iLs-ec2o162PyD-n5_Fzmo8wJPWPexoYYeFOAg1p60s56YkXrsZHf8TmMb47bJ7/s1600/flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="950" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_p8DWdrmpAtJa9q89o5s55Y4D-CDfzK2Id2U3X8eTRQ6E1rNpAznu-edp-obpdrvLpzimZ2xGMT9e7iLs-ec2o162PyD-n5_Fzmo8wJPWPexoYYeFOAg1p60s56YkXrsZHf8TmMb47bJ7/s400/flowers.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Muslim families, often subject to racism, were inundated with letters and gifts of sorrow and
apology.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">No one could believe such a horrific thing should happen in this peaaceful country.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A little
later, every shop, factory, school, college, office, marae, café, church, bank
and home in New Zealand, stopped for a commemorative and deeply sad silence.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Support for
the bereaved and injured poured in, as did the money: $31 million in just a few
days. New Zealanders working and grieving together posted notices across the cities and on social
media: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGDkKp2-9rfJUZC9IapDIqFVPAGV6L30lqCB38H0rj-jxzJALHWtUOBRTNzkmka2cEopIZxdM9kgVI0EK1hpw66WY8eW3yLV8sHscC-OQI_kYJlzX7c_Iqqa-WBfxdzgLYEQGPxRqJx2t/s1600/this+in+NOT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGDkKp2-9rfJUZC9IapDIqFVPAGV6L30lqCB38H0rj-jxzJALHWtUOBRTNzkmka2cEopIZxdM9kgVI0EK1hpw66WY8eW3yLV8sHscC-OQI_kYJlzX7c_Iqqa-WBfxdzgLYEQGPxRqJx2t/s1600/this+in+NOT.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kia Kaha = be strong</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Visit </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Christchurch</b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> today and the flame of renewal
is still bright. A lesson to the world - if you can rise above so many
appalling setbacks, you can rise above anything.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7E_HY0U3jVLexepbhF8FsI0adWXHz48IH4yyUIYuTovnNuiaFKnakZRqLicOLbQLTWwOysMVxyjA13O6GfrVd1Rk-E3EzL8bKa6VumL_T7cVTho_rj3eN-X8lMpRdz_zADRbyNzLEV7km/s1600/akaroa2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="152" data-original-width="228" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7E_HY0U3jVLexepbhF8FsI0adWXHz48IH4yyUIYuTovnNuiaFKnakZRqLicOLbQLTWwOysMVxyjA13O6GfrVd1Rk-E3EzL8bKa6VumL_T7cVTho_rj3eN-X8lMpRdz_zADRbyNzLEV7km/s400/akaroa2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Akaroa Harbour</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Take a run out to <b>Akaroa</b>, named </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Port Louis-Philippe</b></i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> by the 63 French
settlers who arrived in 1840, believing they owned the land there, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and you’ll find yourself in a small <b>French</b>
town.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It has a beautifully continental
atmosphere whilst still being very Kiwi.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhedrcDLqwleHf9wgzrsKXmu149TrZNv43E2I1MeMVjZN0fT34YNnSY-PRRsccUtgGTgCiLNWp9bzw85dtc9GM7Dndy1R3r82qIxnPmouEe1riM8D_LbglSUzttE6T8iDB9K1wQzn63AQbZ/s1600/french.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="650" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhedrcDLqwleHf9wgzrsKXmu149TrZNv43E2I1MeMVjZN0fT34YNnSY-PRRsccUtgGTgCiLNWp9bzw85dtc9GM7Dndy1R3r82qIxnPmouEe1riM8D_LbglSUzttE6T8iDB9K1wQzn63AQbZ/s320/french.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Akaroa</b> has such charm that many people wish to retired here. Despite having only 630 residents, the influx of tourists makes it a very bustling settlement with all the usual gift, food and souvenier shops as well as French restaurants and cafes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Like everywhere in New Zealand the scenery is amazing.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvkso5wyh9v5MQSbfH7i2BQXSrkYEAUzhhAgiiZjRhat6RiMOx55C4zKlsLD3CDscy8xn_vEz1OSCSwiSKbZpgmDbytO5-RNcwxDSPnGjBFTc42F9e1BtV3-7A55fE29RgDrZNOVKX7NvX/s1600/ak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="136" data-original-width="370" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvkso5wyh9v5MQSbfH7i2BQXSrkYEAUzhhAgiiZjRhat6RiMOx55C4zKlsLD3CDscy8xn_vEz1OSCSwiSKbZpgmDbytO5-RNcwxDSPnGjBFTc42F9e1BtV3-7A55fE29RgDrZNOVKX7NvX/s640/ak.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Akaroa Harbour</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Kaikōura</b>
is over 180 </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">km north from <b>Christchurch</b>
but still also subject to shakiness.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitvWH-yWDnDrgHgJDc-gT0B7XaUNmNg8iIrclaziNS6rYbA-X4UHVF1ttqIf16tLgViH6hxUrKAHwO71PTApbEvgvAOuOvy0NrQDEM8IaTnbyvkCgOcTBWuVLKEjpE23xjq01Nas4lEr35/s1600/1024px-Kaikoura_Beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitvWH-yWDnDrgHgJDc-gT0B7XaUNmNg8iIrclaziNS6rYbA-X4UHVF1ttqIf16tLgViH6hxUrKAHwO71PTApbEvgvAOuOvy0NrQDEM8IaTnbyvkCgOcTBWuVLKEjpE23xjq01Nas4lEr35/s200/1024px-Kaikoura_Beach.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A beach at Kaikoura</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On <b>14 November 2016</b> a quake of 7.8 left 2 dead and
caused a tsunami. A thousand tourists and locals were stranded when the shaking
disrupted transport services. Not a bad place to be stranded really.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Kaikoura</b> is famous for its dolphin and whale watching
tours, held on strictly ecological lines so that no sea creature is disturbed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo3N9-N1TFF8D4t9cUxLsDT9H_9tiUem2A4KEyAxivstUnniTz6EVVnHh4OtptNe1mZIlJL8-2nT4SiX9i7hBOS0mAbT99etgi1KXVYFUhsx3Bj9YWx183GHZHIBmNrEnSFh_j3PCQsfMZ/s1600/1280px-NZ280315_Kaikoura_Whale_Watching_06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="908" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo3N9-N1TFF8D4t9cUxLsDT9H_9tiUem2A4KEyAxivstUnniTz6EVVnHh4OtptNe1mZIlJL8-2nT4SiX9i7hBOS0mAbT99etgi1KXVYFUhsx3Bj9YWx183GHZHIBmNrEnSFh_j3PCQsfMZ/s320/1280px-NZ280315_Kaikoura_Whale_Watching_06.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Up the coast 200 km and you’re in
arts-orientated <b>Nelson (</b><i><span style="background: white; color: #202122;"><b>Whakatū)</b> </span></i><span style="background: white; color: #202122;">which<i> </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>hosts multiple festivals including those for<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>jazz, blues and chamber music as well as the
famous <b>Wearable Art Festival</b>.</span></span> </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-PaVVLLNqBds9PUyPYCCR6HfPfcbtFFlNdv3L0u3OqMHKzNOgQyCurOESY1_g8ClfBf0mcS9CCofWiwPl8JAzRod1JL1wBDTI9rT_MCxYjl7a4eaVSQl1FQgAz7bI6TEGNsDh8M6LltW0/s1600/wearable+art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="243" data-original-width="208" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-PaVVLLNqBds9PUyPYCCR6HfPfcbtFFlNdv3L0u3OqMHKzNOgQyCurOESY1_g8ClfBf0mcS9CCofWiwPl8JAzRod1JL1wBDTI9rT_MCxYjl7a4eaVSQl1FQgAz7bI6TEGNsDh8M6LltW0/s200/wearable+art.jpg" width="171" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wearable art</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Enjoying a temperate
climate with long hours of sunshine, it’s the ideal venue for all outdoor
sports and leisure activities.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Nelson</b> has retained many historic old
buildings but the rot set in during 2012 when an international chain built an
hotel reminiscent of dismal Soviet Bloc apartment buildings.</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #202122;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thin end of the unlovely
wedge?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Off now to the
sheltered harbour of <b>Picton</b> to take ferry across the Cook Strait.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hope you're a good sailor, I once crossed in an Force 10 gale - very invigorating.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white;">Before we do, let’s stroll
around this attractive seaside town with its many cafés, galleries and restaurants.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white;"> <b>The Foreshore</b> gives a calming view of the sea whilst keeping the vibrancy of
friends meeting, interesting discussions and upbeat music. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A water taxi will take you to the <b>Kaipupu Point Nature
Reserve</b> where total peace and quiet (there is no vehicular access) allow you to
enjoy bird song.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grab your ferry tickets, it’s nearly time to head for
the terminal and the 3 ½ hour journey across <b>Cook Strait</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Listed in the world’s guidebooks as one of
the most beautiful journeys you’ll ever take.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white;">You may see </span>five
species of dolphin: Common, Bottlenose, Dusky and extremely rare Hctor
dolphin as well as <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the Orca. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Birdlife included Australasian gannets,
shearwaters, shags and even blue penguins. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you’re lucky you may spot a majestic
<b>Royal Albatross</b> heading down the coast to the <b>Taiaroa Head</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>sanctuary, 29km from <b>Dunedin</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Before we leave the <b>South Island,</b> a word about boulders.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><b>The Moeraki Boulders</b>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Maori have several
legends about these concretions: they are the kumara seeds which the
gods brought to <b>Aotearoa</b>; or eel baskets and calabashes from the wrecked canoe,
<b style="font-style: italic;">Arai-te-uru, </b>the waka (canoe) which brought the ancestors of the <b>Ngai Tahu</b><b style="font-style: italic;"> </b>people to<b style="font-style: italic;"> </b><b>Aotearoa</b>. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moeraki Boulders</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">They have hard shells but the stone inside is crumbly. A bit like Maltesers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At <b>Matakaea</b> some 19 kilometres away, are </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the
<b>Katiki Boulders</b> which contain the bones of Mosasaurs and Plesiosaurs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I can just imagine them emerging from this giant egg which then calcified.</span><br />
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<br />Zola the Gorgonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07569877587588044249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242348033327117577.post-23540885465558730472020-05-28T20:29:00.000+12:002020-05-30T13:04:38.597+12:00<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Day Fifty Eight</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For the next few days, we’re going to be touring <b>Aotearoa-New
Zealand, Land of the Long White Cloud</b> - said to be the name given by the Maori
explorers who saw the clouds resting above the country and knew they’d found a new home.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_NODYpDUNs5azbNijcrUeCnwNwe-OvhQXkFqYm-Nb2NAA7DDE8vW9-bs7W1JC3R6GnkXjUGE_cjKbpxcEi-uSBMV-iW9B2VYbtgJMnnrlX-o3BsBzbgOjNlJm3053aXe9FMEnycbxLqqE/s1600/waka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="161" data-original-width="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_NODYpDUNs5azbNijcrUeCnwNwe-OvhQXkFqYm-Nb2NAA7DDE8vW9-bs7W1JC3R6GnkXjUGE_cjKbpxcEi-uSBMV-iW9B2VYbtgJMnnrlX-o3BsBzbgOjNlJm3053aXe9FMEnycbxLqqE/s1600/waka.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maori waka</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Let’s start at the southernmost tip of this very beautiful
country at a place with many names:</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">Te Punga o te Waka</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>, </b>(The anchor stone of
the canoe)<b>; </b></span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">Te Punga o Te Waka a Maui</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(The anchor stone of Maui’s canoe)</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">; </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;">Rakiura</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>
(Glowing Skies) </b>or in English, </span><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stewart
Island</b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, named after William W. Stewart, first officer of the </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pegasus</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> which, in 1809, sailed into the
harbour port which now bears its name.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLTCP8_cKtTY5lCGonQxo6KHeFEXtKDGkkC9Wh8Lv4htsPEnSR45_DlH_rFo3Nxm0XECtRDfLshiI8z6STQXYnowR0U0VET17Wmbj5TpouyWgHuhTYascA9YH5GGZEqWrIYTPhCwR2xyJF/s1600/stewart+island.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLTCP8_cKtTY5lCGonQxo6KHeFEXtKDGkkC9Wh8Lv4htsPEnSR45_DlH_rFo3Nxm0XECtRDfLshiI8z6STQXYnowR0U0VET17Wmbj5TpouyWgHuhTYascA9YH5GGZEqWrIYTPhCwR2xyJF/s320/stewart+island.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is hilly (<b>Mt. Anglem </b>rises 3,220 feet) and well
forested;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a safe haven for many
flightless birds, including the penguin, for the island has few introduced
predators.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Oban</b> is the home for most of the 400+ inhabitants, connected
to the mainland by a ferry which takes people to <b>Bluff</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tourism and fishing are the islands main
economies and I can personally vouch for the fact that it produces the best
scallops in the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Te Punga o Te Waka a Maui</i>, comes from the legend of Maui the
demi-god who stood in his canoe (the South Island) and pulled up an enormous
fish (the North Island) anchored firmly by the trusty triangular island which
often sees the <b>Aurora Australis,</b> <b>Southern Lights</b> - <b> Rakiura</b>, glowing skies.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaL4WJck7Tav9rB42pNHJEg-OzJeRwqA7tdc7U3ksghlRrMwQww2GDLyRNPCMXSZyiht9_XWsSfzOjq0kS0TPfAkr6_5R1q6LIKCKA7pBqYz4YICxWla2Dtd8AoZXe34rYCG5eSE_lwbfj/s1600/aurora2.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaL4WJck7Tav9rB42pNHJEg-OzJeRwqA7tdc7U3ksghlRrMwQww2GDLyRNPCMXSZyiht9_XWsSfzOjq0kS0TPfAkr6_5R1q6LIKCKA7pBqYz4YICxWla2Dtd8AoZXe34rYCG5eSE_lwbfj/s320/aurora2.webp" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aurora Australis</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One night, a strange thing happened to me. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was deeply asleep (in <b>Auckland, </b>1, 264 km north of <b>Rakiura</b>) and woken by I-know-not-what, impelled to <i>stand on my bed</i>
to look out of a tiny window high up in the wall. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Something I’d never done, not even to clean
it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The sky was glowing a dull red and dancing across the
horizon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I woke my sons and pulling coats over our nightclothes we drove
quickly to a nearby hill with a view over the city. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There we watched a
spectacular sight as the sky leaped and darted. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Aurora is
rarely seen as far north as Auckland and it seemed this was the first showing in 40
years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Whatever it was that woke me, I'm deeply grateful.</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Landing in <b>Bluff</b>, famous for its Oyster Festival (and much
more) it’s 30 km drive to <b>Invercargill </b>(or Waihopai in Maori) the country’s
most southerly city. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLhCm6fS9huqUC_m2pqC6ES1Ej3Tqad39V38F9OARyDHsW4Vfyb8eFKIFpmFz5VBZr9IrnnclH5K9YB7UNmjVBVccxYlma_0tNleNUs5STNsUqUX2Um6B5o9REab18xREEsK7mT_vVxtAD/s1600/hotel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1007" data-original-width="1600" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLhCm6fS9huqUC_m2pqC6ES1Ej3Tqad39V38F9OARyDHsW4Vfyb8eFKIFpmFz5VBZr9IrnnclH5K9YB7UNmjVBVccxYlma_0tNleNUs5STNsUqUX2Um6B5o9REab18xREEsK7mT_vVxtAD/s200/hotel.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Come here to see the architecture, enjoy the
laid-back, low-stress atmosphere and the magnificent <b>Queens Park.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Eighty
hectares of beautifully kept lawns and flower beds, playgrounds and wildlife
habitats.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSEJWVRPJ-LEkiGsR-JNgAw-Lp3pOb4UyuaNOBGipHPaay3UxqGJ-DmRn9sN-cdWfrNBLv8Wa9cbDxlGW2iUauKHGgN1grdYr97y_A1NEMN2_lZwb-Xx_-Y7JWkMcmvULE5HuS1IeJITJr/s1600/queenbs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="560" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSEJWVRPJ-LEkiGsR-JNgAw-Lp3pOb4UyuaNOBGipHPaay3UxqGJ-DmRn9sN-cdWfrNBLv8Wa9cbDxlGW2iUauKHGgN1grdYr97y_A1NEMN2_lZwb-Xx_-Y7JWkMcmvULE5HuS1IeJITJr/s400/queenbs.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Queens Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> And if you have a passion for classic vehicles, this is the place to
be.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Have you seen the movie, <b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The World’s Fastest Indian</i> </b>with Anthony Hopkins as the enterprising
and indomitable <b>Burt Munro? </b> (Invercargill resident) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then you’ll know this New
Zealander set a land speed record in 1967 on his <b>Indian Scout</b> Motorbike.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic6KcGQpB-bp4WBbvx2NuZmt2rcP0XSVoyL3MExiz12USu0jMiMpCEQWs6UqDSIJPlHEZ26AlCKIW8L6H5RSovsYrtt7RL1i_L8GVQp1dTg4P5sReuJxBd6ZVJTmX-XKd2B6Z8WXEc0rHU/s1600/Indan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic6KcGQpB-bp4WBbvx2NuZmt2rcP0XSVoyL3MExiz12USu0jMiMpCEQWs6UqDSIJPlHEZ26AlCKIW8L6H5RSovsYrtt7RL1i_L8GVQp1dTg4P5sReuJxBd6ZVJTmX-XKd2B6Z8WXEc0rHU/s320/Indan.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burt's Bike</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOzPbXCjlY6UkXLnhiov4forcJy4xcn0lfnkn9TkA2-7KtDbK5xyXDngqWy3Kql66gKLo28PMcWcYFpKmVRkJyeXUE7A8INujTYCYnr8jxGavlLlFdcZ1zPoTl_eLaQ-JBt9vf5BDhAPZp/s1600/Burt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="264" data-original-width="220" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOzPbXCjlY6UkXLnhiov4forcJy4xcn0lfnkn9TkA2-7KtDbK5xyXDngqWy3Kql66gKLo28PMcWcYFpKmVRkJyeXUE7A8INujTYCYnr8jxGavlLlFdcZ1zPoTl_eLaQ-JBt9vf5BDhAPZp/s200/Burt.jpg" width="166" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burt Munro</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He also inspired a love of vintage
vehicles which can now be seen in the museum at New Zealand’s “Classic Motoring
Capital”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A little further up the coast (208 km) is <b>Dunedin</b> (the
Gaelic form of Edinburg) home of Otago University, the Botanical gardens and a
coastline which hides in its bosom, many little inlets and bay communities.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIW3t9q5unTornLFukT0DQiubM-vWuCmihVQpmqn0X03hZDmsEvDVwXUk3YXJvvk5Ga3gV9DUgyZL08-QUVL4N3YdHqEtl5ORcc-ZM_ViSisc3fDHr6F4mFrWM7mk-vmCBKZjIg4mx-LPj/s1600/dun+ralwy+station.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="797" data-original-width="1600" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIW3t9q5unTornLFukT0DQiubM-vWuCmihVQpmqn0X03hZDmsEvDVwXUk3YXJvvk5Ga3gV9DUgyZL08-QUVL4N3YdHqEtl5ORcc-ZM_ViSisc3fDHr6F4mFrWM7mk-vmCBKZjIg4mx-LPj/s400/dun+ralwy+station.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dunedin Railway Station</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_3QH6VIKuPqUf59QHQXQk_NfW7sbici7mH2b5CMd4WRfla_81xIQm0r_Rs50R-XRXII6MDRkH4QpfsWRklqzb52g-qYbSMy1tDWI9KmqCsbl59LZvcQTnf2kdAZr6i0DDhlBamRvXAmX/s1600/dun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_3QH6VIKuPqUf59QHQXQk_NfW7sbici7mH2b5CMd4WRfla_81xIQm0r_Rs50R-XRXII6MDRkH4QpfsWRklqzb52g-qYbSMy1tDWI9KmqCsbl59LZvcQTnf2kdAZr6i0DDhlBamRvXAmX/s200/dun.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Many thousands of Scots came here during the 1800’s, hoping to
make their fortunes as they landed at <b>Port Chalmers. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I came to the city in
1973 and found it a lovely place to live and work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I missed the Gold<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rush of 1861 but wasn’t too bothered about
getting rich, unlike the thieves who broke into The Customs House at <b>Port
Chalmers</b> on 31<sup>st</sup> May 1855. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBo5-Z90yuJJsUm3qqzOTXHfMqGd7vVtlxNFd_mo1fBMf1CyLJjClwo8wNMVs_NYeiOTbVy-enF4bfbc1HJdSB9b0gDDFWV2mWjnZ9ky9cdyOQrOHCT_dGYGI9HZbPyTRTEa195Iv4j_5J/s1600/1920px-Port_Chalmers_Lookout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="1600" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBo5-Z90yuJJsUm3qqzOTXHfMqGd7vVtlxNFd_mo1fBMf1CyLJjClwo8wNMVs_NYeiOTbVy-enF4bfbc1HJdSB9b0gDDFWV2mWjnZ9ky9cdyOQrOHCT_dGYGI9HZbPyTRTEa195Iv4j_5J/s640/1920px-Port_Chalmers_Lookout.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Port Chalmers</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">They stole a strongbox containing </span><span style="background: white; color: #202122; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">£1,400. These not-so-quick-witted larrikins hurled it against rocks, then tried a crowbar
in attempts to open it but to no avail. The police found it dumped, intact, in the
harbour. </span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #202122; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I love it when a plan comes together.</span><br />
<span style="background: white; color: #202122; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #202122; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkT4KQWmS7Hhc88xZh21osM_oD18IzV7eA0gUAGIAke75IdRuLRNtHrlTEiC2ILgFZB8Up1U6GtIOGyuO_XlgXRC_iQq1D6yTgOKCXTLGEcYjNYyZvXs2sF1oq9iLoGy7H8WADI0po9rCl/s1600/Queenstown_from_Bob%2527s_Peak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkT4KQWmS7Hhc88xZh21osM_oD18IzV7eA0gUAGIAke75IdRuLRNtHrlTEiC2ILgFZB8Up1U6GtIOGyuO_XlgXRC_iQq1D6yTgOKCXTLGEcYjNYyZvXs2sF1oq9iLoGy7H8WADI0po9rCl/s200/Queenstown_from_Bob%2527s_Peak.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Queenstown</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Across to the west is <b>Queenstown</b>, which, when I first knew
it, was a charming Alpine town with a strict building code to protect its
character.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It had a steady turnover of skiers, climbers and tourists who came for
the spectacular scenery.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikGk525zFOS5HvMyFZggpeL_EWstiHSOfwHj0ytlSq0_xtzDoq0XOlJSqweDEa2NhHno4g6t9AjSyuWi1yuxKACOVWDPPSnxJ28GwoI6l_kGweebUTALcIVfxH_RM53X3AswRTRsN6vn0T/s1600/remarkables.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikGk525zFOS5HvMyFZggpeL_EWstiHSOfwHj0ytlSq0_xtzDoq0XOlJSqweDEa2NhHno4g6t9AjSyuWi1yuxKACOVWDPPSnxJ28GwoI6l_kGweebUTALcIVfxH_RM53X3AswRTRsN6vn0T/s320/remarkables.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Remarkables living up to their name</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Alas, big money soon came bullying its way in, got all the
rules changed and built charmless monstrosities of hotels and casinos.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s now no longer charming but a place where
few but the very rich can afford to stay.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What they couldn’t spoil is the scenic splendour of <b>The Remarkables</b>,
which rise above the town in breath taking beauty over Lake Wakatipu.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihSkBeetSMTXVsf_IFsgkUbrBBliQsL8SGNgyDR6N3B3YJBdGo7eVLCFwnAG7zmJRE93j0kNLMipYxdn72p9swIxIgXQTpOuf_s4jp8Y_DxOXvZ2JDN5nF_IrtfyYJ2LGCLwATY6ps41R_/s1600/Mt_Cook%252C_NZ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihSkBeetSMTXVsf_IFsgkUbrBBliQsL8SGNgyDR6N3B3YJBdGo7eVLCFwnAG7zmJRE93j0kNLMipYxdn72p9swIxIgXQTpOuf_s4jp8Y_DxOXvZ2JDN5nF_IrtfyYJ2LGCLwATY6ps41R_/s320/Mt_Cook%252C_NZ.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Aoraki - Cloud Piercer, or Mt Cook</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The whole of the <b>West Coast of the South Island </b>is extremely
beautiful, with glaciers, <b>Mt Aoraki</b> (Mt. Cook) and delightful little townships,
a world away from the avariciousness which has spoiled <b>Queenstown</b>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not everyone
agrees with me on this of course, some people love the modern buzz and bright
lights and constantly ringing tills and gambling machines.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg77p_pZwN1Fw3LMszyFvZotQQCdiZB4brnNorPV2QvBvFz8ergBrWOaVsIR6PweH9w7uaee5hF3pKMrE6KQjgJg_RPCMHP2AGFDp5mLM4AFcJw6nXURV4RDWVV_CN_DFILOi-Civih0zsF/s1600/Lake+matheson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="940" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg77p_pZwN1Fw3LMszyFvZotQQCdiZB4brnNorPV2QvBvFz8ergBrWOaVsIR6PweH9w7uaee5hF3pKMrE6KQjgJg_RPCMHP2AGFDp5mLM4AFcJw6nXURV4RDWVV_CN_DFILOi-Civih0zsF/s320/Lake+matheson.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Matheson</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On the <b>West Coast</b> we'll also find <b>Fox</b> and <b>Franz Joseph Glaciers.</b></span><br />
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Fox Glacier<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> is easily accessed and is a major tourist
attraction with over 1,000 people <i>per day
</i>visiting. You can even be airlifted by plane to the top.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizs8dWx4JyMoLC3EX3MxCoy0EJyY-cV7rOYoxPFg1bAnOz8U3_QZNWSx_dZzkrgU1FKUa9m9AayKR2tqNuu_o_4dKn-CPVJUtwin9nxzjriqOw5B-hGsehN0wQuero-_rWAi6jfgWo0gF2/s1600/408px-Franz_Josef_glacier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="408" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizs8dWx4JyMoLC3EX3MxCoy0EJyY-cV7rOYoxPFg1bAnOz8U3_QZNWSx_dZzkrgU1FKUa9m9AayKR2tqNuu_o_4dKn-CPVJUtwin9nxzjriqOw5B-hGsehN0wQuero-_rWAi6jfgWo0gF2/s200/408px-Franz_Josef_glacier.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Make your way across <b>Arthur's Pass,</b> via the Alpine Highway, often called <b>The Most Beautiful Road in the World</b>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By road or rail, you'll eventually get to <b>Christchurch</b> on the east coast.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Book into an hotel and we'll start our journey up country from there, tomorrow.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDpBAh7VvrViJeVSIZrFvWOO7jl9s7ULVZxd4RxfEvYYjIWcCykFmwjKP3lSPwfjT5dTsEAbsgWBU2xnGiMTmiF05l0paJIDAUPdLXakNYF9NY4DOe9poaqJdXSKIgpGGp_39xbtRq_oO2/s1600/TranzAlpine-Arthurs-Pass-4739-40__FillWzE0NDAsOTAwXQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1440" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDpBAh7VvrViJeVSIZrFvWOO7jl9s7ULVZxd4RxfEvYYjIWcCykFmwjKP3lSPwfjT5dTsEAbsgWBU2xnGiMTmiF05l0paJIDAUPdLXakNYF9NY4DOe9poaqJdXSKIgpGGp_39xbtRq_oO2/s400/TranzAlpine-Arthurs-Pass-4739-40__FillWzE0NDAsOTAwXQ.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tranz-Alpine Train </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Zola the Gorgonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07569877587588044249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242348033327117577.post-43524513070281953512020-05-26T20:28:00.001+12:002020-05-26T20:30:17.096+12:00<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Day Fifty Seven</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today I'm going to share some favourite poems with you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Bed in Summer</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Robert Louis Stevenson</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It echoes every child's dislike of having to go to bed while the sun is still high in the sky and there's so much more playing to do - but for that Tyrant Time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In winter I get up at night <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And dress by yellow candle-light. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In summer, quite the other way, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have to go to bed by day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have to go to bed and see <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The birds still hopping on the tree, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Or hear the grown-up people's feet <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Still going past me in the street. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And does it not seem hard to you, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When all the sky is clear and blue, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And I should like so much to play, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To have to go to bed by day?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> *******</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Dorothy Parker</b> had an unhappy childhood and despite her success as a writer, was no luckier as an adult. She married 4 times, twice to the same man. After her death, her ashes lay unclaimed for over 17 years. Poor, unhappy woman - but a truly brilliant writer.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlHiQ7X-qnnHAxKIWyOysx83EiMwNoAvX26hx14wBRj4yznVi_4XJAA18I53B3A1heY0JCKCOWP7hJ5JulbbqtmtM8KX4YkKrW092bkrPOZgYLm5yIeYfuUmtUOQMXQDUpJrAxX8BsTk4d/s1600/parker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="186" data-original-width="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlHiQ7X-qnnHAxKIWyOysx83EiMwNoAvX26hx14wBRj4yznVi_4XJAA18I53B3A1heY0JCKCOWP7hJ5JulbbqtmtM8KX4YkKrW092bkrPOZgYLm5yIeYfuUmtUOQMXQDUpJrAxX8BsTk4d/s1600/parker.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dorothy Parker<br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Love Song</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dorothy Parker</span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My own dear love, he is strong and bold</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> And he cares
not what comes after.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">His words ring sweet as a chime of gold,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> And his eyes
are lit with laughter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He is jubilant as a flag unfurled—<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Oh, a girl,
she’d not forget him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My own dear love, he is all my world,—<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> And I wish I’d
never met him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My love, he’s mad, and my love, he’s fleet,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> And a wild
young wood-thing bore him!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The ways are fair to his roaming feet,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> And the skies
are sunlit for him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As sharply sweet to my heart he seems<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> As the
fragrance of acacia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My own dear love, he is all my dreams,—<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> And I wish he
were in Asia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My love runs by like a day in June,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> And he makes
no friends of sorrows.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He’ll tread his galloping rigadoon<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> In the pathway
of the morrows.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He’ll live his days where the sunbeams start,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Nor could
storm or wind uproot him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My own dear love, he is all my heart,—<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> And I wish
somebody’d shoot him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> *********</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Henry Reed (22 February 1914 – 8 December 1986) was a
British poet, translator, radio dramatist, and journalist.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXkj3IgS7YRGAGwnv_SqA6OM8jgFpSdYxgmerhbFLMUpMTO59pMPHLPKMT0Pq87FgI9Ef3Drv0WkdgYkZghfJHs1tx3TQJ7jkf72r3LvAnZHwd-YYt5PyE4h3rJPBU5P6b0bJgYZKy27uT/s1600/rifle.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1491" data-original-width="1600" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXkj3IgS7YRGAGwnv_SqA6OM8jgFpSdYxgmerhbFLMUpMTO59pMPHLPKMT0Pq87FgI9Ef3Drv0WkdgYkZghfJHs1tx3TQJ7jkf72r3LvAnZHwd-YYt5PyE4h3rJPBU5P6b0bJgYZKy27uT/s200/rifle.gif" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<b style="background-color: white; color: #202122;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lessons of the War: I: Naming of Parts</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By Henry Reed</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today we have Naming of Parts. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yesterday, we had Daily Cleaning. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And tomorrow morning, we shall have What To Do After Firing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But to-day, today we have Naming of Parts.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Japonica glistens like coral in
all of the neighbouring gardens,<br />
And today we have naming of parts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is the lower sling swivel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And this iIs the upper sling swivel, whose use you
will see,<br />
When you are given your slings. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And this is the piling swivel,
which in your case you have not got.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
branches hold in the gardens their silent, eloquent gestures,<br />
Which in our case we have not got.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is the safety-catch, which is always released<br />
With an easy flick of the thumb. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And please do not let me see anyone using his
finger. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You can do it quite easy if you have any strength
in your thumb. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The blossoms are fragile and motionless, never
letting anyone see<br />
Any of them using their finger.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And this you can see is the bolt.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The purpose of this is to open the breech,
as you see.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can
slide it rapidly backwards and forwards: we call this<br />
Easing the spring. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And rapidly backwards and forwards the early bees
are assaulting and fumbling the flowers:<br />
They call it easing the Spring.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">They call it easing the Spring: it is perfectly
easy<br />
If you have any strength in your thumb: like the bolt,<br />
And the breech, and the cocking-piece, and the point of balance,<br />
Which in our case we have not got; and the almond-blossom<br />
Silent in all of the gardens and the bees going backwards and forwards,<br />
For today we have naming of parts.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6JtKDdVu8iIesEWkvnfRhBi9jfvf0Onl1VizxPqrmP43Exe1B_I6QmudyQ6oYTbwupZGYBqUjB_g8ZLU0wRnOGJLxi1fod-yu7DYyp_iGBBZDKNA3_3Vz3m5HW8II8nHbqgqCmuuy3rz/s1600/almond.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="504" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6JtKDdVu8iIesEWkvnfRhBi9jfvf0Onl1VizxPqrmP43Exe1B_I6QmudyQ6oYTbwupZGYBqUjB_g8ZLU0wRnOGJLxi1fod-yu7DYyp_iGBBZDKNA3_3Vz3m5HW8II8nHbqgqCmuuy3rz/s200/almond.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Walter James Redfern Taylor </b>was an Australian born poet and writer who left his home for England when he was just 18. He wrote the following poem in 1916.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Romance</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">W.J. Turner</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When I was but thirteen or so,<br />
I went into a golden land,<br />
Chimborazo, Cotopaxi,<br />
took me by the hand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My father died, my brother too,<br />
they passed like fleeting dreams,<br />
I stood where Popocatapetl<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQCasvrXGkFU7Bf3k7blT30RWs-bYKPdz9g8bFi7XSeD14IZD9V58VeFfuqFCGxCoPPG85HvMEpPRes2MJVjVz48KizM58D_5udv_jlx9_P3g10HVOntvUYK4ANqC2RdlzSdYi-ooLhr2X/s1600/chim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="762" data-original-width="1280" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQCasvrXGkFU7Bf3k7blT30RWs-bYKPdz9g8bFi7XSeD14IZD9V58VeFfuqFCGxCoPPG85HvMEpPRes2MJVjVz48KizM58D_5udv_jlx9_P3g10HVOntvUYK4ANqC2RdlzSdYi-ooLhr2X/s200/chim.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt Chimborazo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
in the sunlight gleams.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I dimly heard the master’s voice<br />
and boys far-off at play,<br />
Chimborazo, Cocopaxi<br />
had stolen me away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I walked in a great golden dream<br />
to and fro from school –<br />
shining Popocatapetl<br />
the dusty streets did rule. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I walked home with a gold dark boy<br />
and never a word I’d say<br />
Chimborazo, Cotopaxi<br />
had taken my speech away:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I gazed entranced upon his face<br />
fairer than any flower –<br />
O shining Popocatepetl<br />
it was thy magic hour:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The houses, people, traffic seemed<br />
thin, fading dreams by day,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Chimborazo, Cotopaxi.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">They had stolen my soul away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> ********** </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> And this is one of many nonsense poems I wrote for my grandson. </span></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <b>T</b></span></o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>he Bombardon </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We once had a truly amazing bombardon<br />
All padded with vervet which came from Des Moines<br />
It could be quite dangerous, (but we kept the guard on)<br />
The rampikes and pronks were all weighted with foins<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The edges were colloped with many edmenage </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
The doors, when they opened, revealed a bezoar<br />
Klipspringers abounded and quite an advantage<br />
Were fifty five cats, a zedonk and a boar.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The things I liked best were perdicular
boskets </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
Which hung from the corners, all covered with flumes<br />
They sparkled with silver, as did the pearl oskets,<br />
Except when the mithridate gave off its fumes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When father developed a bad diaeresis<br />
He raged in delirium, ‘Sell the darned thing!’<br />
My heart, callithumpian, heard this sad thesis<br />
I even considered a note to the King.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The sad day arrived, the bombardon was taken </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
A gold ninnyhammer fell, clunk, to the floor<br />
And now in the night when I often awaken<br />
I mourne my bombardon, I'll not see it more. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Zola the Gorgonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07569877587588044249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242348033327117577.post-59875873923522421922020-05-25T20:43:00.003+12:002020-05-25T20:43:40.370+12:00<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Day Fifty Six</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Strange behaviours in the animal world</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s Autumn in Laguna, Brazil and the local
fisherman are standing knee deep in the water, holding nets and waiting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before long a pod of Bottlenose dolphins appear but they are not
what the nets are for.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The dolphins work together to herd schools of fish,
mostly mullet, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>towards the men.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then, when they decide the time is right, the dolphins give a signal by slapping
their heads or tails on the water and at this, the men throw out their nets. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
fishermen will not move until the dolphins tell them to do so.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the mullet dart about, the dolphins pick
up any not already captured in the nets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This symbiotic relationship has been going on for
generations and just as the Laguna men teach their sons the rules of the game,
the dolphins too educate their own offspring in exactly how to help their human
collaborators. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4gUABDP7DlvOeUwQcPbbWNKzUyXsPU6vZHWg2tqIWVNdUuaz8z_gMwg4_y9EPczyFXtvytT5xs1p9P_cEDoL9-POJgdD-X4abX50IqO4Cj4C8dd51vUc5agCAi2MOTZEAD_CvrERPiiI/s1600/mili.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4gUABDP7DlvOeUwQcPbbWNKzUyXsPU6vZHWg2tqIWVNdUuaz8z_gMwg4_y9EPczyFXtvytT5xs1p9P_cEDoL9-POJgdD-X4abX50IqO4Cj4C8dd51vUc5agCAi2MOTZEAD_CvrERPiiI/s200/mili.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toxic Madagascan Millipede</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the jungles of Madagascar, Black Lemur gather
highly poisonous millipedes. They don’t eat them, just annoy the heck out of
them so the huge insects exude a toxic substance containing cyanide.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This the lemurs rub on their fur to deter
mosquitoes; cyanide is an effective pesticide.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But that’s not all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the process of this strange anointing, the
lemurs get high and disorientated and show clear signs of addiction.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Naturalists
have observed this drug habit and the lemurs; desperate need to acquire the
narcotic to get wasted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not
known if the millipedes, usually discarded unharmed, benefits in any way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Addicted Vervet monkeys, originally from Africa, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>live on St Kitts in the<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Caribbean.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They’ve developed a taste for alcohol and each
monkey has it’s own preference.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some go for cocktails, others for the hard stuff
and if there are no tourists around to steal from, they’ll raid the local bars.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For years, scientists have studied the monkeys for
insights into <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>human addictions<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But not all are chronic boozers, some monkeys,
despite the majority in their troupe knocking back the vodka, remain teetotal
and won’t drink alcohol even when offered it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Like humans, the drunken monkeys wobble and fall about and tell their
best mates they love them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyxqJJZIrImaDmBgqst5AZu2SeVEGbB9jnjPgPv_EzPLh_ZpBwBlVNmsGqH3VdM1p-xrr5Q_4o3lO4bCFxOFWamC8vL-IMMBFBEdQAUZYwwiywjqv1XyATPmvis_-aVAa3ExDLEQSCNlE8/s1600/monkey2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="664" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyxqJJZIrImaDmBgqst5AZu2SeVEGbB9jnjPgPv_EzPLh_ZpBwBlVNmsGqH3VdM1p-xrr5Q_4o3lO4bCFxOFWamC8vL-IMMBFBEdQAUZYwwiywjqv1XyATPmvis_-aVAa3ExDLEQSCNlE8/s320/monkey2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This monkey rejected the alcohol in favour of the non-alcoholic drink with the straw </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hedgehogs are immune to many poisons and have been
known to collect and eat cigarette butts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This creates strange behaviours - writhing around and <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>contorting
their bodies and spitting their saliva onto their spines. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As nicotine is an insecticide, scientists assume
the hedgehog has worked this out to keep it free of parasites.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKWmD6VOhPsWPd09mLDU-T1X_FdoVfbHn_Zp03liJO4y0ud79F0of1dOV6fLK1WiyXB-XviHQjl53DZ6i04xmeRe2UNcaff8dGSFSODJ8h3wloDqliR7qTQgPFDG660vV_y2LcKsYYwCz3/s1600/hedgehog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKWmD6VOhPsWPd09mLDU-T1X_FdoVfbHn_Zp03liJO4y0ud79F0of1dOV6fLK1WiyXB-XviHQjl53DZ6i04xmeRe2UNcaff8dGSFSODJ8h3wloDqliR7qTQgPFDG660vV_y2LcKsYYwCz3/s320/hedgehog.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The popularity of aromatherapy is not just
confined to humans who drop lavender oil on their pillows to help sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Starlings collect aromatic herbs for their
nests and cover newly laid eggs with Yarrow, Mint, and Willow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Research shows this helps the chicks' immune
system as the oil is absorbed through the shell.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chicks reared with herbs grow faster, weigh more
and cope better with stress when they leave the nest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaoCi_k5FqTMseR_haVNHNv60o-cIvj08JujSlMeG-n_dG1ECMEQGG3lqgPfr6eV4yfGeeRPAOMof_6_JLOc7GoHB9mlyLTQn6AOpSEYSGiY9Afz2wFhYv476HM4eoDWMSk8swGjaCdrVT/s1600/starling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="285" data-original-width="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaoCi_k5FqTMseR_haVNHNv60o-cIvj08JujSlMeG-n_dG1ECMEQGG3lqgPfr6eV4yfGeeRPAOMof_6_JLOc7GoHB9mlyLTQn6AOpSEYSGiY9Afz2wFhYv476HM4eoDWMSk8swGjaCdrVT/s1600/starling.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br />Zola the Gorgonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07569877587588044249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242348033327117577.post-19323643442208917362020-05-24T15:37:00.003+12:002020-05-24T15:37:52.810+12:00<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Day Fifty Five</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Your whole life shows in your face - be proud of that<b>.</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Lauren Bacall</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Humans and animals are programmed from birth to
look at the human face and deduce moods from what they see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0EWn_Tn-ifiXg1JYIIVrIjWRZBVuh0WfNxjEt73roFQq-1jcyQ083KiB7qiuGwz21gJaA9qKstEwFXd-3eCFeuU6kskFtS4pd_kHr_qntls5mH8qoPVSxCnUlcdG5kLKFUjNrAvK9ywVK/s1600/clock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="550" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0EWn_Tn-ifiXg1JYIIVrIjWRZBVuh0WfNxjEt73roFQq-1jcyQ083KiB7qiuGwz21gJaA9qKstEwFXd-3eCFeuU6kskFtS4pd_kHr_qntls5mH8qoPVSxCnUlcdG5kLKFUjNrAvK9ywVK/s200/clock.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The eyes have it. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If I cover my eyes, I
can get much closer to the birds I’m watching than if I advance, however stealthily
with my face uncovered.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Birds look for the ‘eagle eyes’ or
‘hawk eyes’ of predators to reduce the risk of becoming prey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they can’t see the eyes, they don’t see
the risk - although of course even if you wear a paper bag over your head, even a flock of bird-brains will take to the sky if you move suddenly in their
direction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At <b>Cambridge University</b>, a group of researchers
trained sheep to recognise <b>President Obama</b> and actors <b>Emma Watson</b> and <b>Jake Gylenhaal</b>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don’t ask me
why.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_-RxjD6dhlGEiC6IEnNgOTi1FYA8f_Qr_jzibohBry6dCfrQMKlBlge9jcqpikRovOF0uSHmKKFvjLtnUkukBcqM2JV5k4qqneoeBv1UFY5FaiC5rD671LWwRXbQVkpAL6RYbR_fU2xQi/s1600/Jake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="565" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_-RxjD6dhlGEiC6IEnNgOTi1FYA8f_Qr_jzibohBry6dCfrQMKlBlge9jcqpikRovOF0uSHmKKFvjLtnUkukBcqM2JV5k4qqneoeBv1UFY5FaiC5rD671LWwRXbQVkpAL6RYbR_fU2xQi/s200/Jake.jpg" width="141" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jake Gylenhaal</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perhaps they wanted to discover why</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">facial recognition software, first developed
in the 60’s by <b>Woody Bledsoe</b>, <b>Helen Chan</b> and <b>Charles Bisson</b>, has taken over 50
years to develop - and still isn’t perfected, according to the BBC’s technology
correspondent <b>Rory Cellan-Jones</b>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">‘The more images you ask computers to process,
the less accurate they tend to be.’ he says.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So the answer is clear: instead of dodgy software
in top security buildings, just install a sheep.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #202122; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl4ZuLN55bDeZbIuqvZleE9UIdu-jzE_IqOxJfw2Zw2hwyZBSuM205OSD5pM7zndtLRXskTUMrRJco4qe2GA1Mk7m60MH6Ab2tGMSNHfwJxi8bxFLwPFOM9l1dMVvDt8OKTNCxRqFhzH64/s1600/sheep+flock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="263" data-original-width="447" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl4ZuLN55bDeZbIuqvZleE9UIdu-jzE_IqOxJfw2Zw2hwyZBSuM205OSD5pM7zndtLRXskTUMrRJco4qe2GA1Mk7m60MH6Ab2tGMSNHfwJxi8bxFLwPFOM9l1dMVvDt8OKTNCxRqFhzH64/s320/sheep+flock.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The human brain is so attuned to facial patterns
that we even see them in things which don’t actually have faces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is called “pareidolia”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjskunv_NVuF4ybxN9rkqeVAPQc9veMHGjXq12mI_Gumh9bFN_XrGDIYqf8n1ZvFPxHaR3h1q2E6w6_5QR3jXU7Lo2x8BUjsEeD4u09o2p_ClUA1bTPm6pgbXinKL1iTZfur9H94twPFH6j/s1600/roof+eyes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="501" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjskunv_NVuF4ybxN9rkqeVAPQc9veMHGjXq12mI_Gumh9bFN_XrGDIYqf8n1ZvFPxHaR3h1q2E6w6_5QR3jXU7Lo2x8BUjsEeD4u09o2p_ClUA1bTPm6pgbXinKL1iTZfur9H94twPFH6j/s200/roof+eyes.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite the posh word, we’re not that good at
identifying unfamiliar faces. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">researchers presented guinea pigs (the human kind
not the little squeaking creatures although </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">maybe the humans were squeaky creatures too) with two photographs
and then asked them to differentiate on second viewing, 20% of people could
not.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifIAGX-jPfwHDsD5G7xjncmUUjbdlUkkuZp9CTSb4Yr8RBo4-SAGPJKeLChLkyXsBA2BbYsv5vcvhBt0AKdiQpYdJJuwgTSsPHzh9gfjvVUCDv204foOWU3j9S7rhq4Wt2_eNu5PUVd1bL/s1600/shary+face.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="553" data-original-width="553" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifIAGX-jPfwHDsD5G7xjncmUUjbdlUkkuZp9CTSb4Yr8RBo4-SAGPJKeLChLkyXsBA2BbYsv5vcvhBt0AKdiQpYdJJuwgTSsPHzh9gfjvVUCDv204foOWU3j9S7rhq4Wt2_eNu5PUVd1bL/s200/shary+face.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m hearted by this as it proves I am not alone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can’t tell the difference between Natalie
Portman and Keira Knightley, however many times I see them and as every male actor between 20 and 35 has <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a 4-day growth of beard, they <u>all</u> look alike
to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I find it much easier to recognise a smiling handbag.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-_H6V4GCa4S-IqPp3DyD3MOk5-r1KGKG7WJZzNjijeg2XjHamdkxXi6btHXvdRtt1KfT7uqqX88OgCvlkpXPuqcG5c_WPgpRpr_PEPEGqjr-JipG1kcjE3NTTsHAQrRaMyjwjAMsXeR-/s1600/smiling+bag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="1008" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-_H6V4GCa4S-IqPp3DyD3MOk5-r1KGKG7WJZzNjijeg2XjHamdkxXi6btHXvdRtt1KfT7uqqX88OgCvlkpXPuqcG5c_WPgpRpr_PEPEGqjr-JipG1kcjE3NTTsHAQrRaMyjwjAMsXeR-/s320/smiling+bag.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So who’s better at this face recognition thing, humans or computers?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“It depends on the task,” says <b>Rob Jenkins</b>,
psychologist from <b>York University</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“If it’s a human who knows the face they’re looking
at, bet on the human every time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If it's a face that’s unknown, the machine has
the edge.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okaay, let's recap: <b>humans who already <u>know</u> the face they are looking at, can recognise it</b>? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Did we really need research to tell us that?</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidWfBpfTV-dGxDcMz1uAKNQuHXPeK3IhCVRcYr1-I6SQFhAsVVPJ77eALl3JmNSBovlL1IZzgH1gA1jmkoITCcjtnscaj6zTHRavetnij_5IGzPsdvGlLvTD5gTLq6WUzo4tknYhW6mlo9/s1600/tag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="1008" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidWfBpfTV-dGxDcMz1uAKNQuHXPeK3IhCVRcYr1-I6SQFhAsVVPJ77eALl3JmNSBovlL1IZzgH1gA1jmkoITCcjtnscaj6zTHRavetnij_5IGzPsdvGlLvTD5gTLq6WUzo4tknYhW6mlo9/s400/tag.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And none of us can beat the sheep.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Zola the Gorgonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07569877587588044249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242348033327117577.post-48650681088590340872020-05-23T12:12:00.003+12:002020-05-23T12:12:31.766+12:00<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Day Fifty Four </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>May 22nd Sherlock Holmes Day :The game’s afoot!<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_rukzMkkVD-1qYFVNCbnqxDMLgW2EB4He5XJY7UiArI-Ko2wokk0tY8khvYKEoZXCQ44oRsQFyRcxp-hcqMvTEgV_HbUaiqGI3iqxj4ASK4OMV9uVmBTUQDicgTVvzIpkykRvE2d4-h-F/s1600/deerstalker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="218" data-original-width="231" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_rukzMkkVD-1qYFVNCbnqxDMLgW2EB4He5XJY7UiArI-Ko2wokk0tY8khvYKEoZXCQ44oRsQFyRcxp-hcqMvTEgV_HbUaiqGI3iqxj4ASK4OMV9uVmBTUQDicgTVvzIpkykRvE2d4-h-F/s200/deerstalker.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote his very first
Sherlock Holmes story, <i>A Study in Scarlet</i> (1887) he had no reason to believe
how popular the character would become. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The story, rejected by other publishers, made
not a ripple in the minds of the reading public.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It wasn’t until 1891 <b>Holmes and Watson</b> found their
way into print again and <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">became firmly established with subscribers to <i>The
Strand Magazine</i>, where <i>A Scandal in Bohemia</i> resulted in record sales.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Guinness Book of Records list Holmes and
Watson as the most portrayed characters in history. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By 1990, well over 25,000
films, stage adaptations and TV series had been made featuring the consulting
detective and his emanuensis, Dr<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John H Watson.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4A6KqcLUszpPhNAGLd3Bf4BPQ-zrGJIxWSIzKv0QaHx7u7nOl0ordjJoDkelM2971yExZp6EMDrdXifveox_X3Z3d4K4HJ7T7MPP5csoAjZpTIDaCUhCSmR_ws8LL3H7akKk8UjkvEJ5/s1600/Dr+Bell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="856" data-original-width="610" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4A6KqcLUszpPhNAGLd3Bf4BPQ-zrGJIxWSIzKv0QaHx7u7nOl0ordjJoDkelM2971yExZp6EMDrdXifveox_X3Z3d4K4HJ7T7MPP5csoAjZpTIDaCUhCSmR_ws8LL3H7akKk8UjkvEJ5/s320/Dr+Bell.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr Josephe Bell - Edinburgh</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is said Doyle was inspired by <i>Joseph
Bell</i></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a surgeon at the Royal Infirmary of
Edinburgh and with whom Doyle had worked.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bell, a meticulous observer, would draw
conclusions (often correctly) from the slightest evidence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZyZVF7vXJZAFtucrMr5p5ty8yeR_PgCQnaExwzPaR19uBGx_HL7kuJW8j7RitEmJIL-A6j35dM-yfQVkOsQHv0oIPs9jMcBP6ahOGbNsxeC3yl1CSiyIs95kwOTixFen1qkcSqBipaCGt/s1600/holmes2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="318" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZyZVF7vXJZAFtucrMr5p5ty8yeR_PgCQnaExwzPaR19uBGx_HL7kuJW8j7RitEmJIL-A6j35dM-yfQVkOsQHv0oIPs9jMcBP6ahOGbNsxeC3yl1CSiyIs95kwOTixFen1qkcSqBipaCGt/s200/holmes2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When Watson and Holmes first meet, Sherlock says:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">‘You have been in Afghanistan I perceive’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dr Watson assumes someone told him and Holmes is
quite affronted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">‘Nothing of the sort. I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">knew</i> you came from Afghanistan. Here is
a gentleman of a medical type, but with the air of a military man. Clearly an
army doctor. His left arm has been injured. He holds it in a stiff and
unnatural manner. Where in the tropics could an English army doctor have seen
much hardship and got his arm wounded? Clearly in Afghanistan.'<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It all sounds very plausible but some of the fun in
being an addicted<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Holmesian, is finding
holes in the reasoning. All the things Holmes observed could easily have other
explanations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwt8Yy9ToC3AXJxW8u1p1T3BSPdLWV3mvfine08UqaMZ4Wqiyk9O1PdDFGOfXKFRwgq1RIuCO1ZIFAJXBsUMmIhuBKR4lhDzFVXohTjFwadtWuThmaS7j9WVf-z-athgTWwtRN1PUZt6f6/s1600/Tanky2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="189" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwt8Yy9ToC3AXJxW8u1p1T3BSPdLWV3mvfine08UqaMZ4Wqiyk9O1PdDFGOfXKFRwgq1RIuCO1ZIFAJXBsUMmIhuBKR4lhDzFVXohTjFwadtWuThmaS7j9WVf-z-athgTWwtRN1PUZt6f6/s200/Tanky2.jpg" width="141" /></a></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Francis “Tanky” Smith</i>, a policeman who used disguises
in his work, was another influence on Conan Doyle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Smith with partner <i>Tommy Haynes</i>, known as Black
Tommy were the first detectives in Leicester and had the courage and ability to infiltrate some
of the city’s worst and most brutal criminal gangs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GcjagQ0j8otinRKsLusBiiSxXEebsuCSYvC1UwJbS0fF6Wwyra3VtQ8O4sxQWI51SJu7d-3XB_yp926Kf8x1NrJ8HnVoTp8EEm7arOd0TM7_I8n_H14v9Q4cHijp80MoCk09KxyfqTDt/s1600/Tanky+fry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="956" data-original-width="1300" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GcjagQ0j8otinRKsLusBiiSxXEebsuCSYvC1UwJbS0fF6Wwyra3VtQ8O4sxQWI51SJu7d-3XB_yp926Kf8x1NrJ8HnVoTp8EEm7arOd0TM7_I8n_H14v9Q4cHijp80MoCk09KxyfqTDt/s200/Tanky+fry.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tanky looking uncannily like Stephen Fry<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><br /></span></td></tr>
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<br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When Tanky retired, he built, with the help of his architect son, a property in Top Hat Terrace where several sculptures now show his many disguises.</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxurAJ4EsqV_VyD7dPUzED6c4ZX7fTTXmkcBZnE2kd4FkSlS8E0E8SlsEXrlz4JgePPwP3MaTW_jtDWhd6wxenMRHDxSo_8BtCzRhyphenhyphenYH6mkaVEYcdL2VTAkGMpwXhM62yTa1XHtRceSck2/s1600/Tanky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="523" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxurAJ4EsqV_VyD7dPUzED6c4ZX7fTTXmkcBZnE2kd4FkSlS8E0E8SlsEXrlz4JgePPwP3MaTW_jtDWhd6wxenMRHDxSo_8BtCzRhyphenhyphenYH6mkaVEYcdL2VTAkGMpwXhM62yTa1XHtRceSck2/s200/Tanky.jpg" width="200" /></a><div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The name Sherlock is now, along with Watson and Mycroft,
firmly embedded in literary history but he was, originally named, <i>Sherringford</i>
in early drafts. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Quite a distinguished name in itself, unlike <i>Ormond Sacker</i>,
the first incarnation of Dr Watson.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank goodness Doyle decided to change them.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_NL94b1sr4vq-UjrjwnoIyKPhZA22G_uD4K16qbxiMyw2dKvASpC4b0jDVPczLFPCgajwV9HkTqEoFz9SCHaZAmYg00eZfhaNClANytaY0ixSiqIFABweR2y4X0vXnzhgOadbQBvpvSIf/s1600/holmes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="620" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_NL94b1sr4vq-UjrjwnoIyKPhZA22G_uD4K16qbxiMyw2dKvASpC4b0jDVPczLFPCgajwV9HkTqEoFz9SCHaZAmYg00eZfhaNClANytaY0ixSiqIFABweR2y4X0vXnzhgOadbQBvpvSIf/s200/holmes.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whilst most of us think of Sherlock in a cape and
Deerstalker hat, there is no mention in the stories, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of Holmes wearing one. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This image
comes from one of the first illustrations in The Strand magazine (seen at the top of the page). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We all have our favourite actors portraying
Holmes and Watson on screen. Mine are Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, whose
Watson was so endearing that he won my heart at an early age and I’ve stayed
faithful to him for over 70 years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5yhWa2Tu1GLMle1hl_JQkAR165rN1ouLHg2qR2Lqxr-WIk3E2Dq4RRSzIrvTFJYhmRDzkV2OfQcVDQ4qHJ5MSR7iIU_KDSQ4UDGqs9GEU12l6n39YbTnXH7u3MgPt-mknWFkWDQppmajK/s1600/brett+holmes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="957" data-original-width="1024" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5yhWa2Tu1GLMle1hl_JQkAR165rN1ouLHg2qR2Lqxr-WIk3E2Dq4RRSzIrvTFJYhmRDzkV2OfQcVDQ4qHJ5MSR7iIU_KDSQ4UDGqs9GEU12l6n39YbTnXH7u3MgPt-mknWFkWDQppmajK/s200/brett+holmes.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I do admit though to finding Jeremy Brett and
Edward Hardwicke worthy successors in the following decades. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Zola the Gorgonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07569877587588044249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242348033327117577.post-40154542484296216642020-05-21T12:50:00.000+12:002020-05-21T12:59:08.330+12:00Day Fifty Three<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On <b>23<sup>rd</sup> May 2007</b>,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>author <b>Luca Scantanburlo</b> followed up a strange rumour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>A man living in Rwanda had, some years
before, been part of a NASA project which proved beyond any doubt that alien
life had existed on the moon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Curious, he tracked down and interviewed <b>William Rutledge</b>, an
American astronaut, now retired but formerly part of the Apollo 20 crew who
took part in a top secret mission to the moon during 1976.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgHWP4d9dkflzG2H7yYWOjLkz7K9kTquVrQufb-NKCnET4SzmhfhvXrLoI4JzObRL6FC8Hd451o5AemcYUEYPcF-M4CY2KpeNDWKBY_k03gnDxgSk-MpI1U6pfJP3cJeYSC-KB2VfRdaLW/s1600/apolloman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1330" data-original-width="1600" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgHWP4d9dkflzG2H7yYWOjLkz7K9kTquVrQufb-NKCnET4SzmhfhvXrLoI4JzObRL6FC8Hd451o5AemcYUEYPcF-M4CY2KpeNDWKBY_k03gnDxgSk-MpI1U6pfJP3cJeYSC-KB2VfRdaLW/s200/apolloman.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #202122;">The
mission, launched from Vanderberg Air Force Base, had been made jointly by the
USA and USSR, the crew members including Rutledge, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>astronaut <b>Leona Snyder</b> and Soviet cosmonaut <b>Alexei Leonov</b></span><span style="color: #202122;">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #202122;">They
landed near Guyot Crater</span><span style="color: #202122;"> where Rutledge and Leonov took photos and videos of an ancient
but now ruined, civilisation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">During subsequent interviews, Scantanburlo learned that the crew
found and brought back to Earth, many artefacts and incredibly, the remains of
a humanoid female.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxNEaSWCbiEOF9ohHKr6wdlGqF1c1sq3X-sWXQ0cOJ6VxBrv7Vz864GPj_ovUzktQKkGy5T4orG5ZYuVk3pqq2gnlb__AIF6J2r8EsA7f56h9NnazEEplNlQXkNuPX7v9W6iXFxA35t-40/s1600/Hoax+humanoid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="518" data-original-width="690" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxNEaSWCbiEOF9ohHKr6wdlGqF1c1sq3X-sWXQ0cOJ6VxBrv7Vz864GPj_ovUzktQKkGy5T4orG5ZYuVk3pqq2gnlb__AIF6J2r8EsA7f56h9NnazEEplNlQXkNuPX7v9W6iXFxA35t-40/s200/Hoax+humanoid.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Humanoid nicknamed Mona Lisa</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All this was immediate put under the strictest security, the
crew warned not to speak to the media and the whole mission subject to total
deniability. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">However, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>31 years
down the track, Rutledge had decided to go public and having made copies of the
videos taken on the moon, promised the author<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>he’d upload <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>them to You Tube,
which he did. They can still be seen today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Luca Scantanburlo wrote a book about the mission, the
extensive interviews with Rutledge and the incredible finds on the moon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM43RsLlUr0FlN8oEktDKVdBnvcVsd6XWFD9mXYfG0hrirjKA-3YC6sT5YcmFUDQZ6H24f8D3GVYmhZPPXkAPmaJeHtndIpqh-GZ05wb5dQ5vqCBMK3sYr8xGvY8XDKGQyT2woWSUPey5v/s1600/luca+book.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM43RsLlUr0FlN8oEktDKVdBnvcVsd6XWFD9mXYfG0hrirjKA-3YC6sT5YcmFUDQZ6H24f8D3GVYmhZPPXkAPmaJeHtndIpqh-GZ05wb5dQ5vqCBMK3sYr8xGvY8XDKGQyT2woWSUPey5v/s200/luca+book.jpeg" width="132" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The only problem?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
whole thing was a hoax.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s hard to discern from Scantanburlo’s website whether he
was fooled by Rutledge; who mixed fact with fiction so that some parts of the
story were verifiable; or in league with the hoaxer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>His book was a best-seller but to date he is
still listed as ‘a clerk in the hospitality industry’ and his website is mainly
conspiracy theories.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thierry Speth also wrote, in 2017 about the supposed mission.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><i>"143 pictures from the mission .In 1971, Russian Probes and the Apollo 15 mission photograph a gigantic starship wrecked on the dark side of the Moon.</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Worthy of Ripley's Believe it or Not!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhefCrhO38X9keh2-upuTI-zGeDFCenp5qaiIvOthLH-IoiiJ-biHHMc6v5fS-Pb_2HPW1SjIvfpVdKQ0xEqB41lOZavyYPhyphenhyphenTYRTEvYRxcHgYAi8Tm4KZlMWoOFRZT0u4_bSyMST38JMF7/s1600/speth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="328" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhefCrhO38X9keh2-upuTI-zGeDFCenp5qaiIvOthLH-IoiiJ-biHHMc6v5fS-Pb_2HPW1SjIvfpVdKQ0xEqB41lOZavyYPhyphenhyphenTYRTEvYRxcHgYAi8Tm4KZlMWoOFRZT0u4_bSyMST38JMF7/s320/speth.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> *******</span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>There were giants in the earth in those days Genesis. 6 v 4 </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i>On <b>October 16, 1869,</b> two labourers, digging a well on a farm near Cardiff, New York, hit stone. <br />Carefully they examined their find. Buried amid tangled tree roots and looking old and worn was a giant figure.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibm69KWpqC4SwFVyLGfjcoDf3yOacafqciuPLEkxSRxaR4Qi2vKvHIskK8zw_pA2PGy6S7ihQd4IQDdZYfvPns36LvElszwYctFjoumIE68CJB8x9Blhu6ldJJsa_rAGT0vOKWLHcgyjG0/s1600/cardiff+giant+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibm69KWpqC4SwFVyLGfjcoDf3yOacafqciuPLEkxSRxaR4Qi2vKvHIskK8zw_pA2PGy6S7ihQd4IQDdZYfvPns36LvElszwYctFjoumIE68CJB8x9Blhu6ldJJsa_rAGT0vOKWLHcgyjG0/s1600/cardiff+giant+1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">‘I declare,’ said one, ‘looks like an old Indian has been buried here.' </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />The <i>Syracuse Daily Standard</i> declared it 'a new wonder’ and the latest in a long line of fossil finds for which Cardiff was well known. <br /><br />People came from far and wide; so many that Farmer Newell (known at ‘Stub’) erected a tent over the figure and began charging admission. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Two thousand five hundred people came to look (and pay) in the first week alone. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgheFyYMJeTeMzQA16EoezCHonorsh8XuaYZTbXS9amZcprUr1YWX5tZnVAbpPnpWTwZ8ZpM5tBcMGQcwAQhPg42bpQDHFyBam3wGvgZkVlz8rFhvmWk_97LtD0c-BhakMybMSWhfEsYT3v/s1600/giant+with+men.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1050" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgheFyYMJeTeMzQA16EoezCHonorsh8XuaYZTbXS9amZcprUr1YWX5tZnVAbpPnpWTwZ8ZpM5tBcMGQcwAQhPg42bpQDHFyBam3wGvgZkVlz8rFhvmWk_97LtD0c-BhakMybMSWhfEsYT3v/s200/giant+with+men.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Then a man named <b>George Hull</b> arrived and Newell, who had rejected several offers to buy the fossilised man who stood (or lay) approximately 10 ft, heard from Hull that a syndicate of businessmen were offering $30,000 for a three quarter stake in the phenomenon. He accepted. <br /><br />Several experts opined it was simply a statue rather than a human body, petrified by the limestone in the surrounding water but still, when the syndicate took it on tour, thousands came to look. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Showman <b>P T Barnum,</b> always a man to recognise the way to bring in ‘the suckers and the dollars’, offered to buy the giant. When refused, he had a replica made and exhibited it as the real thing. </span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAEUqMQySkW5DpXUJJSeVQ_kYoVBzKheRMgVZYbj8rZ_zVoFdoCDHpRr8m9yPIiC2-4_23T0CYRKNWr1HXjQzZ1ClV5DwMjVN9tBOwKYqBNGqmZ7dIFKrXi7F9eTZ3LrCgGRTSDw8hEOXb/s1600/Barnum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="840" data-original-width="1094" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAEUqMQySkW5DpXUJJSeVQ_kYoVBzKheRMgVZYbj8rZ_zVoFdoCDHpRr8m9yPIiC2-4_23T0CYRKNWr1HXjQzZ1ClV5DwMjVN9tBOwKYqBNGqmZ7dIFKrXi7F9eTZ3LrCgGRTSDw8hEOXb/s320/Barnum.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">P T Barnum circus poster</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><br />He covered all bases with his posters which read : </span><br />
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<span style="background: white; color: #181818; font-family: "bernard mt condensed" , "serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.6pt;">What is it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #181818; font-family: "bernard mt condensed" , "serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.6pt;">
Is it a Statue? Is it a Petrification? Is it a Stupendous Fraud?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #181818; font-family: "bernard mt condensed" , "serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.6pt;"> Is it the Remains of a former Race?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><br /><br /> Barnum’s giant drew such huge crowds, far more than had flocked to the original, that he had several more made, touring in different areas of the USA. <br /><br />Then suspicions began to be aroused when a few people in Cardiff remembered George Hull and how he’d been seen in town a year before, transporting a large crate. <br />The men originally hired to dig the well speculated that it was a strange place to have a well and anyway, there was other access to water on the Newell farm. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeCdFY8nxWH2WwcDDT264Nfj4KDd_at542hTgJwjdPzLx_zUvyJ1GMYxXu2tdWQf-uzsdLZpJHTX7tlEQSZBXNOI52cSfrEmVtow5M237pGXuGGKkWbkmAoMWj1BXvLYK7e1R4THmhYT90/s1600/giant+and+experts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="1200" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeCdFY8nxWH2WwcDDT264Nfj4KDd_at542hTgJwjdPzLx_zUvyJ1GMYxXu2tdWQf-uzsdLZpJHTX7tlEQSZBXNOI52cSfrEmVtow5M237pGXuGGKkWbkmAoMWj1BXvLYK7e1R4THmhYT90/s200/giant+and+experts.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><br />Reporters did a little digging of their own and discovered a bank transfer to Hull from Newell, shortly after the $30,000 payout. <br /><br />A respected palaeontologist from Yale Univesity, <b>Prof. Othniel Marsh, </b>came to look at the original giant and scoffed, “It’s of very recent origin and a most decided humbug.” (fraud)<br /><br />Once exposed, George Hull was even able to make capital out of that, boasting how much money he'd made from ‘fooling the world’. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6wVpu_mdTJcH4hpnuCPMJYvxpA554nQmG68zl9StXtnXfYfFAvrT74LfU5_rHGGggMrBkZoeG2Gr0KW5LsLfEhPbf2lzio7imGkqePTuXUc8i329qj2qHjOE30sF-7u48sOUdM7yrpFCT/s1600/giants+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="963" data-original-width="1280" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6wVpu_mdTJcH4hpnuCPMJYvxpA554nQmG68zl9StXtnXfYfFAvrT74LfU5_rHGGggMrBkZoeG2Gr0KW5LsLfEhPbf2lzio7imGkqePTuXUc8i329qj2qHjOE30sF-7u48sOUdM7yrpFCT/s200/giants+poster.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> His reason for contriving this elaborate hoax in the first place was a desire to poke fun at the fundamentalist Christian religions which believe the Bible’s claim of giants - as stated in Genesis.<br /><br />He went on to try the trick again in 1877 with another buried giant, this time with a tail but was quickly exposed. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> He died penniless and in obscurity in 1902. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br /> </span>Zola the Gorgonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07569877587588044249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1242348033327117577.post-2472005953836189302020-05-19T10:33:00.001+12:002020-05-21T12:50:35.864+12:00<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="border: 1pt none; color: black; padding: 0cm;">Day
Fifty Two</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="border: 1pt none; color: black; padding: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; color: black; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Fascinated, enchanted bewitched and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>by words…<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="border: 1pt none; color: black; padding: 0cm;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I grew
up in England, learning to cook using scales like this.</span><span style="border: 1pt none; color: black; padding: 0cm;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr90J3r2jqlWguxVHFDUns2drwfznLoFszg3y9zGznvr0SbtQme8WD_gpm2Ivw2bl3O-yePsxxC4-beQws5qJ_J2e8oOId3N2e72P5j4LP43Gcev5K0ZY9VBtF5UQS_E8H3jQWvfEzUuhT/s1600/scale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="245" data-original-width="236" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr90J3r2jqlWguxVHFDUns2drwfznLoFszg3y9zGznvr0SbtQme8WD_gpm2Ivw2bl3O-yePsxxC4-beQws5qJ_J2e8oOId3N2e72P5j4LP43Gcev5K0ZY9VBtF5UQS_E8H3jQWvfEzUuhT/s200/scale.jpg" width="192" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of the heavy iron weights was marked ‘2
lb’ but why lb?</span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; color: black; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fifty
years later, I learned it’s from the Latin <i>libra pondo</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="border: 1pt none; color: black; padding: 0cm;">My Dad also paid two pounds for a new hat;
this time the sign for pound was £ but that too is really an L, stylised</span><span style="border: 1pt none; color: black; padding: 0cm;"> and also means<i> </i></span><span style="border: 1pt none; color: black; padding: 0cm;"><i>libra
pondo</i> - </span><span style="border: 1pt none; color: black; padding: 0cm;">or 2 pounds in weight, with </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">a line through
to indicate an abbreviation.</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The lb or pound
weight was 12 ounces; the </span><span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; padding: 0cm;">£ money was equal to a pound
weight of silver. </span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; padding: 0cm;">The abbreviations for money, thanks to the Roman occupation of Britain, which began in 55 BC, was LSD or £.s.d = Libra,
solidus, denarius.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="border: 1pt none; color: black; padding: 0cm;">So when Britain turned to decimal, whilst
retaining the £, we lost the solidus and denarius, a</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> 1000 years of history</span><span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; padding: 0cm;"> and replaced the</span><span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; padding: 0cm;">m</span><span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; padding: 0cm;">
with a p</span><span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; padding: 0cm;">iddling little p</span><span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; padding: 0cm;">.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKspQG0duxlk7RaMxxykDLvXCv-w1yARcB9_k9FOFXdnWba2gUYelqNCC26myLSPAs0EltTLsY5K1XRkcjI_-PvB7aLjg68mpd9aIrEFPdo6aEmIhHPgQ3e800BtJP1BA1ruW9XLFWx_sY/s1600/dosh2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="188" data-original-width="236" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKspQG0duxlk7RaMxxykDLvXCv-w1yARcB9_k9FOFXdnWba2gUYelqNCC26myLSPAs0EltTLsY5K1XRkcjI_-PvB7aLjg68mpd9aIrEFPdo6aEmIhHPgQ3e800BtJP1BA1ruW9XLFWx_sY/s200/dosh2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A few years ago, I bought a multi-pack of panties but when I got them home, realised they were not my size. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I lived miles from the shop and only went into town once a month, so decided to sell them on an Internet site. I listed them singly and they went almost at once but one buyer complained bitterly. ‘I asked for a pair of knickers and you only sent one.’ <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbiVQyiAaaXSMjxmpphLH_p2Lb7iAFdixNLKE8HHCGzp0OhO9i21UY6H50g8ahEhx7800tc9ZWOzPK3alZrif_mRA_LlZNT3AHpndrXZqz86vdVYqCWJiGSkNrnDYRYyC97avsI3peuYvY/s1600/pants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="181" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbiVQyiAaaXSMjxmpphLH_p2Lb7iAFdixNLKE8HHCGzp0OhO9i21UY6H50g8ahEhx7800tc9ZWOzPK3alZrif_mRA_LlZNT3AHpndrXZqz86vdVYqCWJiGSkNrnDYRYyC97avsI3peuYvY/s320/pants.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Why do we say a <i>pair of knickers</i> or <i>a pair of pants</i>? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Because way back in the 16<sup>th</sup> Century, the pants or pantaloons were two separate legs, leaving a handy, or draughty, space at the crotch, although men wore a codpiece. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> A pant was one leg, a pair of pants both - and very few people needed only one leg.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Other than the lady who bought my knickers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPox9PzXnybPjsLyYYwWhcsJ4-2ZzPyoCcGhpSD7KaRt0ZxgaBuGy75w8UQPBw0kIRyEvc9msHStunnSL9xvFGEZitYqY-2CACQ0J6EIAhsISdyOzV2Qz1bpZ8cCYsW3nDExp2NG4WKJ3/s1600/wasp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="328" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPox9PzXnybPjsLyYYwWhcsJ4-2ZzPyoCcGhpSD7KaRt0ZxgaBuGy75w8UQPBw0kIRyEvc9msHStunnSL9xvFGEZitYqY-2CACQ0J6EIAhsISdyOzV2Qz1bpZ8cCYsW3nDExp2NG4WKJ3/s200/wasp.jpg" width="191" /></a><span style="background: white; color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My little boy once came running in from the
garden to tell me his brother had been, ‘stunged by a wops.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Many children say ‘wops’ for wasp, a sound
change called metathesis.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We hear it in
<i>ask</i> and <i>asks</i> too and occasionally in <i>calvary</i> and <i>cavalry</i> and hilariously
<i>asterix</i> for <i>asterisk</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But back to the wops. The Old English gave a choice: </span><span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; padding: 0cm;"><i>waesp</i></span><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> and </span><span style="border: 1pt none; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; padding: 0cm;"><i>waeps</i> and in Latin</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> it’s <i>vespa</i> which
gave its name to those buzzing little bikes which sounded like angry waepses.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo3vXrd5f8l_0GRfQwv6XEIPY9ERZnOBHN3k-qUH4R4kfJqTlqsfcW8zEGL7mcHxipDK_ym-6hP4RB8WJHMEnBN7tESu_jVcF7b_ZpOZNWb3sycZHN_6Q9tUYXCdthCih9ZlIq-GnfB9LL/s1600/vespa1946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="744" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo3vXrd5f8l_0GRfQwv6XEIPY9ERZnOBHN3k-qUH4R4kfJqTlqsfcW8zEGL7mcHxipDK_ym-6hP4RB8WJHMEnBN7tESu_jVcF7b_ZpOZNWb3sycZHN_6Q9tUYXCdthCih9ZlIq-GnfB9LL/s200/vespa1946.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vespa 1955</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="background: white; color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A friend in Gisborne always boasts that the
gardens near her home produced the very first (and best) asparagus of the
season, so she gets to eat the succulent vegetable before anyone else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘Bought my
first Sparrowgrass’, she’d say and I always assumed that was a sort of
linguistic joke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not a bit of it. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBFVkU78UCEBVYbqYcAkgId6-Z10IOUxi4DcwImQO4rnmnJl1_vD585Zpba3zOIsL4JJfCAOTCvm7nxYkb2CGdqLNFP8a4y3bLhbGds38CAFsbfj1VPv_JTiRxRN4QWxj-PjQckgof-xFT/s1600/asparagus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBFVkU78UCEBVYbqYcAkgId6-Z10IOUxi4DcwImQO4rnmnJl1_vD585Zpba3zOIsL4JJfCAOTCvm7nxYkb2CGdqLNFP8a4y3bLhbGds38CAFsbfj1VPv_JTiRxRN4QWxj-PjQckgof-xFT/s200/asparagus.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Again with a 1,000 year history in Britain, its
name in Latin being</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <i>a</i><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; padding: 0cm;"><i>sparagus</i>,</span><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
though over generations this was often shortened to <i>sparagus</i>. </span>It underwent more changes, as
wors so often do, until in Shakespeare’s
day it was <span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; padding: 0cm;"><i>sperach</i></span> or <span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; padding: 0cm;"><i>sperage</i></span>.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then along came Nicholas Culpeper the herbalist who knew its true Latin
name and included it in
his comprehensive herbal of 1653.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA-y0oigDnW76zp1dCWi9J6H61M1W6DTaV44bH4SXDB7poL37GD985MJ2Sdci1i7-BkWf_krzzFAPgRbuBvLT8EgpP1vYtwmkz8kZeBOBXe5f5bX6xg17I1pk7bQz94YAwoVxgw0A7lk6I/s1600/Herbal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="699" data-original-width="434" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA-y0oigDnW76zp1dCWi9J6H61M1W6DTaV44bH4SXDB7poL37GD985MJ2Sdci1i7-BkWf_krzzFAPgRbuBvLT8EgpP1vYtwmkz8kZeBOBXe5f5bX6xg17I1pk7bQz94YAwoVxgw0A7lk6I/s200/Herbal.jpg" width="123" /></a><span style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Culpeper was widely known and
his herbal an invaluable household resource (as it still is today) the word
came back in its original form.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">By Samuel Pepys
time, it was being called ‘Sparrowgrass’. He writes in his diary for <span style="color: #005f00;">20 April 1667:</span></span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>“So home,
and having brought home with me from Fenchurch Street a hundred of
sparrowgrass, cost 18d. We had them and a little bit of salmon,
which my wife had a mind to, cost 3s.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><strong><span style="background: white; color: black; font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></strong><span style="background: white; color: black;">‘Speak of the devil’ we say when someone we were discussin</span><span style="background: white; color: black;">g</span><span style="background: white; color: black;"> walks in.</span><span style="background: white; color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: black;">Its full version, ’Speak of
the Devil and he will appear’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>goes back
to the times when it was genuinely<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>believed that speaking names conjured up spirits. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP0ceJ6Q_zl0d_h81MOHY0ZXToTSoR_11aBJ3a0ELxQPByugszoFt27G6g5kl4Xy9EL6RH8pGlgRDB9JhUlwHsBEmffvLx4ijprK1NPAnQVCbVrbBotMIfBMr_2H8VgnAcNjRf3fgFl3Yr/s1600/boo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="201" data-original-width="251" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP0ceJ6Q_zl0d_h81MOHY0ZXToTSoR_11aBJ3a0ELxQPByugszoFt27G6g5kl4Xy9EL6RH8pGlgRDB9JhUlwHsBEmffvLx4ijprK1NPAnQVCbVrbBotMIfBMr_2H8VgnAcNjRf3fgFl3Yr/s200/boo.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: black;">Hence we get euphemisms
such as Old Nick and </span><span style="background: white; color: black;">‘What the Dickens!’ <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: black;">The Dickens, which in
Yorkshire at least was shortened to Dick</span><span style="background: white; color: black;"> was a common
name for Satan</span><span style="background: white; color: black;">. </span><span style="background: white; color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: black;">If came
home filthy, Mum would say, ‘Just look at the state of you, you’re as black as
Dick’s hat band’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="background: white; color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: black;">It’s strange to think, in
these prosaic times that people believed the Devil would actually pop up if
they said his name but superstition </span><span style="background: white; color: black;">ruled lives</span><span style="background: white; color: black;"> and seeing a black cat was enough to spoil your </span><span style="background: white; color: black;">whole </span><span style="background: white; color: black;">day.</span><span style="background: white; color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAkAgjSYALOJ5daAUfKS7oljyf6E0geHdkCDZEUw4tX2stN1Kb-px0kCVAyjHA-2Oe9GdhC2QWEhVY5ab9nY2yyTP7UKUJp5bito0JPL4TEbPK339G5WZ2JJiHKhsC2TmABhx5mwu1AEFt/s1600/cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="241" data-original-width="209" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAkAgjSYALOJ5daAUfKS7oljyf6E0geHdkCDZEUw4tX2stN1Kb-px0kCVAyjHA-2Oe9GdhC2QWEhVY5ab9nY2yyTP7UKUJp5bito0JPL4TEbPK339G5WZ2JJiHKhsC2TmABhx5mwu1AEFt/s200/cat.jpg" width="173" /></a></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Politicians are often surrounded by sycophants or ‘yes men’
- people who agree with everything the boss says. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Greek
word sūkophantēs is from <i>sūkon phainein</i>, meaning
'to show a fig'. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is a very ancient superstition, widely used around the
world, to ward off the evil eye.</span> <o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRiN_XflmGz8OKp6Lqe7qJ31BWFVasVQc-smC4SFdd4u4MPK0sBphAvZIElzJHRNmZaut_0kzNGKlx1dfn0PD2nfEj7Mh53ClvGkiW38BoGlhb4ZgPyO-T-NSqDmbpfpCM6Fq_pEDIlBzS/s1600/fig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="183" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRiN_XflmGz8OKp6Lqe7qJ31BWFVasVQc-smC4SFdd4u4MPK0sBphAvZIElzJHRNmZaut_0kzNGKlx1dfn0PD2nfEj7Mh53ClvGkiW38BoGlhb4ZgPyO-T-NSqDmbpfpCM6Fq_pEDIlBzS/s200/fig.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">showing a fig</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In many places,</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">now seen as a vulgar insult. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sycophants, the embodiment of the protective symbol, perhaps fear what would happen if they dare to disagree with a politician.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmHw6_iuDeI54M1lZ6TOfX64gbe0dy9M0m7Zyglof71vowzzispp6EL5A-UjyYHNajN9Ryeh9F_kDKW_z3owPzppQmPCYqN6aKc8HUzSV9PQvlFvxywEOrOq4DuloLvrcDSIveHJLw5Irl/s1600/yes+mini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1440" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmHw6_iuDeI54M1lZ6TOfX64gbe0dy9M0m7Zyglof71vowzzispp6EL5A-UjyYHNajN9Ryeh9F_kDKW_z3owPzppQmPCYqN6aKc8HUzSV9PQvlFvxywEOrOq4DuloLvrcDSIveHJLw5Irl/s320/yes+mini.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #404040;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I am indebted to the meticulous research by Michael Quinion on his excellent webpage: </span></o:p></span><a href="http://www.worldwidewords.org/">http://www.worldwidewords.org</a></div>
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<br />Zola the Gorgonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07569877587588044249noreply@blogger.com0